Promises to God

[McatholicN]

Please help me!

I’m 14 years old and am wondering about promises to God. The only one I’m sure I made was a kind of silly one - to not pick my nose. I thought the promise while riding in the car about 2 years ago when I was suffering from scrupulosity.

I cannot remember whether I made these next two promises: I think I may have promised God that I would become a priest and I may have promised that for the rest of my life I would sacrifice lots of things (I don’t really know exactly to what extent).

I’m going to talk to my priest, but I’d like to know now, seeing as if I could do fun things on an upcoming trip (because I may have promised to give up lots of things).

I think I may have made more promises, but I can’t really remember them.

Some things that would be helpful: Is there any way to get rid of the obligation of these promises, and were my promises valid?

 

[Aboveallbereal]

You are a child and I doubt if children are held to promises.

A word of advice: Think long and hard about making promises to God or to anyone for that matter. Promises are commitments. Commitments are not easily met.

 

[Bookcat]

Please help me!

I’m 14 years old and am wondering about promises to God. The only one I’m sure I made was a kind of silly one - to not pick my nose. I thought the promise while riding in the car about 2 years ago when I was suffering from scrupulosity.

I cannot remember whether I made these next two promises: I think I may have promised God that I would become a priest and I may have promised that for the rest of my life I would sacrifice lots of things (I don’t really know exactly to what extent).

I’m going to talk to my priest, but I’d like to know now, seeing as if I could do fun things on an upcoming trip (because I may have promised to give up lots of things).

I think I may have made more promises, but I can’t really remember them.

Some things that would be helpful: Is there any way to get rid of the obligation of these promises, and were my promises valid?

Without getting into if these are valid…

Just simply go to your Pastor (needs to the the Pastor) in confession or out and ask him to dispense you of them…if they exist as a reality at this point…

Then you can go forward in peace and no longer think of such

 

[Newbie2]

It is wise to ask God for his help in avoiding this or that or in doing this or that instead of promising that you will do or not do something.

For example, instead of promising God that I would become a priest, I should ask God for his guidance in following his will for me: “God, if you want me to become a priest, please help me follow your will”

Or, in the case of stalking the elusive sinus oyster, “God, please help me to be able to stop picking my nose”.

 

[Sirach2]

A promise is not a vow - there’s a big difference. Promises are serious, but vows bind under pain of mortal sin if they are broken, so be careful never to do this without much spiritual counsel.

If your son or daughter of a very young age came to you and promised they would never do such-and-such, would you hold them to it, realizing they were too young to think it through? Often times, this little child is expressing affection for mom or dad by saying something out of balance to their age or reason. It is the love behind it that I think Our Father sees, knowing we may well be incapable of keeping it, and knowing we don’t have full strength of character or grace to make it stick. A better course would be to “resolve” to try.