Failed attempts at Holiness.

Failed attempts at Holiness. Question from on 05-26-2007:

Just recently I slipped up and did something I had just months before begged forgivness of. I feel terrible and once again I have asked for mercy from the Lord but I still feel terrible because truely I feel as though I have betrayed a best friend everytime I sin agaist God. My friend said attempts at holiness even failed attempts are pleasing to God and when we slip up the fact that we were truely trying is still pleasing to God and that God is with us every step of the way until we get it right. Is this true?

Answer by Fr. Brighenti on 06-06-2007:

Dear Chelsea, Our Divine Lord in His infinite love and mercy has established the great Sacrament of Penance. Knowing our human condition and the fact that at times turning away from sin and the bad habit is difficult the Sacrmaent of Penance can be received numerous times to help you. The grace of this Sacrament is like medicine to help cure you. Once you are forgiven of your sins, the Sacrament acts like a spiritual vitamin to strenghthen you from future temptations. When you come to the Sacrament of Penance, you are truly sorry for your sins and you make a pledge to not commit the sin again in the future, you are making a firm purpose to ammend your life. At times, we do fall and we need to seek forgiveness again. But our intentions must be always not commit the sin again to the best of our abilities. Penances that are given by the priest in the Confessional help to make ammends for the insult to God for the sin. Also, one can do a spiritual exercise like participating in public recitation of the Rosary, making a pilgrimage or performing another spiritual act and receive a Plenary Indulgence. A plenary indulgence remove all temporal punishment do to already forgiven sin. Since our mere penances from the Confessional doesn't quite make up for the insults of sin, the Church has given us a spiritual treasury to tap into to help us remove time from Purgatory. This treasury was won for us by Christ on the Cross and added to it by all the saints' good deeds. Just recently my parish observed 13 Tuesdays in honor of St. Anthony in which we had a holy hour for each Tuesday. By completing the the 13th Tuesday the person can obtain a Plenary Indulgence. Other stipulations to receiving the Indulgence is going to Confession and Communion within 7 days and praying for the Holy Father. Try to increase your spiritual activity to help combat temptation. Avoid the persons, places or things that lead you into the temptation. And by all means go to Confession more frequently. Attend Mass often even during the week, pray your devotions more, and read spiritual books. All these spiritual things will help you turn away from sin and turn towards God. God bless, Father

Technorati Tags: Holiness, pope