I have not looked at the work I do around the house as mortification, just what I am supposed to do. It bothers me terribly when family members do not do what they are old enought to and should do, but I try to do it quietly. I hate sitting still for too long anyway; I feel guilty. But I also guess I’ll need to find more to do until I fall over because, if not, temptation creeps in very quickly. Seems the harder I try to avoid it, the more it is there.
Amen to that brother! Just last night, the first time I slowed down was just after 10 pm. Everyone was asleep…and before I knew it I was flipping through the channels, subconsciously looking for programs showing some skin! I stopped as soon as I realised that, and forecd myself to settle on a very conervative show to watch. So yeah, even if you work untill you almost fall over, the temptations are there…and they are strong! I’ll have to keep going untill I fall into bed, but then I’m a wreck the next day!
Temptation is everywhere and plenty. It really does feel like the more I fight it the harder it gets!
PM, a comment you made earlier struck me last night, about how the Church ignores mens’ feelings on this whole issue. Not sure how to articulate this - I guess I’m trying to think that surely the Church must have considered these emotional effects on men, but she (Church) cannot directly address it because it would open pandora’s box to making or defining exceptions, which then condones sin and puts the Church in a contradictory position. So by taking this stance of not addressing it, it very much appears the Church is ignoring the very real feelings and emotions and saying “suck it up” when it may not be the case. OK, yes, pray and fast…
Yeah, I also don’t quite know how to articulate what I’m feeling, it’s more just ramblings about my very subjective feelings on the subject. But I think you are right.
It’s one of two things, in my opinion: Iether they honestly do not know what married men go through, since they are celebate, not married and married men don’t talk enough about it…or, they cannot say any more, because they will open pandora’s box on the subject.
Either way, Catholic men are on the short end of that stick. Are they maybe choosing to keep quiet about it for the greater good? So, can one argue that since the Church chooses the lesser of two evils in this case, can we, as married Cahtolics do the same? No, that’s just crazy talk, and I have no proof.
One last note and question stemming from a conversation with someone else - what does the Church say when in extreme cases a couple absolutely cannot have intercourse because a pregnancy could be fatal for the wife? One person hinted their only option would be to abstain from sex completely in their marriage and offer it up. This may well be an area where the Church says “no sex” and leaves it to the individual to fight the fight, and pray God in His ultimate grace understands failure…?
I know of the other thread, but the posts are too long for me to follow through my work day!
In such a scenario, I have to believe in God’s eternal mercy and His love and compassion and understanding, but when I spoke to my priest about my problems, he said those passages out of the Catechism for emotional issues and stress factors apply only to young teenagers with crazy hormones, and people whose consciences are not totally formed and they are still habitually doing these things, so basically he said, once you know, it’s game over, no exceptions.
I do agree with him to an extent that there shouldn’t be loopholes, but it appears that there a no extenuation circumstances or provisions made at all, even for very difficult circumstances…except pray and fast.
Just joking!
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