Spiritual attack while receiving Holy Communion?

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ngetch

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Is it possible to be spiritually attacked while receiving the Eucharist?

The reason why I ask is because at Mass this week-end I received our Lord and taking an example from scripture about the two men praying where one of them stood in front telling God how good he was while the other stood in the back asking for mercy.

I began listing my sinful habits, acknowledging my weaknesses and asking our Lord for help in overcoming these sinful habits

Then a thought popped into my head. I don’t know if it was our Lord speaking to me since I never would have expected such a reply or if it was a spiritual – which I also wouldn’t have thought was possible while I had the Eucharist still fresh inside of me. Or, if my own brain just popped this idea in my head.

The idea/message was that here I was with several sinful habits and just one of them was enough to bannish me to hell and here I was struggling my entire life trying to overcome one of them. Even if I was succesful in overcoming a few of them, I would never be able to overcome all of them.

It was as if our Lord was telling me that I was wasting my time I trying to overcome these sins because all was lost anyway. Again not the type of message I would expect from Jesus. More like what I would expect from a demoni attack – but which I don’t think was possible when receiving the Eucharist.

This has left me shaken as I do not know what to make of it.
 
Wow that sounds rough. Well first off, nothing is impossible with God. Second God does not make people despair, but provides clarity and peace. Whatever was trying to mess with you is trying to trick you for sure. You can always overcome sin. The more you have to be sorry for the more you are entitled to his graces. Jesus himself has said that when in a sinful state, one must pray always. The Lord is always disheartened when we doubt his goodness and he would never condemn you like that. Did you possibly receive communion while in mortal sin?
 
Also, the devil is always getting people to doubt that they can ask God for help, so if he is telling you nothing can be done, that’s just to stop you from going to Jesus for his mercy. Jesus has said never to trust the voices in your head because they can sometimes be the devil impersonating an angel. Even if Jesus regularly talks to you, you’re still not to trust the voice until you Jesus provides proof.
 
ngetch said:
It was as if our Lord was telling me that I was wasting my time I trying to overcome these sins because all was lost anyway. Again not the type of message I would expect from Jesus. More like what I would expect from a demoni attack – but which I don’t think was possible when receiving the Eucharist.

This has left me shaken as I do not know what to make of it.
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Our Lord would not be telling you that all is lost. Remember the prodigal son? The pearl of great price? The one lost sheep?

It also wasn’t necessarily demonic – although it could have been – sometimes our own doubts about ourselves crop up at the oddest time. But this was NOT Our Lord.
 
Skyhighblue34 said:
Did you possibly receive communion while in mortal sin?
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Don’t believe so. I make it a point to confess weekly – usually toward the end of the week either on a Thursday or Friday so that there is less opportunity for me to fall into sin by the time the sabbath comes around and if I do happen to fall into mortal sin, I make it a point not to receive. So unless there was a mortal sin that I forgot about during those couple of days, I would have to say that no, I was not in a state of mortal sin when I received.
 
Skyhighblue34 said:
Also, the devil is always getting people to doubt that they can ask God for help, so if he is telling you nothing can be done, that’s just to stop you from going to Jesus for his mercy. Jesus has said never to trust the voices in your head because they can sometimes be the devil impersonating an angel. Even if Jesus regularly talks to you, you’re still not to trust the voice until you Jesus provides proof.
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agnes_therese said:
It also wasn’t necessarily demonic – although it could have been – sometimes our own doubts about ourselves crop up at the oddest time. But this was NOT Our Lord.
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If even during Communion we can not be certain that it is our Lord communicating with is, then how can we ever be certain that we are talking with Him and not a fallen angel coming to us as an angel of light? Also if our own mind can place doubts when we are attempting to speak with Jesus, then our own mind can place any kind of thoughts in there when we are talking with Jesus – thus making it impossible to know when it is really Jesus that we are speaking.

How can we ever be sure?
 
Our Lord would not something like that to you! You had made a fervent prayer, and it sounds like the spirit of evil wanted to discourage you. Keep praying…!

If you don’t pray the Rosary perhaps you would try that.
 
The Imitation of Christ
The Tenth Chapter
DO NOT LIGHTLY FOREGO HOLY COMMUNION
THE VOICE OF CHRIST
YOU must often return to the source of grace and divine mercy, to the fountain
of goodness and perfect purity, if you wish to be free from passion and vice, if you
desire to be made stronger and more watchful against all the temptations and deceits of
the devil.
The enemy, knowing the great good and the healing power of Holy Communion,
tries as much as he can by every manner and means to hinder and keep away the
faithful and the devout. Indeed, there are some who suffer the worst assaults of Satan
when disposing themselves to prepare for Holy Communion. As it is written in Job, this
wicked spirit comes among the sons of God to trouble them by his wonted malice, to
make them unduly fearful and perplexed, that thus he may lessen their devotion or
attack their faith to such an extent that they perhaps either forego Communion
altogether or receive with little fervor.
No attention, however, must be paid to his cunning wiles, no matter how base
and horrible – all his suggestions must be cast back upon his head. The wretch is to be
despised and scorned. Holy Communion must not be passed by because of any assaults
from him or because of the commotion he may arouse.
Oftentimes, also, too great solicitude for devotion and anxiety about confession
hinder a person. Do as wise men do. Cast off anxiety and scruple, for it impedes the
grace of God and destroys devotion of the mind.
Do not remain away from Holy Communion because of a small trouble or
vexation but go at once to confession and willingly forgive all others their offenses. If
you have offended anyone, humbly seek pardon and God will readily forgive you.
What good is it to delay confession for a long time or to put off Holy
Communion? Cleanse yourself at once, spit out the poison quickly. Make haste to apply
the remedy and you will find it better than if you had waited a long time. If you put it
off today because of one thing, perhaps tomorrow a greater will occur to you, and thus
you will stay away from Communion for a long time and become even more unfit.
106
Shake off this heaviness and sloth as quickly as you can, for there is no gain in
much anxiety, in enduring long hours of trouble, and in depriving yourself of the divine
Mysteries because of these daily disturbances. Yes, it is very hurtful to defer Holy
Communion long, for it usually brings on a lazy spiritual sleep.
How sad that some dissolute and lax persons are willing to postpone confession
and likewise wish to defer Holy Communion, lest they be forced to keep a stricter watch
over themselves! Alas, how little love and devotion have they who so easily put off
Holy Communion!
How happy and acceptable to God is he who so lives, and keeps his conscience
so pure, as to be ready and well disposed to communicate, even every day if he were
permitted, and if he could do so unnoticed.
If, now and then, a man abstains by the grace of humility or for a legitimate
reason, his reverence is commendable, but if laziness takes hold of him, he must arouse
himself and do everything in his power, for the Lord will quicken his desire because of
the good intention to which He particularly looks. When he is indeed unable to come,
he will always have the good will and pious intention to communicate and thus he will
not lose the fruit of the Sacrament.
Any devout person may at any hour on any day receive Christ in spiritual
communion profitably and without hindrance. Yet on certain days and times appointed
he ought to receive with affectionate reverence the Body of his Redeemer in this
Sacrament, seeking the praise and honor of God rather than his own consolation.
For as often as he devoutly calls to mind the mystery and passion of the
Incarnate Christ, and is inflamed with love for Him, he communicates mystically and is
invisibly refreshed.
He who prepares himself only when festivals approach or custom demands, will
often find himself unprepared. Blessed is he who offers himself a sacrifice to the Lord as
often as he celebrates or communicates.
Be neither too slow nor too fast in celebrating but follow the good custom
common to those among whom you are. You ought not to cause others inconvenience
or trouble, but observe the accepted rule as laid down by superiors, and look to the
benefit of others rather than to your own devotion or inclination.

Peace
 
ngetch said:
If even during Communion we can not be certain that it is our Lord communicating with is, then how can we ever be certain that we are talking with Him and not a fallen angel coming to us as an angel of light? Also if our own mind can place doubts when we are attempting to speak with Jesus, then our own mind can place any kind of thoughts in there when we are talking with Jesus – thus making it impossible to know when it is really Jesus that we are speaking.

How can we ever be sure?
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You can be sure it’s not the Lord if what you think you’re being told is contrary to Church teaching. Since we know that God wills that all be saved, the OP’s feeling that “I was wasting my time trying to overcome these sins because all was lost anyway” is not from God.
 
Could it have been the Lord telling you that indeed little ole you cannot do a thing to save yourself, which is true, but instead that with God you can overcome them all and everything is possible?

Also, if I am not mistaken and somebody please correct me if I am, but the Lord knows we are imperfect and sinful creatures. He is not asking for total perfection and success from us at this moment, He is only asking that we strive for it.
 
Yes it is possible to be attacked when receiving the Eucharist. Several times, I have been tempted not to receive. I have also heard of others speak of being attacked after receiving beautiful consolations during communion.
 
Remember the devotions to the Sacred Heart and to the Divine Mercy. Our Lord talked about how much it hurts Him when we don’t have trust and confidence in Him, in His power to help us, to forgive us, and to overcome all when He revealed these devotions to the saints. Peace and hope comes from God, not discouragement and despair.
 
Brother,

I could not comment on other parts of the message.

In your message, you mentioned these words:
The idea/message was that here I was with several sinful habits and just one of them was enough to banish me to hell and here I was struggling my entire life trying to overcome one of them. Even if I was successful in overcoming a few of them, I would never be able to overcome all of them.
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I personally had a misunderstanding all along with my sin and overcoming them. I believe God has blessed me with a clearer understanding now.
First of all, I was too much relying and weighing on these entities - “I”, “overcoming”, “why did i do it again”, etc - of the act of sin. I think I was too much valuing my human strength on the relationship between me and God. I think, I had not developed an understanding, appropriate to myself at least about what sin is. It became better, nowadays, to have this kind of perception on sin in my soul.

It is that, sin is just an act that did hurt God (who I am obliged to love with all my heart, mind, strength and soul).

I just did not have a good understanding of what it is. Or I needed to grow up.

If God is hurt, He is the one who is in pain, then I would just have to concentrate more on reconciling with Him, instead of too much worrying on my acts and my overcoming part. Worrying and being sad is certainly not avoidable.

But, worrying (being sad) has to be or will be one of the natural (and not artificial or customary) recipe in the act of reconciling and the feeling that we had not loved God enough.

Worrying or overcoming or even the count of sins is not the primary thing here, especially when God is of abundant Love.

Most of the work needs to be done is on the reconciliation and the love part rather than just on the other things. Other things would be pleasing to God if they come out naturally in the process of reconciliation of the beautiful Love.

It will then be not primarily about “overcoming” or the “count” or the “concerns of we may do it again”, etc, but instead will all be about “loving more and better”.

In other words, making a step forward on the “beautiful” love between myself and my God would plead God more to bless me with a clear (and better) meaning, humbleness, certainty and strength to all the necessary things.

More our love towards our Creator, more natural we would be in reconciling ourselves with Him, better strength, clarity and confidence we would receive from Him, etc.

Many Bible verses and stories made better sense in this perception. Some examples are Prodigal son, True fasting is in the act of charity (old testament Isiah 58), St. Paul about Love in 1 Corinthians, our Lord about Love in John 14, our Lord about reconciling to one’s brother in Mathew 5, our Lord on another occasion in Luke 9, etc.

Brother, I apologize if what I discussed is irrelevant to what you posted or expected. t occurred to me that it might be helpful, because I suffered the similar manner a lot.

Wishes to you 🙂
 
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