Confession and Forgiveness.

[Goatee]

You know people, i am the worst sinner in the world. At least that is how i feel at the moment. This year i have attended confession approx 25 times and most of those were in the space of the first few months of the year or so!! I committed adultery.

Now, the problem i have is that i am very very weak. I give in to temptations too easily!!

The difficulty i have, is when i have been absolved i still feel so so so guilty inside!!! How can God forgive me again i ask myself? How can he forgive ME!!

I am told that one has to be able to forgive oneself. This i find almost impossible.

Do any of you come out of confession and still feel horrible / guilty and worthless? Ok, i know it depends on the gravity of the sin but still, do you?

I know i do. Mainly because i have betrayed God yet again!!! I pray for guidance and help but i fall every time. I go to confession yet again, determined not to fall. I try hard, very hard but fall i do! Bang! Sinned again when i promised, i vowed not to sin this sin again!!!

 

[Anhelyna]

Remember you are human OH and so is the priest

God is merciful - and He does forgive the sinner who repents - even when the sinner falls again , and again and again and ag........

 

[pdudgeon]

confession is good! that you're going is also good. that you're sorry for your sin is good.

that's three things right there that are definitely in your favor.

the next thing to do is to look back upstream and see if there is something that the occasions of sin have in common with each other.

it could be a place in common, a common emotional attitude, a common time or circumstance, etc.

those things are your triggers, and they are the things that lie in wait to trip you up and lure you into sin
again and again.

when you can find a way to diffuse the power that those triggers hold over you,
you will be well on your way to beating this temptation.

 

[sylverpiano]

I also have a very difficult time forgiving myself.

 

[Anhelyna]

Being honest - I think I'd be rather worried about someone who said it was easy to forgive themself

 

[Rhamiel]

feelings are dumb, do not trust them

confession will help you
but you have to do more then just that
how is your prayer life?
what are some things you can do to make serious changes in your life?

maybe you should think about seeing a psychiatrist if you think your problems are of a serious psychological nature

 

[Goatee]

Prayer life has dwindled so much.

These days i don't say the Rosary or Hail Holy Queen. I dont say the prayers to the dead, i dont say the Chaplet of Mercy. I dont pray from my prayer book!! I only say a few prayers. Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, Fatima Prayer and a couple of others.

I am trying to concentrate on praying to Jesus / God directly.

I tripped badly today and went to confession. Hopefully a new start and a determined effort to be virtuous and prayerful now.

I was told to talk to Jesus. Pray to Jesus. Dont worry about saying the Rosary. Concentrate on Jesus as your friend. Tell him my worries etc.

I have asked for guidance for months!!! Every day! I have asked to be taken from this world too!! Life can be so hard. Its a cross i have to bear. One of my own making. Nobody to blame but me.

I will try to go to mass more regular like i used to.

I am so grateful to God for giving us Confession. Some priests give so much good advice and help!!

Got to try really hard this time. I want to Vow to God not to trip up again its just i know i am very weak and pathetic.

 

[Anhelyna]

Have you ever prayed the Jesus Prayer ?

 

[Goatee]

Have you ever prayed the Jesus Prayer ?

"Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have Mercy on me, a Sinner"

I have done so but not continuously. Sometimes i think it might be too much of a repetitive prayer? I have read about the prayer to.

Maybe i should pray it?

 

[Anhelyna]

I would certainly recommend it to you - it's short , you can reflect on the words as you pray them , and when tempted it's easy to say it then

 

[Goatee]

I would certainly recommend it to you - it's short , you can reflect on the words as you pray them , and when tempted it's easy to say it then

Does the prayer have to be said continuously or better to say it now and again and each time with deep thought?

 

[Anhelyna]

being honest - whatever works for you - particularly at this moment in time , but I really do suggest that as you pray it you think of the meaning of each word.

 

[Fantine]

More than hurting God, who cannot be "hurt," TBT, you hurt your spouse. If you have children, the rift in your relationship may be hurting them as well.

God isn't the main one you should be apologizing to--instead, pray for guidance on how to heal your wounded relationship.

There are lots of ways to get help, in and out of the Catholic Church. In the Church--Marriage Encounter, Retrouvaille, counseling through Catholic Charities, to name a few. Outside--marriage counseling, individual counseling, twelve-step programs like Celebrate Recovery.

If you were in the middle of the ocean on a sinking ship, wouldn't you do more than just pray? Wouldn't you put on a life jacket, get in a life boat, send up flares?

Why should this be any different?

In my childhood act of contrition we ended by saying, "confess my sins, do penance, and amend my life. Amen." That's still my favorite one. The idea of "amending one's life" is so much more global than "avoiding sin and the near occasions of sin."

It's based on being proactive, not "avoiding." It's based on making positive changes in one's life.

What you are trying to do is not "avoid adultery." You want your relationship to be healed, and it is possible with God's grace and with more nuts-and-boltsy kinds of help than a celibate priest can give you.

I've been married a long, long time (perhaps longer than you've been born) and there are ups and downs. Marriage Encounter helped us a lot.