When guys come along..

[Swami Mommy]

MLF, you may enjoy and find some consolation from the following blog:  https://littlestsouls.wordpress.com/2014/10/06/consolation-for-scrupulous-souls-some-advice-from-st-alphonsus/

It is specifically addressed to those spiritually-minded souls who suffer from undue scrupulosity.  Also, please be aware that both St. Ignatius of Loyola and St. Alphonsus Liguori suffered greatly from the pangs of excessive scrupulosity.

http://mission.liguori.org/newsletters/scrupanon.htm

http://mission.liguori.org/newsletters/scrupulosity.htm

 

[MarysLittleFlower]

If anyone has more thoughts on St Alphonsus and in general the topic of penitents being nuns that could help me to have more stability in my thinking  

[Charbel]

J.M.+J.T.

I am going to address a few things that came to mind while reading this thread.  I mean to have a tone of sincereness and gentleness in this post, as I know we can often misread tones in online posts.

The discussion about marriage, earlier you mentioned, MLF, something along the lines of you having to retract giving your heart to Jesus if you marry. Now, do not read this "you" as "you, MLF". "You" in this context means any person. So if you (again, any person) are called to marriage then I do not see why you cannot give yourself entirely to Jesus in a perfect union. After all, one of the most beautiful parts of the Sacrament of marriage is that you come to love your spouse through the Holy Spirit, so how that can not be an equally perfect way to love or give yourself to Jesus, I don't understand. Blessed Zelie and Louis Martin are a perfect example of what I mean about loving Jesus with all our might and being a married person.

Now, all this fear you are having. So much of this is directed at you. A very probable possibility of what could be happening is that the devil is stirring up all this fear and worry/concerns to make you look at yourself in a way that God does not desire for us to look at ourselves. These fears distract you and give you needless anxiety, do they not? I urge you to renounce these fears and to offer your whole trust to Jesus, echoing what beatitude said: say frequently to Jesus: Jesus, I trust in you. After all, when Jesus was named, Satan was disarmed.

Honestly, I can relate to your interior trial. Please know that these are not uncommon and they are a way that Jesus tests our faithfulness to Him. This means are we faithful to His Will and nothing else?. I was recently released from my spiritual desolation and it was very hard. I know what you are going through is very different, but maybe my experience will help. I had a very long dry period in my spiritual life, and Jesus was staying hidden from me for almost a year. Of course He was there with me the whole time, and even during this time I knew that, but I still felt abandoned, alone. This showed me my dependentness on Him and on the consolations I was receiving. He hid Himself from  me to show me NOT to become dependent on the consolations/graces but on HIM and HIS WHOLE BEING. God does nothing without a good reason, even if we cannot see it at the time.

 I had a lot of fear of the devil too and lots of "Am I making up a calling to religious life? Is this my will or His will?" What I can say here is just IGNORE those thoughts and just talk to Jesus about how much you love Him and pray to the Holy Spirit to help you follow the Will of God. This should relieve you of any unsure judgement you may have about whether or not you are following God's will.  Also pray the Saint Michael prayer frequently, as he will help defend you from those pesky demons the devil often attacks us with. Anytime you feel unsound pray, Jesus I trust in you and the Saint Michael prayer. Those may very well help you ignore the evil one, who so wants to lure us away from Our Beloved.

There is lots of sound advice in this thread and I am sure you have all our prayers. Just trust in God! Saint Padre Pio gave very good advice, Pray Hope, and Don't Worry! Worry is useless. God is merciful and will hear your prayer.

God bless you! And lay your sorrows at the feet of Mary! She will bring them to Jesus! 

[MarysLittleFlower]

MLF, you may enjoy and find some consolation from the following blog:  https://littlestsouls.wordpress.com/2014/10/06/consolation-for-scrupulous-souls-some-advice-from-st-alphonsus/

It is specifically addressed to those spiritually-minded souls who suffer from undue scrupulosity.  Also, please be aware that both St. Ignatius of Loyola and St. Alphonsus Liguori suffered greatly from the pangs of excessive scrupulosity.

http://mission.liguori.org/newsletters/scrupanon.htm

http://mission.liguori.org/newsletters/scrupulosity.htm

 

Thank you! yes he had scruples as a trial and that's one of the reasons I'm really drawn to him as a Saint. I'll check out the links  

[MarysLittleFlower]

J.M.+J.T.

I am going to address a few things that came to mind while reading this thread.  I mean to have a tone of sincereness and gentleness in this post, as I know we can often misread tones in online posts.

The discussion about marriage, earlier you mentioned, MLF, something along the lines of you having to retract giving your heart to Jesus if you marry. Now, do not read this "you" as "you, MLF". "You" in this context means any person. So if you (again, any person) are called to marriage then I do not see why you cannot give yourself entirely to Jesus in a perfect union. After all, one of the most beautiful parts of the Sacrament of marriage is that you come to love your spouse through the Holy Spirit, so how that can not be an equally perfect way to love or give yourself to Jesus, I don't understand. Blessed Zelie and Louis Martin are a perfect example of what I mean about loving Jesus with all our might and being a married person.

Now, all this fear you are having. So much of this is directed at you. A very probable possibility of what could be happening is that the devil is stirring up all this fear and worry/concerns to make you look at yourself in a way that God does not desire for us to look at ourselves. These fears distract you and give you needless anxiety, do they not? I urge you to renounce these fears and to offer your whole trust to Jesus, echoing what beatitude said: say frequently to Jesus: Jesus, I trust in you. After all, when Jesus was named, Satan was disarmed.

Honestly, I can relate to your interior trial. Please know that these are not uncommon and they are a way that Jesus tests our faithfulness to Him. This means are we faithful to His Will and nothing else?. I was recently released from my spiritual desolation and it was very hard. I know what you are going through is very different, but maybe my experience will help. I had a very long dry period in my spiritual life, and Jesus was staying hidden from me for almost a year. Of course He was there with me the whole time, and even during this time I knew that, but I still felt abandoned, alone. This showed me my dependentness on Him and on the consolations I was receiving. He hid Himself from  me to show me NOT to become dependent on the consolations/graces but on HIM and HIS WHOLE BEING. God does nothing without a good reason, even if we cannot see it at the time.

 I had a lot of fear of the devil too and lots of "Am I making up a calling to religious life? Is this my will or His will?" What I can say here is just IGNORE those thoughts and just talk to Jesus about how much you love Him and pray to the Holy Spirit to help you follow the Will of God. This should relieve you of any unsure judgement you may have about whether or not you are following God's will.  Also pray the Saint Michael prayer frequently, as he will help defend you from those pesky demons the devil often attacks us with. Anytime you feel unsound pray, Jesus I trust in you and the Saint Michael prayer. Those may very well help you ignore the evil one, who so wants to lure us away from Our Beloved.

There is lots of sound advice in this thread and I am sure you have all our prayers. Just trust in God! Saint Padre Pio gave very good advice, Pray Hope, and Don't Worry! Worry is useless. God is merciful and will hear your prayer.

God bless you! And lay your sorrows at the feet of Mary! She will bring them to Jesus! 

thank you! that is very encouraging to hear. I mean read  I know I just need to trust. That's my lesson to learn all the fears are causing me anxiety... When I just gave myself to Jesus it was so different. I read somewhere never to make decisions during desolation. So true! Jesus allows us to be tried sometimes. I know its His love too... I'm just weak! My spiritual life is very up and down.

By the way, yup I agree that a married person can give themselves to God! He always comes first I'm just discerning because I feel drawn to giving all my affections to Jesus and loving Him in an exclusive way...With no man in the picture. For someone with marriage as a vocation I'm sure there's no contradiction. I'm discerning because anything else feels like a "no" to Him not because of fear or because I think He won't be in my life but because I wouldn't be giving myself to the capacity I feel I need to.

I thought maybe some souls are called to love Jesus exclusively and if they don't, that affects the soul. While for those who come to Him with the help of a spouse it wouldn't do that. This seems to go along with what I read before in spiritual books... But is it me? God knows I really want to love only Him though. Hopefully I'm not mistaken. I would follow His Will either way. 

Edited July 3, 2015 by MarysLittleFlower

[Yaatee]

oh yes makes total sense, sorry about that! (and to everyone else too). Its all due to typing all my phone  so i just type and type... Lol. I'll do that though.

And a few more commas, too.

[vee]

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[MarysLittleFlower]

I see what you mean! 

[NadaTeTurbe]

Mary, have you read anything by Saint François de Sales ? I think it might help you to deal with scrupule. Begin with the Introduction to the Devout life, and then with the book about the love of God (can't find the title in english). 

[BarbTherese]

St Francis de Sales:

Treatise on the Love of God - online  http://www.ccel.org/ccel/desales/love.html

Introduction to The Devout Life - online  http://www.ccel.org/ccel/desales/devout_life

Best to read Introduction to The Devout Life first.

[AgnesHolyInnocents]

J.M.+J.T.

Now, all this fear you are having. So much of this is directed at you. A very probable possibility of what could be happening is that the devil is stirring up all this fear and worry/concerns to make you look at yourself in a way that God does not desire for us to look at ourselves. These fears distract you and give you needless anxiety, do they not? I urge you to renounce these fears and to offer your whole trust to Jesus, echoing what beatitude said: say frequently to Jesus: Jesus, I trust in you. After all, when Jesus was named, Satan was disarmed.

 I had a lot of fear of the devil too and lots of "Am I making up a calling to religious life? Is this my will or His will?" What I can say here is just IGNORE those thoughts and just talk to Jesus about how much you love Him and pray to the Holy Spirit to help you follow the Will of God. This should relieve you of any unsure judgement you may have about whether or not you are following God's will.  Also pray the Saint Michael prayer frequently, as he will help defend you from those pesky demons the devil often attacks us with. Anytime you feel unsound pray, Jesus I trust in you and the Saint Michael prayer. Those may very well help you ignore the evil one, who so wants to lure us away from Our Beloved.

What great advice! I wonder who of us has not been in such a situation at one time or another? I am melancholic too. I find that when I am stuck in my head, going round and round a worry, I need to get outside into nature, to look at God's beautiful creation, listen to the birds singing, feel the sun on my face, take a walk, or my favorite, make a visit to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.     

I ask God that His perfect will be done in me and through me, and trust that even if I don't know His will, that He will accomplish it.  He knows me. I'm a work in progress at bestA friend had the most consoling words for me one day. She said God knows I'm a screw up and so not to worry! It was the most relieving thing I had ever been told. Not only did I agree with her and laugh with her, but it made me realize how little I am and how big God is. 

One other little thing I found that works for me when I feel like the devil is stirring up worries is to make it an offering. I tell Jesus that if this trial, these worries which burden me are of God's will, then I gladly carry them and offer them up as a suffering for _____(my priest) but if they are not from Him to take them away. 

 

[AgnesHolyInnocents]

Oh, also what you said MLF resonated with me. I too have read something which made my path more confusing than helpful. Your SD should be a great help in that area.

[MarysLittleFlower]

Thank you, that really helps!

[Gabriela]

I haven't read all the posts in this thread, because after page 1 I felt like I'd gotten the point.

@MarysLittleFlower: I think it's beautiful and sweet that you feel your heart belongs to Jesus alone. Ignore all these phools and guard your heart for Him. Go visit communities and see what He sends you. If it doesn't work, there'll be time to figure out the rest later.

BUT I have noticed that you tend to overthink things. Stop that. Just follow your heart and let Jesus do the rest.

I will say that, of the sisters I interviewed, quite a few mentioned that, once they knew which house they'd be entering, men started coming out of the woodwork. Really attractive men. The devil sends them. Men entering seminary say the same thing (only about amazing women, obviously). Be prepared for that. Don't let it stop you. Just smile and tell the devil he's an idiot and you're not falling for his stoopid tricks.

@EveryoneElseInThisThread: MLF overthinks things, and y'all are feeding that with all your (obviously well-intentioned) practical advice. Recognize that MLF is not a practical woman. She's in love with God, head over heels. Let her be that. If anything will guarantee success in religious life, it's that.

 

Edited July 4, 2015 by Gabriela

[MarysLittleFlower]

Lol Gabriela well you made me laugh I do appreciate all the advice in this thread. But its true I'm not practical at all. That's why I'm so stubborn too with not dating. God bless you!

Edited July 4, 2015 by MarysLittleFlower