Receiving the Eucharist and Sin

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Youngling11

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So I developed an addiction to masturbation before I knew it was mortally sinful and I want to clarify when I can receive the Eucharist.

I know the 3 things that are required for something to be mortally sinful are grave matter, the person is aware of the gravity, and the person does it anyways with consent.

So because of my addiction I know I might not always give full consent to the sin of masturbation, however I also know that God gives me the grace I need to say no to the sin each time I’m tempted.

I go to confession weekly to confess this sin and I also have a strong desire to receive the Eucharist at daily mass. I have been abstaining from the sacrament to avoid sacrelidge. It just gets really spiritually exhausting when this one addiction keeps getting in the way of me receiving the Eucharist daily.

So my questions are, how do I know with certainty if my sin is due to addiction or not? Should I receive communion when I commit this sin? Is going to confession weekly too little/too often? How can I not get discouraged when I am only able to receive the Eucharist once a week or so due to this sin, especially when I want to receive Him daily?

Thanks!

PS: I’m really trying to get rid of this addiction by practicing virtue but it’s a long and difficult process, these aren’t questions as to how to fight lust, (though helpful tips are always welcome) more just regarding whether I should be receiving Jesus in the Holy Sacrament along the journey
 
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Youngling11 said:
So my questions are, how do I know with certainty if my sin is due to addiction or not? Should I receive communion when I commit this sin? Is going to confession weekly too little/too often? How can I not get discouraged when I am only able to receive the Eucharist once a week or so due to this sin, especially when I want to receive Him daily?
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May I advise speaking to a priest and asking him?
 
I have the same (or worse) problem… my problem is with porns… and it getting worse… I can masturbate 3 times tonight and go to church tomorrow morning for Eucharist… the thoughts for women is so tempting… and when those thoughts coming, it’s so tempting to open lots of porn videos online (thanks to VPN and incognito tabs)… and I hardly can’t feel guilt anymore when I’m praying… so i guess i have worse problem than you…
 
That’s no bueno. It sounds like you have a compulsive masturbating problem that is an addiction. When this happens our brains become re-wired and our bodies become hooked on the endorphins that are released in the brain, not dissimilar to getting a cocaine high if you think about it.

I know because I’ve struggled with this in the past. The devil is talking to you right now saying “All right now you’ve had your dope, now you’re hooked! Well don’t look at me, I can’t help you!” The devil of course wants you to think disordered behavior that cuts you off from God is normal and just fine… So he can get you on the highway to hell.

We find grace to help us with our struggles with sin in the sacraments. Of course the sacraments are not a silver bullet that prevents you from sinning ever again for the rest of your life. But they do aid you in resisting temptation and helping you to stay close to God. But the key in my opinion for it all to work is you have to have a love for God. Otherwise it is all just hollow.

There are two forms of contrition: Perfect contrition, and imperfect contrition. Imperfect contrition is when you are sorry for your sins because you fear going to hell. Perfect contrition is when you are sorry for your sins because you love God. Just food for thought.

So, do you love God, or do you just fear going to hell?
 
Please change your thread title, it is really offensive.
 
We ought not to find offense in the truth. The Church opens her arms to the sick not the healthy.
 
There are about 1,000 threads here in this topic. The search feature will help you.
 
Find a good spiritual director and when in doubt of your state abstain from the Eucharist. By the Grace of God it is possible to overcome this.
 
If you dont give full consent because of an addiction not only should you speak to a priest but you should seek medical or mental counseling. Getting an attorney might also be advisable since you may be in public when you lose control of your will.
 
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Youngling11 said:
So I developed an addiction to masturbation before I knew it was mortally sinful and I want to clarify when I can receive the Eucharist.

I know the 3 things that are required for something to be mortally sinful are grave matter, the person is aware of the gravity, and the person does it anyways with consent.

So because of my addiction I know I might not always give full consent to the sin of masturbation, however I also know that God gives me the grace I need to say no to the sin each time I’m tempted.

I go to confession weekly to confess this sin and I also have a strong desire to receive the Eucharist at daily mass. I have been abstaining from the sacrament to avoid sacrelidge. It just gets really spiritually exhausting when this one addiction keeps getting in the way of me receiving the Eucharist daily.

So my questions are, how do I know with certainty if my sin is due to addiction or not? Should I receive communion when I commit this sin? Is going to confession weekly too little/too often? How can I not get discouraged when I am only able to receive the Eucharist once a week or so due to this sin, especially when I want to receive Him daily?

Thanks!

PS: I’m really trying to get rid of this addiction by practicing virtue but it’s a long and difficult process, these aren’t questions as to how to fight lust, (though helpful tips are always welcome) more just regarding whether I should be receiving Jesus in the Holy Sacrament along the journey
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It’s a habit, not an addiction at least in the medical sense. Unlike actual addictions I doubt you’ll have withdrawal symptoms if you attempt to quit. I too struggled with this but quitting the habit cold turkey wasn’t that difficult.

You’re giving full consent to grave sin when you don’t keep the habit in check. The fact that being in the state of sin you must deny yourself receiving Jesus in the Eucharist is good motivation to quit as is the risk to your eternal soul like any grave sin. Just avoid the obvious things that might lead to temptation and pray.
 
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Speak to your priest. He will direct you.

Sinful habits can be hard to break, but, in my experience my will is weakened if I think “oh, it is an addiction, I am not really to blame”.

When I say “it is sin, it is habitual sin.” then take it to confession each time, I have greater resolve to go and sin no more.
 
WI was once in your situation. What I did was refrain from communion until after I had been to confession.

It’s just the safest thing to do. When you give into temptation, refrain from communion until after confession.

And honestly, I think that process actually HELPS kick the habit. That plus always praying a number of Hail Marys every time you feel temptation coming on.

God Bless
 
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Addiction is not a get out of jail free card. You are obliged to take the necessary steps to overcome it. I speak from experience, I have the same compulsion. I’ve experienced much healing thanks to God’s grace but the road is long.
The only person who can state your culpability is a priest. I would say, do not receive after committing a sin which would be mortal regardless of whether or not you can claim addiction.
 
I have the same addiction
And I receive unworthily only because I’m afraid of my family asking questions to me
It’s a struggle to get to confession too
I don’t wanna ask them

But yes I would say go to confession
 
I understand your concern but don’t doctors put the name of medications in the same sentence as a disease? It doesn’t downgrade the medication, I think it further glorifies it… but I see your concern, I think the title change is justified
 
Hey Sam, I struggled with porn too, I’m sorry you’re going through this man. Just know that virtue is a cure to Vice and that the more you practice virtue (aka good habits) the more Vice will dissipate (bad habits). I’ll say a prayer for you and don’t lose hope! God offers what you need to overcome this sin.
 
Jehu2077 said:
The only person who can state your culpability is a priest.
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I don’t want to pick on you But this is not accurate. While a priest can be instrumental in forming a well informed conscience, the only person who can state your culpability is the person themselves. Priests can be amazingly wise when dealing with these issues, they can also be extraordinarily wrong or misguided.
I’ve had priests tell me sins are ok. Or not my fault, this is wrong. I knew my own culpability and in those cases I have to stop Father and say," I have examined my own conscience and arrived at a conclusion. I am here for absolution, not a debate."
 
I disagree.
In the case of certain things, sure, only the person in question can state culpability.
But in the case of addiction being the reason they are not fully culpable for their sins, the very nature of addiction renders their own judgement questionable.
In addition, it’s possible for one to be overly scrupulous, in which case it is the responsibility of a good priest to warn them of their scrupulosity (the root of which is pride). I’m not saying you are scrupulous, merely stating that priests, even based ones, are at least trained more than I in evaluating the criteria of mortal sin. The exception I suppose being an extraordinarily bad priest.
Further, it becomes all too easy for a person to state “I am like this because x,y,z, therefore I am not culpable for my sins.” Yes, it is us who must answer for our sins. No, we are not always the best judges of our character.
Actually, if I had to reform my comment, I would say that a good Catholic therapist who specializes in sexual dysfunction may be able to determine whether some is an addict, compulsive, or simply seeking an excuse for bad behavior.
That’s a step even I haven’t taken yet, for better or worse.
I say all this because I have been told before in spiritual direction that I likely was not culpable fully for my mortal sin due to a history of sexual dysfunction and addiction. That helped me, not in that it provided an excuse, but it gave me a context in which to work on my vices. It helped me arrive at deeper understanding of myself and my nature.
 
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