Scrupulousity

[lauermar]

I get emails from Dan Burke's spirituality blog. He has an exorcist diary on there and articles by priests. Do any of you receive it?

Here's one on scrupulousity. I'm guilty of some of these. If they're true it would be a huge relief not to keep doing them. Please take a look.

https://spiritualdirection.com/2021/01/12/the-ten-commandments-of-scrupulosity-2

[james03]

Easy test for scruples.

For one week, only say a morning offering in the morning, and an act of contrition before bed.  For one week, that's it, no other prayers or devotions.

If you feel like you are sinning or are at risk of going to hell during this period, you have scruples.

[Lynne]

I read his article, it was a good article. If you have concerns, you could/should go over them with a priest. You (we) are going through a rough spell right now and may be second-guessing yourself.

I try to avoid lay experts. There are so many good sermons out there, pre-Vatican II books, etc...

[MundaCorMeum]

Easy test for scruples.

For one week, only say a morning offering in the morning, and an act of contrition before bed.  For one week, that's it, no other prayers or devotions.

If you feel like you are sinning or are at risk of going to hell during this period, you have scruples.

I get a little twitchy just thinking about reducing my prayer life to only these prayers

[lauermar]

Me too! That's exactly how I would think. James03 is spot-on.

[Daniel]

Easy test for scruples.

For one week, only say a morning offering in the morning, and an act of contrition before bed.  For one week, that's it, no other prayers or devotions.

If you feel like you are sinning or are at risk of going to hell during this period, you have scruples.

It might indicate that you have scruples. But, more probably, it might indicate nothing other than that your feelings are not off the mark.

I can't imagine any lover who would be content with greeting her fiancé briefly once each morning and once each evening but otherwise cutting him out of her life for a week. It's insanity. It might be for only a week, but every moment counts. She is right to feel bad all the week while doing this, because it really goes against nature. And if I was her fiancé then I would not be too happy either, about the way she is acting and the lack of devotion she has towards me.

[drummerboy]

I'd forgotten all about these!  I suppose I break #4 by brushing and flossing Saturday night to make sure there are no food particles in my mouth.  Sins of the tongue are another one, I tend to think I've somehow committed detraction or calumny and need to make it up. 

https://booksforcatholics.com/collections/catholic-psychology/products/aph

[james03]

I get a little twitchy just thinking about reducing my prayer life to only these prayers

Depends on what you mean by "twitchy".  If prayer for you is your opportunity to be in the Charity of God, something that uplifts you, and the thought of reducing that makes you "twitchy", then you don't have scruples.

If the thought of reducing prayer to the minimum required by the Church fills you with dread.  You have scruples.  On the surface, scruples is the belief that God lays traps for you to damn you.  It's completely opposite: God is trying to save you while allowing you free will.

Down deep, scruples is a fear of your free will, and it is looking for the ability to say "It wasn't my fault!" while you burn in hell.  God wants to save you, so Love Him for that.  Live a Catholic life, and when you fail, say an act of contrition and head for the confessional, trusting in the Love of God.  Pray also for the virtue of Hope.  God gives you opportunity after opportunity to repent, and the Grace to repent.  Trust in the Love of God.  Charity is the King of Virtues.

[james03]

Me too! That's exactly how I would think. James03 is spot-on.

Then you definitely have to do it because that is how you overcome phobia.  I used to get stage fright, so I signed up for a speaking class.  What did they do?  They made us get in front of everyone and give a speech.  It fixed the problem and was one of the best classes I've had.

So we'll modify it a bit:

1.  The duration is 3 days.
2.  Morning offering when you wake up.  Act of Contrition before bed.
3.  One minute max each day, view the crucifix and pray, "God loves me so much He shed every drop of His Most Precious Blood for love of me."  And that's "me", not "us".  Make it personal.
4.  When the accuser comes to fill you with dreadful thoughts, say, "God loves me and makes excuses to save me" until the dread is past.
The above steps will be the most meaningful praying you have done in a long time if you have scruples.
5.  After 3 days, you can add back (1) prayer/devotion.  Make sure it is meaningful to you and uplifts you.  Going forward you can add 1 per week, but if a prayer is not uplifting, or is too laborious such that it interferes with your station in life, eliminate it.

Also, during the 3 days, please check in once per day.  That way if you don't check in, we'll know God struck you down with lightning and I was wrong.

[lauermar]

LOLOLOLOL 

[Kansas]

Some helpful thoughts from Fr. Anthony Cekada (+) regarding scrupulosity.

http://www.traditionalmass.org/articles/article.php?id=4&catname=9

[TandJ]

This seems to be me. Mine gets triggered by reading austere books or sermons. Most recently on Sensus fidelium where the priest was talking about bad confessions and recidivists and I got so much anxiety and will literally think for hours on if the sermon applies to me. I currently have a list of like over 30 things I consider to be mortal sins and I just went to confession like a month ago

[queen.saints]

This seems to be me. Mine gets triggered by reading austere books or sermons. Most recently on Sensus fidelium where the priest was talking about bad confessions and recidivists and I got so much anxiety and will literally think for hours on if the sermon applies to me. I currently have a list of like over 30 things I consider to be mortal sins and I just went to confession like a month ago

Would you mind linking to the sermon on confessions? I don't have scruples and would like to listen to it.

[Kansas]

Fr. Isaac Relyea posted this conference on YouTube a couple of weeks ago.  He talks at some length about the issue of recidivism and its effects on the validity of sacramental confessions.  He relies primarily on the writings of St. Alphonsus Liguori, so I have no doubt that the content is orthodox.  However, I have to admit that I felt somewhat depressed after listening to it.

[yt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRvHuzySzlg[/yt]

[Skin of my Teeth]

This seems to be me. Mine gets triggered by reading austere books or sermons. Most recently on Sensus fidelium where the priest was talking about bad confessions and recidivists and I got so much anxiety and will literally think for hours on if the sermon applies to me. I currently have a list of like over 30 things I consider to be mortal sins and I just went to confession like a month ago

I can only speak personally. I also suffer from scruples, as well as the associated problems of depression and anxiety. I'm fully traditional, but I avoid Youtube sermons from trad priests like the plague. They often leave me discouraged, tempted to despair and frightened for my salvation. I'm well aware of my sins, and they're in my face every day, and I don't care to dwell on them; nor is my path to holiness increased by doing so. But daily I remind myself that God would have poured out his blood for me even if I'd been the only sinner in history. Or I remind myself that even if I committed every sin that it was possible to commit (which I obviously don't), it would still be essentially finite, and therefore nothing compared to the infinite ransom that the God-man paid on the cross. Or remind myself of the priceless life of grace that's in me, and how every act made in a state of grace -- sin alone excepted -- increases this grace in me. And so on.

I am also very careful about what saints I read. St Therese is my go to, along with St Francis de Sales. A healthy dose of St Thomas, or good commentaries on him, can be restorative, because St Thomas's antropology is essentially optimistic. (Read some of Josef Pieper's work, which really brings this out. Fr Garrigou-Lagrange is also great.) And above all, I read scripture, which is God's own words and therefore good for all people at all times and places. But very many saints I avoid, or at least large doses thereof: it doesn't work for me, doesn't help my sanctification.

Finally, I very strongly recommend an article by Fr Christian Kappes called 'The Four Temperaments and the Catholic Soul'. It's online. It's extremely wise, thoroughly orthodox, but also has some advice that may seem surprising. Read the part that applies to melancholics.