Author Topic: Habitual Sin, I just cant stop (Read 4463 times)

wallowinginsin · « **on:** August 24, 2016, 09:21:57 AM »

Hello. Thanks ahead of time for any advice and direction. As most men, this topic is about masturbation and pornography. Full disclosure.

I am a 39yo male. I grew up in foster homes, was adopted at age 4 and molested at age 6 until around 13yo. I was exposed to pornography at 6yo or younger and it has been etched in brain since that age. I have prayed diligently, I am currently in RCIA to become Catholic and I have so much guilt that it feels like a battle inside my mind and soul.

I was baptized at some point growing up, but not Catholic. I know I am committing a mortal sin by my addiction. I pray for forgiveness and go right back to it sometimes in less than 24hours. What advice could you give me? Thank you.

Brennus · « **Reply #1 on:** August 24, 2016, 11:05:07 AM »

1) Fasting.
2) Devotion to Our Lady.

Get out of RCIA and join a traditional parish if you can. At any rate, onc eyou are received into the Church,

3) Weekly confession.
4) Daily Mass.

Amakusa · « **Reply #2 on:** August 24, 2016, 12:10:50 PM »

You need to go to Mass (tridentine Mass if possible), to confess your sins to a traditionalist priest, and to pray the rosary (five mysteries a day).

Prepare your confession during one hour at least, through prayer, and try to remember all your sins (write them on a list and bring the list in the confesional). Pray to all the angels of heaven, all saints, and St. Gerard Magella who is the patron of good confessions. Explain the priest that you commit habitual sin and that you need his prayers to confess your sins and to come out of this state of life. You must make the resolution to die rather than commit this mortal sin again. The sacrament of confession, if properly received, will give you the strength you need to live in virtue.

Pray St. Gabriel who is the angel of purity. Pray Holy Mary and her bride St. Joseph. St. Ann is also helpful because she was the most chaste woman after the Blessed Virgin.

Sin is disgusting. You should see your new life as a rebirth, and not as something sad and disappointing. Remember that sin is slavery.

Croixalist · « **Reply #3 on:** August 24, 2016, 03:02:01 PM »

Great advice so far! Here's a few things that helped me in my life. First is to make sure you identify who your patron saint(s) are and get busy praying to them. The more saints you can tie into your life the better. Look up all saints whose feast days or birthdays correspond with your own:

1. Name
2. Birthday
3. Date of Baptism
4. Date of First Penance
5. Date of First Communion
6. Date of Confirmation

You get the idea. Use any and all excuses to identify with as many as you can find and speak to them as if they belonged to you and you to them.

One saint in particular had a major role in my victory over impurity and that was St. Thérèse of Lisieux or Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, O.C.D. The reason I mention her connection to the Holy Face of Jesus is that in death, I firmly believe He granted the Church a miraculous image through her face.

If you compare the two photographs taken of her at her funeral, the one from the side looks more like a normal body in state:

While the other has an angelic expression of resplendent love for God:

I think it's miraculous anyway, and it never fails to move me. I think I speak for most men when I say that one look of joy or happiness from a beautiful woman is a reward in and of itself... usually to our detriment in this life and against all good sense besides... but a beautiful face like St. Therese in repose has more true love and kindness behind it than any other woman alive today (save Our Lady) because she was perfectly in the Love of God at the moment that photo was taken and God permitted it to shine through.

She is a reminder that all beauty properly belongs to God and as men we are meant to behold in wonder those things which the Lord has established. The greatest kind of beauty ought to lead us straight to God and that's what her face did and continues to do even in death. It's the kind of beauty that resists all attempts to obscure it with concupiscence. I'll pray for a miracle for you sir, but in return I ask that you change that horrible username! I appreciate your honesty, but let's aim for higher things. Talk to Matthew about changing it next time you get a chance.

Last but not least, use the Sign of the Cross often and as many times as an impure thought comes to mind. Imagine the Cross right in front of you protecting you from all attacks. Hide behind it often! Due to the nature of these kinds of temptations, we are often bombarded in places where we can't focus enough for spoken prayers or even mental prayers depending on the ferocity of the attacks. The Cross can keep pace with anything your own mind or the devil can throw at you. Take the Cross with you wherever you go.

Conspiracy_Factist · « **Reply #4 on:** August 24, 2016, 05:43:05 PM »

Quote from: wallowinginsin

Hello. Thanks ahead of time for any advice and direction. As most men, this topic is about masturbation and pornography. Full disclosure.

I am a 39yo male. I grew up in foster homes, was adopted at age 4 and molested at age 6 until around 13yo. I was exposed to pornography at 6yo or younger and it has been etched in brain since that age. I have prayed diligently, I am currently in RCIA to become Catholic and I have so much guilt that it feels like a battle inside my mind and soul.

I was baptized at some point growing up, but not Catholic. I know I am committing a mortal sin by my addiction. I pray for forgiveness and go right back to it sometimes in less than 24hours. What advice could you give me? Thank you.

the rosary, 15 decades a day,

s2srea · « **Reply #5 on:** August 24, 2016, 05:48:45 PM »

You're right... YOU can't stop. Rather, you can't stop yourself. Realizing that was a hurdle I had to realize, and still struggle with at times.

nctradcath · « **Reply #6 on:** August 24, 2016, 06:48:18 PM »

You need to find a real traditional Catholic priest to make a true confession for the graces to overcome that sin. You need to pray to Our Lady who hates impurity for the graces to overcome the sin and to make a true Confession. You should start with a daily 5-decade rosary. 15 decades to start may be too difficult.

Matto · « **Reply #7 on:** August 24, 2016, 07:22:23 PM »

When I first converted I was a habitual mortal sinner also. So I started wearing the Brown Scapular and praying the fifteen decade Rosary every day, I pray the Joyful, Sorrowful, and Glorius Mysteries, not the Luminous Mysteries. This helped me overcome my sinful habits so that now I sin a lot less than I did before.

If your temptations are very grave to the point where you cannot control yourself it is possible that you may be obsessed by devils. If this is the case you can find a traditional priest to pray for you and maybe even perform a private exorcism over you to free you from the influence of the demons.

poche · « **Reply #8 on:** August 25, 2016, 01:19:06 AM »

One thing I think you should do is to try to be charitable to other people. It is very easy to sit in judgment of other people who are in situations of obvious sin.
How easy it is to fall. How hard it is to get back up. We have to keep trying to do the right thing. At the same time this could be God's way of calling on you to be merciful.

LaramieHirsch · « **Reply #9 on:** August 25, 2016, 01:38:21 AM »

If you have Freemasons in your family history, that could be a problem meriting an exorcism.