Overcoming Sins, especially repetitious ones

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Barbara
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Overcoming Sins, especially repetitious ones

Post by Barbara »

Maria wrote:

Here is another youtube video on confession: The man who died on his way to confession
(By St. Nicodemos the Hagiorite)

It is so very important to make a firm resolution not to sin again.

I did see that clip, thanks.

Speaking of this topic, in a book put out by Jordanville, Living Without Hypocrisy: Spiritual Counsels of the Optina Elders, Elder Amvrosy is quoted as having exclaimed that previous people were inclined to confess and not return to their sins. But the contemporary generation [ meaning that of the later 1800s - !! - well over 100 years ago ] would, he sorrowed, confess and repeat the same sins.

IMAGINE what the great spiritual instructor of souls would say TODAY about this topic !

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Maria
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Re: Overcoming Sins, especially repetitious ones

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Barbara wrote:

I did see that clip, thanks.

Speaking of this topic, in a book put out by Jordanville, Living Without Hypocrisy: Spiritual Counsels of the Optina Elders, Elder Amvrosy is quoted as having exclaimed that previous people were inclined to confess and not return to their sins. But the contemporary generation [ meaning that of the later 1800s - !! - well over 100 years ago ] would, he sorrowed, confess and repeat the same sins.

IMAGINE what the great spiritual instructor of souls would say TODAY about this topic !

Today is far different from the late 1800 because they did not have TVs and computers with all the demonic pop up ads that are pornographic or border on it. We have the Las Vegas billboards everywhere that tempt people who drive. We have far more temptations today than in the past because it is almost impossible to get away from TVs and computers.

Visit a doctor's office and in the waiting room there are TVs with continuous ads for impotency, etc. It is sickening. Most doctors now make patients wait anywhere from 15 minutes to two hours for an appointment. They know that they have a captive audience, so the pharmaceutical companies help pay for the installation of the demonic big black box.

Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner.

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Maria
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Re: Overcoming Sins, especially repetitious ones

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In order to overcome repetitious sins, it is necessary to engage in unceasing prayers, and to make a very strong effort to control one's thoughts (logismoi) through a regular prayer life and good spiritual reading. If we spend all our time monitoring the computer or TV, or gossiping with others, we will have less time for prayers and spiritual reading.

Our thoughts come from:

  • Ourselves -- our own fears, our passions, and imagination gone wild
    The influence of the world - commercials, people with whom we associate, etc.
    The devil - temptations of the Evil One
    God, His angels, or His saints - who inspire us to be good

We need the help of a trained spiritual father to learn how to discern from whence our thoughts come.

In the old times, people would spend more time gardening, working in the workshop, studying the Church Fathers, etc. Of course, there were temptations in those times but I do not believe that temptations were as pervasive as they are today where one must be eternally vigilant.

As people have moved away from rural life and into the dirty cities and apartment living, it is harder to keep our thoughts on God, be sober and watchful, guard our words that they may always be uplifting, and do good deeds inspired by God, His Angels, and His Saints.

O Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and save us.

Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner.

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Barbara
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Re: Overcoming Sins, especially repetitious ones

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Excellent observations, Maria. That reminds me of the people with 'facebook addiction' and other such empty pastimes. I am not quite sure what they actually do, but somehow they spend large amounts of every day on facebook and these social sites. Such a repetitive sin would have impossible to imagine in older, gentler, more refined times, wouldn't it ?

What you said about the wait in doctors' offices likely being contrived to sell prescriptions is eye-opening.
I had no idea that doctors, and dentists too, make their patients wait like that. It never was this way before : one would go right in for an appointment. What has changed, would you say, besides the calculated chance to 'sell' medications and also probably shape the thinking of the captive audience. Browbeating slogans like "Get your flu shot" do mold susceptible minds. The ones you mentioned were awful !

No one seems to understand when you tell the dental hygienist to turn off that abominable tv screen. "You don't want it ?", they respond incredulously. That must indicate that the drug-company-funded tv screens are a big hit with the vast majority of the dental patient population. Few apparently choose to have that thing mercifully shut up.

Terrible taste that people exhibit these days !

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