Repeated mortal sin

[Al1234]

I went to confession on Saturday morning, to confess to a mortal sin that I struggle with. I have improved significantly and can often go weeks or months without messing up. However, this time, after going to confession on Saturday morning, I committed the same sin later in the afternoon. Now I am feeling terrible and quite distressed. I have not done something like this before, and am wracked with guilt, but also too embarrassed to go back to my priest so soon. I am also wondering how serious I can be about my salvation with such terrible behavior.

 

[Greenfields]

If you’re embarrassed to go back to the same priest so soon, just go to another .Keep persevering try and not be distressed in the meantime ,will remember you in mass,God bless.

 

[Al1234]

Thank you so much for your prayers. I will pray for you too.

 

[Rob2]

@Al1234 , stop giving yourself a bashing .

You are improving , but you’ve had an unexpected fall .

Get up , and just tell God you are sorry .

I’m sure your priest will not react in the way you fear . I strongly suggest you go to him .

But if you can’t , as @Greenfields has said , go to another priest .

 

[Angannas]

You say that you’re worried about how serious you are about your salvation. The very fact that you are worried shows that you are serious about your salvation. If you were not serious you wouldn’t be bothered.

 

[exnihilo]

I have not done something like this before, and am wracked with guilt, but also too embarrassed to go back to my priest so soon.

The Devil wants you to be presumptuous or despairing over your sin. So you want to have the opposite attitude.

One good thing that can come from this is humility. Be humble and realize you are not perfect. Be humble and realize that everyone can fall. Be humble and go back to the same priest.

But also recognize that you are improving, by God’s grace. Don’t look at just the negative. Look at the whole story which is a struggle that you seem to be winning.

You don’t say what the sin was but certain sins of the flesh are very hard to stop if you have a habit. It sounds like you are doing very well. Don’t forget that. Life is a journey. We are on a path towards holiness. It sounds like you are on the right path but had a moment of deviation. The solution is always to get back on the right path. That is as simple as recognizing your failing, having contrition (which is sounds like you have) and going to confession. And in all this put your faith in Jesus.

 

[Al1234]

Thank you all for the encouragement!

 

[Lee1]

I was repeating a sin, I saw a different priest because it was embarrassing to repeat my sin to my priest. The new priest I saw was quite old and he listened carefully to my confession and gave me absolution. The advice he gave me was “don’t give up. Whatever you do don’t give up.” After that I saw my regular priest again and confessed the same sin and I dreaded doing it so much I decided then and there I would try my utmost to never commit this sin again. I had been deprived of communion with Our Lord, suffered much embarrassment and I wasn’t going to let this worldy thing come between me and my religion and God again. I prayed the little office to Our Lady and I asked Our Lord as well. So far so good.
God bless.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Stop beating up on yourself, go confess to another priest, and do better next time.
You had a bad day. No need to let the devil win over it.

 

[Quis_UtDeus]

Keep persevering. Think of it as a battle and you got thrown down. The fight’s still not over and you can still learn, God’s the greatest doctor and he is willing to patch you right up.

It might be embarrassing to you but maybe going to the same priest can signal to him that this is something you seriously need help with. The advice he might give could be a lot more helpful than you think and could train your humility.

You don’t have to do it, but it’s my 2¢

 

[Theo2]

It is good to realize that we are sinners. It destroys pride that is in us. I agree @Rob2 you need to go to the same confessor. He will admire your humility and know how serious you are at wanting to do better. Certainly God could remove this sin from your life but then you would not learn what you need to learn about His forgiveness and love. My prayers are with you.

 

[Brendan_64]

As others have said, perhaps go to another priest if you can. If not then just bite the bullet, go back to the same priest and just explain to him.

I am also wondering how serious I can be about my salvation with such terrible behavior.

The fact that you are so concerned about this would suggest that you do take your salvation very seriously. Don’t get disheartened, just keep fighting. We are engaged in a spiritual battle which rages all around us, keep fighting.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

A wise old priest once told me, “until the reason not to commit the act becomes stronger than the desire, you’ll continue to commit that act.”

If it’s masturbation, I can assure you, as you age the temptations become less and the reasons not to do it become stronger than the desire.

It’s not because you become more holy, just older and your biology changes.

I’m convinced that all males will masturbate throughout their lives and it’s driven more by hormones than anything else. Of course we can help drive those hormones by what we see and think about, but for the most part, it’s part of our natural biology.

Salvation isn’t about who had the most will-power while here on earth, but the mystical grace given to us from God out of His mercy as we come before Him.

Stay Christ Centered and you’ll find salvation.

Jim