When religion becomes torture

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Sacred Heart of Jesus - (St Margaret-Mary Alacoque)

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Jesus to St Margaret-Mary Alacoque -

**"Behold this Heart which has loved men so much that it has spared nothing, even to exhausting **(Crucifixion) and consuming itself (Last Supper, Eucharist) in order to testify to them it’s love."
Extract from the book My Broken Christ Walks Over the Waters:
My Broken Christ Walks Over the Waters - loveandmercy.org/Eng-MBC-Reg.pdf

Do you know, my friend, why sometimes our Cross becomes intolerable? Do you know why it can end up becoming desperation and suicide? Because in that circumstance our Cross is a Cross alone, with no Christ, and we can only tolerate a Cross when it carries a Christ on its arms. A lay Cross without the blood or the love of God is absurd. It is senseless. So, I have an idea. I have a Christ without a Cross, and you perhaps have a Cross without Christ. Both are incomplete.

My Christ does not rest because He is missing His Cross. You cannot bear your Cross because it is missing Christ. Why do you not give your empty Cross to Christ tonight? You have a Cross by itself, empty, freezing cold, black, senseless. I understand you. To suffer like that is something irrational and I do not comprehend how you have been able to tolerate it for so long. You have the remedy in your hands… Come on, give me that Cross of yours. Give it to me. I give you in exchange this Christ without rest and without a Cross. Take it, it is yours. Give Him your Cross. Take my Christ. Put them together. Nail them, embrace them and everything will be different.

My broken Christ rests on your Cross. Your Cross becomes softer with my Christ on it. We have found a Cross. Ours, which happens to be that of Christ’s…
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The Gospel of John 16:33:
**33 I have told you this, so that you might have peace in your hearts because of me. While you are in the world, you will have to suffer. But cheer up! I have defeated the world. **
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I hope some of this has helped you, some of it is private revelation so you don’t have to believe it, but it contains the Imprimatur of the Catholic Church and I believe is very good and has helped me, I apologies for the length of this.

God Bless You

Thank you for reading
Josh
 
Convert_in_99 said:
I’m still having a major crisis of faith. So lately all things religious cause me pain and torture. Priests don’t wish to work with me since I have mental illness, few are willing to even try. Therapists wonder why I keep practicing religion if it’s torturous, or practice such a strict faith as Catholicism if they are Protestant. I can’t afford the local Catholic therapist, they take no insurance whatsoever. I’m having to practice all alone. No Catholics in my family. I can’t keep friends long with my mental illness, they eventually just can’t take me anymore. Why did God lead me to this faith only for it to cause such loneliness and torture. God hates me I can never do right and I really wish he didn’t make me at all. Better to not exist then be damned later. Ugh I’m so totally miserable being Catholic. It’s a horrible nightmare, and on top of it all the Church on earth is having her own crisis of faith. It’s just absolutely horrid. :crying:
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(((COnVERT))

Been there am here!
Step back, stop, rest, enjoy the small things you can still enjoy…

You try too hard. And you get these bad patches now and then.

This is just ILLNESS, Rest, relax, stop trying.

It is December; dark days… If I told my thoughts in the dark hours you would be shocked.

I am shocked at the posts here frankly too !

If you want to private message I am here for you… You know by now some of what I hv endured and still endure…

A psych once accused me of “gadding from one miracle worker to another” in my search for help. Sound familair?

You have your healing within yourself, We all do.

I am in terrible darkness just now but I know why and am caring for me and being as quiet as I can…

Here for you!
 
Hey Convert, please don’t fall into despair. God loves you. Whatever you’ve done, just pick yourself up and get back on the path.

I don’t have the same issues- But I can tell you that I am not happy with the way a lot of priests go about their work these days. There’s a lot of corruption in the Church. Many churches are being run like businesses and priests are overworked and not all that spiritual.

BUT- It’s still the one true CHURCH. And we gotta roll with the punches and stay loyal to Jesus Christ and within his body.

Take the sacraments often. Remember that God’s love, mercy and understanding transcends all of our problems- physical, psychological and spiritual. Hang on there, my friend. I am praying for you!
 
Rosebud77 said:
(((COnVERT))
Step back, stop, rest, enjoy the small things you can still enjoy…

You try too hard. And you get these bad patches now and then.

This is just ILLNESS, Rest, relax, stop trying.

You have your healing within yourself, We all do.
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There are some very touching posts here–especially the ones about relating to Jesus’ suffering.

You say your religion is torturing you. All you need to do right now is to rest in Christ until you feel better. Are you forcing yourself to say multitudes of rote prayers everyday? Are you forcing yourself to do other things which you feel your religion obligates you to do?
Are all these things really necessary? Stop. Just rest in Christ. He is within you and will never leave you.

Relate to Jesus in the way you are feeling. Meditate on the Way of the Cross–Jesus in His sufferings… and just know that He is faithful. Constantly repeat to yourself–“Jesus I trust in you.”–and just let your feelings be your feelings. Do not be afraid of your feelings. Trust in Jesus and try to ignore the way you’re feeling—not easy to do. But Jesus is with you in spite of your feelings.

Please don’t let your feelings tell you that because you feel this way, Jesus doesn’t care about you. He does. Immensely.

Also it helps to turn your thoughts outward, because if you’re always concentrating on how you feel, your whole concentration will be there, and this only makes things worse.
Think of others in this world who are in need also, and if you can, try to help others.

I’m praying for you. You can PM me also if you want.
 
Be nice to yourself, I bet if you had a friend in your situation you would feel a lot more sympathy for them, we are often our own worst critics.

I do sometimes get what you mean about being a lone Catholic, it can be really gruelling and it does just seem impossible. Praying for you.
 
Thank you all so very much for the prayers and encouragement. They mean so very much. I’m just struggling to make it to mass these days let alone attempt much else. I’ve been missing mass on Sundays and holy days quite a bit lately. Just thinking about it often causes a panic attack. I didn’t make it yesterday, or two Sundays before. I keep confessing this but confession is a whole nother anxiety provoking cross to carry. Please keep praying. I know it’s what gets me through. Many people pray for my illnesses, but they aren’t Catholic so they don’t pray for fidelity to the Catholic Church and teachings. 😉 😛
 
Convert_in_99 said:
Thank you all so very much for the prayers and encouragement. They mean so very much. I’m just struggling to make it to mass these days let alone attempt much else. I’ve been missing mass on Sundays and holy days quite a bit lately. Just thinking about it often causes a panic attack. I didn’t make it yesterday, or two Sundays before. I keep confessing this but confession is a whole nother anxiety provoking cross to carry. Please keep praying. I know it’s what gets me through. Many people pray for my illnesses, but they aren’t Catholic so they don’t pray for fidelity to the Catholic Church and teachings. 😉 😛
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:confused: God does not label us…
 
Rosebud77 said:
:confused: God does not label us…
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Oh. No I think you misunderstood me. I benefit from prayers from people of all faiths, Im certain I do, I’m only saying that those who are not Catholic wouldn’t see the need to pray for fidelity to the Catholic faith/Church.😉 Make sense? :o
 
I think I get what you mean, my non-Catholic friends are very supportive but missing a Sunday isn’t a big deal for them and I have to explain that it is a big deal for Catholics. One of my well meaning friends even said I should forget about denomination and go to the church that has the most fellowship opportunities, it’s a very different perspective on faith and church.
 
OP Basically I no longer “do” “religion” . Health and other issues and I have excellent guidance in this.

I do faith massively.

Huge difference.
I honestly think folk who do not have serious chronic illness can have (not blaming) any idea of what we go through and how little available strength we have

And of how we have to choose carefully and say no. When others think we are not trying hard enough

My prayer these days is my heart that loves and my hands that create beauty to sell to that babies may live.

Very little more than that.

And that too is a struggle at times,

So take heart and slow it all down a while then see what you can realistically do.

Jesus is in my heart and i talk to HIm all the day long. He knows and He loves.
 
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