Quick Question

[jealphak]

I hate to have to ask this, since I’m sure its been asked a million times before…but here goes. I have a problem with scrupulosity and have been diagnosed with OCD. Reviewing my past, I feel like there are many sins from when I was younger that I’ve forgotten to confess. I recently, (about a year ago) had a major conversion back to the faith, and have made many confessions since then. I just always worry that some of these sins (some possibly mortal, although I imagine most are just my imagintation - I don’t seem to be a great judge of mortal vs. venial, despite knowing the 3 requirements) from the past might come back to haunt me. Is this a valid concern, or do I just need to trust in God’s grace. I don’t want to give in to my scrupulosity and confess them unless I should. Thank you and God bless! I’m always praying for you!

 

[muffinmojo]

Do you have a missal? Or one of those ‘examination of conscience’ booklets they sometimes give out for like, parish missions, or keep by the confessional? You can probably find them online too, I’ve just never looked. They ask a series of questions based on the Ten commandments, which encapsulate all of the broadest categories of sin. Your answer determines whether or not you should confess it. Very handy, particularly if you are struggling with scrupulosity.

Try googling ‘examination of conscience’. Hope that works out for you.

 

[Joannm]

Trust God’s grace. If you have to ponder if what you committed is a mortal sin or not, especially one committed before you came back to the Church, you probably did not commit a mortal sin at the time you did it.

 

[Lainey63]

Let it go. I know what you are going through and really what it shows is a lack of Trust in God. You don’t need to go hunting-when you went to confession all the sins you confessed and the ones you forgotten were forgiven. If or when they surface then bring it up in confession. I had a priest who recgonized this is me and he absolved me of all my sins and said now every sin you ever committed is absolved-even the ones you forgotten. Try to stay in today. Work on your ocd…there must be some type of cognitive therapy that helps you with your thinking processes. I am in AA and I have to work on my thinking a lot…but I did go through the scupulous thinking for several years and it is torture. I have come to believe if you get stuck in that frame of mind-there are many graces from God that you are unable to receive.