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Anonymous Tony wrote:

Hi, guys —

I'm a Roman Catholic and I'm addicted to pornography since 2014 and masturbation since 2018. I'm asking about a doubt regarding my current situation. I confessed on Saturday morning and received Holy Bread at Sunday Mass. After I came home, I got tempted and fell again. (masturbated once.) For countless times I have promised to Jesus I won't repeat these two sins:

  1. watching porn, and
  2. masturbation

    ever in my life after each Confession

but I break down and repeat them all the time.

  • Will Jesus forgive me this time if I don't repeat it again and will I be allowed to receive Holy Bread next Sunday if I don't repeat it.

I have great guilt after I commit a sin because I love to stay holy and receive Holy Bread in all holy Masses I attend.

Tony

  { Will Jesus forgive me if I don't repeat these sins of the flesh again and will I be able to receive Holy Bread next Sunday? }

Paul replied:

Tony,

If you are genuinely sorry, and resolve not to do it again, your sins are forgiven. If it happens again, immediately go back to Confession. And again, as needed. Both the sins you mention are serious. But some sins are addictive and take longer to overcome than others. Persevere and don't give up.

If you love God and remain sincere, God's grace will eventually prevail. So, each time you receive God's absolution in Confession, you may receive Holy Communion at Mass. In the meantime, do whatever you reasonably can to avoid the temptation. This includes disciplining your mind and your eyes.

Peace,

Paul

Tony replied:

Paul,

Thanks for your reply. You all are doing a great job. I definitely will try hard.

Kindly remember me in your prayers.

Tony

Eric replied:

Tony,

Don't be discouraged. Unfortunately, this is not something you will resolve with one or two tries. It may take a very long time of hard battle to overcome these sins. Pornography reprograms your mind and is very difficult to overcome. There is great grace in the sacrament of Confession, however. Do not give up! It is worth it in the end. As many times as you fall, get up and go to Confession, and you will be saved. It doesn't matter how many times you fall; the good soldier is not the one that never falls, but the one who, after falling, gets up and fights with renewed vigor. You are waging a spiritual battle and there are forces arrayed against you.

Check out the resources at

Besides prayer to Jesus, devotion to the Mother of God is especially efficacious in beating this sort of sin.

Here is a good prayer to start with and pray when you have the presence of mind in the midst of temptation:

"I completely and utterly reject, with the full force of my will, pornography and masturbation.

I do this in the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary and in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

(Say this three times.)

We will pray for you!

Eric

Tony replied:

Thank You so much Sir!

I'm feeling much better now.

Thanks for the short prayer; it's very powerful.

Tony

Mike replied:

Dear Tony,

Besides the excellent answers my colleagues gave I wanted to share some AskACatholic resources you may not be familiar with, that provide answers to your specific question. These are resources which we have gathered over 25 years of answering questions about the Catholic faith.

You said:

  • Will Jesus forgive me this time, if I don't repeat it again and will I be allowed to receive Holy Bread next Sunday, if I don't repeat it?

There are two types of contrition. A perfect contrition and an imperfect contrition. The minimum you need to bring to Confession is an imperfect contrition with the intent not to commit the sins you mentioned again. That said, always know that when the priest absolves you of your sins, they are forgiven.

If you can't, for some reason get to a Weekend or Saturday Confession and have serious, unconfessed sin, just stay in the pew, and say a Spiritual Communion. If someone asked why you didn't receive the Holy Bread, just tell them you were not properly (disposed or prepared) to receive.

Spiritual Communion

O Lord Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar.

I love you above all things, (with all my mind, with all my heart, and with all my soul).
I love you because you are infinitely good and worthy of all my love.

Since I cannot receive You now sacramentally, at least come spiritually into my heart.
I embrace myself entirely to You and unite myself wholly to You.
Never permit me to be separated from You.

Come Lord Jesus and glorify Yourself through my weak, broken body.

Amen.

Mike

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