Falling into the same sin

[Guest]

Made it to Confession yesterday. The Priest actually annoyingly chuckled and commented he didn't even know how my confession was possible. So when you say they have heard it all I guess they had to hear certain things first from someone. Perhaps I was the first yesterday. Glad to be back in a state of grace. Going to Mass today but will not receive Communion. Doubt I will for awhile. I know I'm forgiven but I want to stay in a state of grace awhile before I go up again. Continued prayers Aragon.

Edited April 24, 2016 by Guest

[Not A Real Name]

2 hours ago, Josh said:

Made it to Confession yesterday. The Priest actually annoyingly chuckled and commented he didn't even know how my confession was possible. So when you say they have heard it all I guess they had to hear certain things first from someone. Perhaps I was the first yesterday. Glad to be back in a state of grace. Going to Mass today but will not receive Communion. Doubt I will for awhile. I know I'm forgiven but I want to stay in a state of grace awhile before I go up again. Continued prayers Aragon.

Nothing helps you stay in the state of grace more than communion!!! 

[BarbTherese]

 

2 hours ago, Josh said:

Made it to Confession yesterday. The Priest actually annoyingly chuckled and commented he didn't even know how my confession was possible. So when you say they have heard it all I guess they had to hear certain things first from someone. Perhaps I was the first yesterday. Glad to be back in a state of grace. Going to Mass today but will not receive Communion. Doubt I will for awhile. I know I'm forgiven but I want to stay in a state of grace awhile before I go up again. Continued prayers Aragon.

Great stuff, Josh..........well done and you just might have educated a priest a little further in the process.  Well done indeed.

Not a Real Name posted while I was writing:

I really get what you are saying about not going to Communion for a while and it is truly admirable.  Have you thought that Holy Communion would help you stay in the state of Grace?  I agree with NRL that nothing keeps us closer to Jesus (in a state of Grace) than Holy Communion.

[Nihil Obstat]

1 hour ago, Not A Real Name said:

Nothing helps you stay in the state of grace more than communion!!! 

And more confession.

[Not A Real Name]

Just now, Nihil Obstat said:

And more confession.

Absolutely!

[Guest]

On 4/24/2016 8:21:26, Not A Real Name said:

Nothing helps you stay in the state of grace more than communion!!! 

It's probably just because I'm an idiot who doesn't give my best effort but the last two times I received the Eucharist I was hit with extreme temptation and fell the next day. Again I'm not arguing with what you said because I've read it elsewhere and don't doubt it's true. I'm not sure how long I will wait to receive again. I'm glad you're only required to once a year.

Edited April 26, 2016 by Guest

[Gabriela]

1 hour ago, Josh said:

It's probably just because I'm an idiot who doesn't give my best effort but the last two times I received the Eucharist I was hit with extreme temptation and fell the next day. Again I'm not arguing with what you said because I've read it elsewhere and don't doubt it's true. I'm not sure how long I will wait to receive again. I'm glad you're only required to once a year.

Josh, this is a post hoc fallacy. In case you don't know what that is (it's not commonly known), read here: http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/post-hoc.html

We know that the Eucharist protects and strengthens again sin, rather than leads into it. So regardless of what happened after you received the last two times, our Faith tells you that you should receive as often as possible. Remember that the devil tempts to sin, and also tries to keep you from the Eucharist. I think he may be at work here. Don't let him win, dude. Trust the Faith, not logic or experience.

[Guest]

28 minutes ago, Gabriela said:

Josh, this is a post hoc fallacy. In case you don't know what that is (it's not commonly known), read here: http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/post-hoc.html

We know that the Eucharist protects and strengthens again sin, rather than leads into it. So regardless of what happened after you received the last two times, our Faith tells you that you should receive as often as possible. Remember that the devil tempts to sin, and also tries to keep you from the Eucharist. I think he may be at work here. Don't let him win, dude. Trust the Faith, not logic or experience.

I wasn't trying to say the Eucharist leads into sin. If I came off that way sincere apologies. That actually sounds pretty blasphemous. Probably what is happening is the devil is angry when I'm receiving. I don't blame him. He probably thinks I'm damned for eternity and Jesus loves and forgives this clown? Sorry for hijacking your thread Aragon. 

[Seven77]

In her diary, Divine Mercy in my Soul,  St. Faustina writes about the time that she avoided receiving Holy Communion even though she happened to be in the state of grace. Jesus told her later that this action hurt Him very deeply.  The Eucharist is not some kind of award or gold star for the just but rather medicine for sinners… we don't receive because we deserve to, but because we need to. The devil wants us to stay away by telling us lies about how completely depraved we are and that God merely tolerates us--- he can hardly stand us because we're so filthy. This is basically the heresy known as Jansenism. It keeps us away from God.  Jesus says that apart from him we can do nothing--- we need him. He tells us to abide, to remain in him so that we can bear much fruit.  Were supposed to bring him into the world as members of his Body. If we don't receive him, we lose blood, we lose oxygen, and eventually we'll fall off as a part of the body effected by leprosy.

 We can't become discouraged even if we fall more than 1 million times into mortal sin. Keep getting up and moving forward. God never tires of forgiving.  We can't refuse his mercy… that's like throwing someone a gift back in their face.

Edited April 27, 2016 by Seven77

[Luigi]

Here's a link to a lengthy (Just sayin'!) homily by a Benedictine priest on The Porn Epidemic. He must've been addressing college students. Some pholks might find it help-phul. 

http://www.kansasmonks.org/new-blog/2016/5/16/the-porn-epidemic

[Credo in Deum]

Habitual sins. Oddly enough they can teach us where we lack faith, hope, and charity.  What part of our lives and personhood are we not giving to God? What expectations, desires, and outlooks are we not surrendering to Him? Sometimes even our expectations on what we think is the "best" spiritual life can get in the way of our relationship with God.  You end up realizing how much of your will has been put into so many things, even to the mental images we hold as to what God looks like.  In order to have a relationship with Him, we must be open to Him.  We must allow Himself to reveal who He is and His will.  

 

[Ice_nine]

15 hours ago, Luigi said:

Here's a link to a lengthy (Just sayin'!) homily by a Benedictine priest on The Porn Epidemic. He must've been addressing college students. Some pholks might find it help-phul. 

http://www.kansasmonks.org/new-blog/2016/5/16/the-porn-epidemic

That's one of the best homilies I've ever read/heard

[LittleWaySoul]

On 20 aprile 2016 at 8:06 AM, Peace said:

Are we talking about chastity here? I am guessing that 95 percent of men struggle with that. I do.

I would venture a guess to say that 95% of men and women struggle with chastity nowadays. If this is, in fact, what you're struggling with, @Aragon , what I find helpful is to immediately and forcefully stop what you're thinking and visualize Christ on the cross with Our Lady at His side. Try to hold that image vividly in your mind as you ask them for strength and purity in that moment. If that's not enough, remind yourself how much you hate having to confess that particular sin and let that help deter you from sinfulness. 

On 20 aprile 2016 at 8:06 AM, Peace said:

And remember - without God you can do nothing. As long as you try to overcome it yourself you are doomed. But if you ask for God's assistance you can do it.

This. Entrust yourself to the Sacred and Immaculate Hearts of Jesus and Mary! I'll pray for you!

[Seven77]

Fr. Emmerich Vogt wrote an amesome book called The Freedom to Love. He takes on each of the 7 deadly sins and explains how they are interconnected when it comes to addictions and sinful habits.  The only way to overcome these things, is through dependence on the grace of God, and by getting at the root causes, as well as the support of those who know what you're going through. Father uses the approach of the 12 step program and alcoholics anonymous, and other accountability groups. 

 Just thought I should share.

 

[PhuturePriest]

On 7/6/2016 at 0:34 AM, Luigi said:

Here's a link to a lengthy (Just sayin'!) homily by a Benedictine priest on The Porn Epidemic. He must've been addressing college students. Some pholks might find it help-phul. 

http://www.kansasmonks.org/new-blog/2016/5/16/the-porn-epidemic

The Benedictine monks in Atchison are the best, from their homilies all the way to their epic snowball fights.

[Guest]

On ‎7‎/‎07‎/‎2016 at 8:51 AM, LittleWaySoul said:

I would venture a guess to say that 95% of men and women struggle with chastity nowadays. If this is, in fact, what you're struggling with, @Aragon , what I find helpful is to immediately and forcefully stop what you're thinking and visualize Christ on the cross with Our Lady at His side. Try to hold that image vividly in your mind as you ask them for strength and purity in that moment.

Quote

If that's not enough, remind yourself how much you hate having to confess that particular sin and let that help deter you from sinfulness. 

This. Entrust yourself to the Sacred and Immaculate Hearts of Jesus and Mary! I'll pray for you!

  That was spot on and very well said, I thought, LittleWaySoul.

Not at all the highest motivation to refrain from sin (quote box and bold above), rather it is imperfect motivation.  For myself at times imperfect motivation to stay on the straight and narrow works for me and all I can rustle up.  And if it works for me and is not sinful, then I go with the flow - mindful that I can only rustle up the most imperfect of motivations. The important thing to me is to refrain from sin - and any reason to do so is ok with me.  Over time I have found that it is The Mass, Holy Communion and the state of Grace with heartfelt prayer and honest desire that transcends and eliminates the imperfect motivations.  Sometimes all that has kept me on the straight and narrow is "What will ........... think?" or "If I stray, then I have to confess".

Time and the journey and patience with oneself as indeed Jesus is infinitely patient with me and all.  He does not command perfection in every instant and instance, rather He asks that one sincerely desires it, mindful of one's absolute poverty and failure.  He journeys with us in every way at all times towards perfection.  And if I indeed fail, He is there in the Confessional to say "Ok........ flunked out again. Cmon pick yourself up and let's go on together as if nothing happened at all.  To Me now you see, nothing  has happened.  I not only forgive, but I forget completely too". 

My forgiving is a very pale reflection indeed of The Lord's Forgiving.

St Mary of The Cross MacKillop - first Aussie saint:  "Do what you can and leave the rest to God."  What struck me profoundly was was:  Do "what you can"- not do "your best".  I could never ever work out what on earth my best might be at any time at all.  I do know however when I am doing what I can, what I am able to do and from a position of real poverty and inadequacy on the scale of perfection.

[LittleWaySoul]

11 hours ago, BarbaraTherese said:

Sometimes all that has kept me on the straight and narrow is "What will ........... think?" or "If I stray, then I have to confess".

"What will/would ________ think?" is another really good one. When you stop to think of all the great and inspiring people in your life, you don't want to let them down by sinning even if they'd never find out. This has helped me before too. 

[Guest]

I agree, LittleWaySoul, it has kept me on the straight and narrow more than once.  Not the best of motivations for avoiding sin and there are far better (by far) motivations to avoid sin.  But one has t learn to walk before one can run.

The Dominican nun who taught me in college said that it is not so much the fall or the content of the fall, it is how long it takes one to confess if necessary, picking oneself up and going on as if nothing had happened.  God's forgiveness is at once His complete forgetfulness and we can indeed move on as if nothing had happened because in God's eyes nothing has happened.  He has forgotten completely. 

Never forgot that one thankfully.

 

[Tab'le De'Bah-Rye]

On 4/20/2016 at 5:35 PM, Aragon said:

Has anyone ever struggled with a mortal sin that they fall into repeatedly? I can only ever seem to go a few days without falling into a particular sin I struggle with. Every Saturday I'm confessing the same thing, and it also means that I'm sadly spending much of the week not in a state of grace and feeling down until I can get to confession on the weekend.

I know that culpability may be lessened due to habituation or addiction, but even if it's helpful to keep that in mind it doesn't make it any easier.

Ideas? Experiences?

This is a journey to freedom(heaven), sometimes we are running, sometimes walking, sometimes crawling and sometimes standing still. Outside of a miracle you will perhaps remain a sinner in action, word or thought until you enter heaven, though with gods grace we have the power to not sin in action, word or though but always we will be sinners in the sense that the flesh will be tempted, and one thought does not count as sin you have to toy with it and egg it on, same for words a slip of the tongue is not a sin it needs to be repetitive, deliberate and intentionally malicious. Many times i have struggled with habitual sin the last 14 years since i converted and many times i have been free from sin, the longest period was 2 years, well free from sin as far as i could tell but was not yet investigating venials for confession which are not necessary to be confessed but must be done at least once per year if one is free from mortal sins.

My advice is chin up, repent ( have sorrow, though don't allow it to be a scrupulous one), confess, do your penance, make some kind of amends ( call ya mums best friend and say " hey i'm thinking of you anything you would like me to pray for you.)

GodblesS

Onward christian soul.

Jesus loves you.

P.s. Believe in Love, never give up on Love, Love God and Love others in action and word.

Edited July 17, 2016 by Tab'le De'Bah-Rye

[WhiteLily]

Oh please go to Holy Comunion! This is a huge temptation to doubt God's love and mercy. If you are sincerely sorry and you are trying to make amends with our Lord, He will bless your efforts. We draw strength and grace through the Sacraments, especially Confession and Holy Communion. Most of all, the one thing that wounds Jesus' Most Sacred Heart the most is distrust. He wants you to trust in Him.

Go to Confession whenever you need to, stay close to Our Lady by praying the Rosary everyday, recieve Holy Communion every day if you can, read the Holy Scriptures but, most of all, if you can't do what I suggested, just go to the Blessed Sacrament, whether exposed or in the Tabernacle, sit, be with our Lord and ask Him for the grace to grow in faith, hope, charity, and trust in His infinite mercy. He longs for you and is always delighted when you come to see Him. Please don't doubt his love for you. He loves you as if no one else existed. 

I am praying for you. God bless you!