Program for Life

[CRATUS]

I’m aware of my sins, for the most part. What are little ways to fight off them little by little without getting discouraged? I have a multitude of sins. It can be overwhelming to see how quickly and how far you fall short. Not only this, but being corrected for the same thing over and over get by your loved ones can get exhausting for them and hurts a little.

 

[JamalChristophr]

Two things I can think of are:

1. Find a good priest you like to go to confession to once a week. This sacrament gives us grace, which is strength, to overcome our big and little sins.
2. Another thing is what St. Ignatius called Particular examen of conscience. It’s very beneficial. General examen is good, too, but I think Particular examen is even better, especially for this situation you speak of.

Haven’t had my caffeine yet for the day, else I’d explain #2 a bit for you. Perhaps someone else will or you can google it.

 

[wgw]

Don’t forget fasting and prayer also. Establish a prayer rule with your priest and observe the fasts, which in the Latin church are so light anyone can keep them. Try a harder Eastern Catholic fast if your priest and doctor approve. Your prayer rule should be one you can keep. The Paternoster three times daily is a minimum. Seek unceasing prayer via the Rosary or the Jesus Prayer (which is the Eastern Catholic/Orthodox approach) or memorize and recite the psalter (Coptic monks do this daily; they actually say all 150 psalms daily, in addition to the use of the Psalms in their liturgy. Every Copt, Catholic or Orthodox, carries around a little prayer book called the Agpeya which has the Psalter broken up according to the Hours of the Divine Office.). In contrast the Byzantine Catholics and Orthodox say them weekly and Latin Catholics monthly. But that’s very hard to do. So don’t start out with something that hard. Start with a prayer rule you can keep and build it up. And go to confession and mass at least once a week, and if your parish has Vespers or other Divine Office services go to them also, preferably on Saturday or Sunday night if possible.

 

[GLam8833]

I posted this on another thread. but I’d like to repeat it for YOU:

we are like the ten blind men in the Hindu parable who tried to describe an elephant, we don’t see the BIG picture! I’m lecturing myself as I say this, because I’m just as guilty of this as YOU! But the more I read the Bible, the more I find myself feeling insignificant in the whole scheme things. Take for example, the mystery of God’s care for us!!! Ps 40:12, David says that his sins are more in number than the hairs of his head(sometimes, I get that impression too, my friend), But
in Ps 139 verse 18, David came to the conclusion that God’s favorable thots for him are more in number than THE SAND OF THE SEAS! That should give ANYONE great consolation in their struggles with sin and the moral lapses of people!!!

Furthermore, rest assured that God doesn’t WANT us to continue to
PRACTICE sin “The one who is born of God doesn’t PRACTICE sin, because
God’s Seed[His Word] abides in him, he CANNOT practice sin because he has
been born of God.” 1 John 3:9 You see that the “Carnal Christian” is UNHAPPY
because he is walking in the FALSE WAY of sin.(Ps 119:128)

 

[Mummsie]

OP,

Perhaps changing your thought process to a more positive mission might help. Mathew Kelly suggests we pick one Virtue (that we lack) and spend 2 or 3 weeks focused on coming closer to that virtue. Read and learn everything you can about that virtue. Then practice, practice, practice. And then select another Virtue and do the same. You may want to share your “mission” with others so they know what you are focusing on.

Hope it helps. God Bless You.