The Same Sin

[Dream]

I keep giving into the same sin over and over again. I always promise myself that I won't sin this way anymore, but I always start up again. I pray to God for strength and forgiveness as much as I can. What else should I do? Nothing I'm trying seems to be working.

 

[frettr00]

Everytime you fall to that sin offer it up to Jesus for something, conversion of someone, grace to resist it next time etc. Even though you fall to the sin you can still make something good out of it. This method has helped me.

 

[gzt]

Frequent confession.

 

[Carrye]

Frequent confession.

This is the only way I know how to remedy your struggle, DT.

 

[Dream]

Frequent confession.

This is the only way I know how to remedy your struggle, DT.

This is what I do. I always just end up confessing the same things each time. After every Confession, I always promise to myself that I won't sin the same way again, but yet I always do.

 

[Dream]

Everytime you fall to that sin offer it up to Jesus for something, conversion of someone, grace to resist it next time etc. Even though you fall to the sin you can still make something good out of it. This method has helped me.

That's a good idea.

 

[Benedicta00]

I keep giving into the same sin over and over again. I always promise myself that I won't sin this way anymore, but I always start up again. I pray to God for strength and forgiveness as much as I can. What else should I do? Nothing I'm trying seems to be working.

A true, humble, honest, open confession every time you fall. If possible daily Mass. Until you can be honest with yourself and your attachment you have to this sin, Satan will keep you bound to it. To break the power the temptation has over you, you have to come to terms that you are attached to what ever it is, and begin to detest the sin. Think over how ugly the sin is to God until you develop true disgust for what ever it is.

Confess it each time and each time you are tempted you will give into less and less. You have to learn how to die to all that the self holds worth while.

You can tell, I have had my share of habitual sins I have had to give up and learn to hate.

 

[Benedicta00]

Oh, and if you fall a thousand times, get up and do not despair. Everyday is a new day.

 

[Carrye]

This is what I do. I always just end up confessing the same things each time. After every Confession, I always promise to myself that I won't sin the same way again, but yet I always do.

Keep confessing. The graces are more powerful than your sin. It's a lot like receiving Jesus in the Eucharist. You may not feel (or see) an immediate change, but over time your soul is transformed ... and your actions will reflect that.

Besides, it takes a humble man to confess the same sin over and over again.

 

[Benedicta00]

Yep, you can only receive grace in proportion to your humility.

 

[Carrye]

Yep, you can only receive grace in proportion to your humility.

Does someone write about that, Michelle? Humility has always really interested me. I suppose one is facinated by what one does not have.

 

[Canadian75]

I completely sympathize with your plight DreamTheater! I go through the same things myself. I always am driven to the brink of despair because it seems that I'll never overcome my sins (I even left the church for a while a year ago because I didn't think I was improving and I was sick of confessing the EXACT same things over and over again). One thing I can suggest is trying to find if there is any circumstances that seem to go hand in hand with the sin. If there are some things that contribute to the sin, at least becoming aware of that can be a useful first step in trying to rid yourself of the sin. I wish I could say it has worked for me, but it's a process that I'm still going through. I'll pray for you, and know you are not the only one going through the same thing.

 

[Benedicta00]

Does someone write about that, Michelle? Humility has always really interested me. I suppose one is facinated by what one does not have.

I heard a priest give a talk at my parish last year say that. He also said the humility is the “mother of all graces” I believe he quoted a desert father. The pastor tonight at Mass said something similar, that we can only receive grace in proportion to how open we are. That is why when dealing with habitual sin, we have to detach ourselves to our attraction to it and that takes humility. To give up what the flesh desires.

 

[DJ B.K.]

I'm in this same type of situtation too. It's annoying that something at the same time you don't like to do, you do anyway. I always just end up getting angry with myself. And honestly, I don't like having to worry about scheduling a confession time.

 

[Dream]

Well thanks all for the responses. I'll just try to keep doing what I've been doing: Mass and Confession as often as possible.

 

[Benedicta00]

I completely sympathize with your plight DreamTheater! I go through the same things myself. I always am driven to the brink of despair because it seems that I'll never overcome my sins (I even left the church for a while a year ago because I didn't think I was improving and I was sick of confessing the EXACT same things over and over again). One thing I can suggest is trying to find if there is any circumstances that seem to go hand in hand with the sin. If there are some things that contribute to the sin, at least becoming aware of that can be a useful first step in trying to rid yourself of the sin. I wish I could say it has worked for me, but it's a process that I'm still going through. I'll pray for you, and know you are not the only one going through the same thing.

It is Satan and Satan alone who would tell us that we need to leave the Church because we can never overcome sin.

We can not be scandalized by our own sin. We have to accept ourselves , as we are, poor sinners. This takes awesome humility, to admit to ourselves that we are nothing but sinners in need of mercy. It is pride and false humility that would tell us to give up because we can not overcome sin. The truth is, we are too proud to admit- we are sinners. We want to believe we aren’t because we are good Catholics, we go to Mass, confession, communion, we pray to God ect and when we fall, we are then scandalized that we aren’t perfect. This leads to despair because of our pride.

Once we can admit to ourselves that we are sinners then we can love ourselves, the sinners that we are as God loves us, the sinners that we are, then we open ourselves up to the grace of God that will deliver us.

 

[Radagast]

Frequent confession.

And hopefully your priest is giving you penances which (a) reduce your opportunity to commit that sin, and (b) encourage whatever virtue is opposite to it.

-- Radagast

 

[Maximus]

I think this is a problem for all of us.

I heard Kimberly Hahn talking on Catholic Radio the other day. She said her husband Scott (the famous author and theologian) made a list of his sins in preparation for confession. He later remarked to her that he didn't need to make a new list each time he went to confession; he could just xerox the old one!

I know I keep doing the same terrible things. It's really aggravating.

Lord have mercy!

 

[Maggie893]

Does someone write about that, Michelle? Humility has always really interested me. I suppose one is facinated by what one does not have.

Try St. Francis, from the Little Flowers: http://www.ewtn.com/library/MARY/flowers1.htm

Then St Francis, seeing the charity of the brethren and the humility of Brother Masseo, made them a most wonderful sermon on holy humility, teaching them that, the greater the gifts and graces we receive from God, so much greater must be our humility; for without humility no virtue can be acceptable to him.

What else should I do?

One thing I have found effective is to identify the core issue with that particular sin. Look at the Seven deadly sins and you will most likely be able to figure out what the root sin is. Then pray constantly for the grace to overcome that sin and confess that sin regularly. Also ask for the virtues that will overcome that sin.

Seven Deadly Sins are:
Pride
Envy
Gluttony
Lust
Anger
Greed
Sloth

Seven Virtues
Faith
Hope
Charity
Fortitude
Justice
Temperence
Prudence

Most sins that we confess have a deeper root cause. When you rip out the root sin you remove the symptomatic sins. The grace of confession will win out. You must trust more in the grace of God then in your weakness.

 

[RedTulipMom]

Are the 7 virtues listed somewhere in the CC and explained further by any chance? What is Fortitude and Prudence?

karen