What To Do About The Past?

[Annie12]

Pham,
Thank you everyone! I truly love all my Pham! I took this matter to prayer just now and Jesus gave me a definite answer and I am now at peace! ( It all happened so fast! ) I opened up to this one place in St. Faustina's diary after praying about this issue and there was a quote where Jesus said "[b]Do not fear, I am with you[/b]". There was another quote to that was pretty amesome but I can't remember it word for word. But, When I read this, I felt as though this was Jesus speaking to me. I had a very strong feeling that is was so. But anyway! I absolutely adore Christ beyond what I can put into words. He is AMAZING!

May God bless you all abundantly!

~ Annie12

[MissyP89]

[quote name='FutureCarmeliteClaire' timestamp='1340500194' post='2448107']
Praying for you! Mother Angelica has a lot to say about living in the present moment. One thing, "Don't look back, because in order to look back you have to stop moving forward."

PM me if you need anything, chica. I understand how you feel. And I understand being scrupulous as well.
[/quote]

Mother A is BOSS. I owe my reversion to her.

[FutureCarmeliteClaire]

[quote name='MissyP89' timestamp='1340504371' post='2448152']
Mother A is BOSS. I owe my reversion to her.
[/quote]
I owe a whole lot to her...

[Strictlyinkblot]

In the past few years I've done some truly dreadful things in the full knowledge that they were wrong. And I was a lot older than 13. Confess, make amends if appropriate, as already said. Then bundle them all up together and throw them into the heart of Christ (yes, I know I'm mangling a famous quote but I can't remember it properly). St. Therese said that it hurts God when we don't trust in His Mercy. Think of her image of a child who runs to her father and throws her arms around his neck as she tells him she's sorry. I always think of the child then batting her eyelashes at her father and covering him with kisses.

[cmaD2006]

[quote name='Annie12' timestamp='1340498331' post='2448084']
My situation is complicated and kind of sticky. So ya know how there are three qualifications to a sin being mortal?

The above is taken from Wikipedia.
Well, the problem is that when I was younger I didn't know the stupid things I did were bad and didn't know the gravity of the matter. Also, my memory is fogy so I feel like I am not remembering correctly. (this seems to me like I'm being scrupulous .) Anyhow, when I pray about it I really feel like God is telling me to trust in his mercy. But I just feel so confused inside. I'm gonna take this to prayer. (like I have a million times before. maybe this time I will understand what God is telling me). If ya'll could pray for me I would be forever grateful! My gut is telling me I'm being scrupulous.
[/quote]
[quote name='Lil Red' timestamp='1340498968' post='2448086']
Listen to your gut.
[/quote]

Lil Red is right

So ... one way of dealing with the scrupulosity (assuming that you are being scrupulous) is listening to what your reasoning says.

You said "I didn't know that it was bad" and "I didn't know the gravity." By definition, it was sin, it was still grave sin (assuming that it was), but it cannot be mortal sin.

Case in point ... if a person is not completely in his/her right mind (maybe developmentally delayed, or maybe due to a psychological breakdown, or worse -- due to brainwashing or manipulation), and for whatever reason believes that killing is ok then guess what ... because he/she is not completely of sound mind(because if the person was in their right mind, they would know for sure that it was bad and the person would be able to consent fully) then although the person commited a very sinful and horrendous act, the person did not commit mortal sin.

It is very easy to get so hung up on sin to fall into scrupulosity -- which believe it or not has a sinful component to it ... it is the lack of trust in God's mercy. So -- believe your gut, and with reasoning work on the scrupulosity.

[Annie12]

I know I was being scrupulous because I have been to confession but I felt like I didn't do it right or something. But After praying about it tonight, i feel LOTS better! Thanks a whole bunch Pham for your love and support!!! ( I just wanted to clear this up)

[tinytherese]

[quote name='MissyP89' timestamp='1340504371' post='2448152']
Mother A is BOSS. I owe my reversion to her.
[/quote]

I owe my conversion to her too.

[fides' Jack]

Hakuna Matata - it means, "Put your behind in your past".

[brianthephysicist]

[quote name='Annie12' timestamp='1340462514' post='2447887']
I'm having issues moving on from my past. When I was twelve or thirteen, I made some really stupid decisions that may have been and were sinful (I don't know). So, I know God has forgiven me ( because I sought his forgiveness). But I still feel like a piece of scum. I have a big issue with beating myself up about thing I did in my early teens because when I look back on those days I realize that I really didn't know my faith. Back then I might have gone to mass once a month and I NEVER prayed. So, naturally not having God in my life allowed me to make some pretty stupid decisions. Can anyone here relate and share some advice/ their story?
[/quote]

Brennan Manning in his book Ragamuffin Gospel tells the following story:


Four years ago in a large city in the far West, rumors spread that a certain Catholic woman was having visions of Jesus. The reports reached the archbishop. He decided to check her out. There is always a fine line between authentic mystic and the lunatic fringe.
“Is it true, m’am, that you have visions of Jesus?” asked the cleric. “Yes”, the woman replied simply. “Well, the next time you have a vision, I want you to ask Jesus to tell you the sins that I confessed in my last confession.” The woman was stunned. “Did I hear you right, bishop? You actually want me to ask Jesus to tell me the sins of your past?”
“Exactly. Please call me if anything happens.”
Ten days later the woman notified her spiritual leader of a recent apparition. “Please come”, she said.
Within the hour the archbishop arrived. “You just told me on the telephone that you actually had a vision of Jesus. Did you do what I asked?”
“Yes, bishop, I asked Jesus to tell me the sins you confessed in your last confession.”
The bishop leaned forward with anticipation. His eyes narrowed. “What did Jesus say?”
She took his hands and gazed deep into his eyes. “Bishop,” she said, “these are his exact words: ‘I CAN’T REMEMBER.”



Keep this in your heart: [b]the King of the Universe loved you into existence[/b].

[Vincent Vega]

That's a nice sentiment, but I'm not sure it's completely theologically accurate.

In any case, the question ought not to be "what should I do about the past?" but "what can I do about the past?" The answer is "nothing". You can't do anything about your past. And, really, you can't do anything about your future. You can only control your present.

[color=#001320][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][background=rgb(249, 253, 255)]
"And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?" Mat. 6:27[/background][/font][/color]

[brianthephysicist]

[quote name='USAirwaysIHS' timestamp='1340680984' post='2448930']
That's a nice sentiment, but I'm not sure it's completely theologically accurate.
[/quote]
I'm terribly sorry, I did not know. I've been living as if this was. Can you explain what's not accurate about it?

If you don't feel comfortable explaining, let me know and I'll go post it in Q&A.

[Vincent Vega]

[quote name='brianthephysicist' timestamp='1340804825' post='2449403']



I'm terribly sorry, I did not know. I've been living as if this was. Can you explain what's not accurate about it?

If you don't feel comfortable explaining, let me know and I'll go post it in Q&A.
[/quote]
Just this bit:
[quote name='brianthephysicist' timestamp='1340676522' post='2448910'] “these are his exact words: ‘I CAN’T REMEMBER.”
[/quote]
Doesn't really jive with the whole idea of the need of the soul to be purged before entering Heaven and being called to account for our sins in front of Jesus when Judgement comes. Or maybe I'm off and/or just reading too deeply into it. Who knows.

[brianthephysicist]

[quote name='USAirwaysIHS' timestamp='1340805159' post='2449406']
Just this bit:

Doesn't really jive with the whole idea of the need of the soul to be purged before entering Heaven and being called to account for our sins in front of Jesus when Judgement comes. Or maybe I'm off and/or just reading too deeply into it. Who knows.
[/quote]
I was always under the arseumption that purgatory wasn't some type of punishment for our sins, but rather that it purged our hearts from the [i]want[/i] to sin. And I thought sins forgiven were forgiven forever, but I'm not sure how to rectify this with being called to account for them at the Final Judgement.

I have no clue anymore, I think we might need a Church Scholar in here.

[HisChildForever]

[quote name='brianthephysicist' timestamp='1340676522' post='2448910']
Four years ago in a large city in the far West, rumors spread that a certain Catholic woman was having visions of Jesus. The reports reached the archbishop. He decided to check her out. There is always a fine line between authentic mystic and the lunatic fringe.
“Is it true, m’am, that you have visions of Jesus?” asked the cleric. “Yes”, the woman replied simply. “Well, the next time you have a vision, I want you to ask Jesus to tell you the sins that I confessed in my last confession.” The woman was stunned. “Did I hear you right, bishop? You actually want me to ask Jesus to tell me the sins of your past?”
“Exactly. Please call me if anything happens.”
Ten days later the woman notified her spiritual leader of a recent apparition. “Please come”, she said.
Within the hour the archbishop arrived. “You just told me on the telephone that you actually had a vision of Jesus. Did you do what I asked?”
“Yes, bishop, I asked Jesus to tell me the sins you confessed in your last confession.”
The bishop leaned forward with anticipation. His eyes narrowed. “What did Jesus say?”
She took his hands and gazed deep into his eyes. “Bishop,” she said, “these are his exact words: ‘I CAN’T REMEMBER.”
[/quote]

Guys, I don't think this has to do with Purgatory - the take home message is that Christ forgives, and once we've asked for forgiveness with a contrite heart, it's time to move on.