Comments on: How can I identify my root sin? http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/2010/04/26/how-can-i-identify-my-root-sin Seek Him - Find Him - Follow Him Tue, 22 May 2012 02:52:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Becky313 http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/2010/04/26/how-can-i-identify-my-root-sin/comment-page-1#comment-7829 Becky313 Wed, 02 May 2012 16:54:00 +0000 http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/?p=3265#comment-7829 Motive.  If one is truly striving to follow the Lord's call in their life it will bother them (in their heart) that they cannot do certain things.  If we are lazy, we will likely know that we should be doing something, but will rationalize and find justification for our actions. It can be difficult to discern the difference - this is why it is important to get sound spiritual direction, from someone who has the opportunity to get to know us and (through the guidance of the Holy Spirit) can therefore point out those areas where we need help. Motive.  If one is truly striving to follow the Lord’s call in their life it will bother them (in their heart) that they cannot do certain things.  If we are lazy, we will likely know that we should be doing something, but will rationalize and find justification for our actions.

It can be difficult to discern the difference – this is why it is important to get sound spiritual direction, from someone who has the opportunity to get to know us and (through the guidance of the Holy Spirit) can therefore point out those areas where we need help.

]]> By: 1ray1 http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/2010/04/26/how-can-i-identify-my-root-sin/comment-page-1#comment-7797 1ray1 Sun, 29 Apr 2012 19:05:00 +0000 http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/?p=3265#comment-7797 Thanks, Father John.  This is excellent advice and seems like it should be worth the search to find a good spiritual director.  At sixty six years of age, I'd say your delineation of human weakness is pretty much right on.  It kind of reminds me of the seven cardinal sins I learned in my youth(from a good woman religious).  As I reflect it seems that I have kind of bounced around your triumvirate of evil from my youth to the present.  God's grace has blessed me and the more open I am to it the more graces He sends.  Thanks, Father John.  This is excellent advice and seems like it should be worth the search to find a good spiritual director.  At sixty six years of age, I’d say your delineation of human weakness is pretty much right on.  It kind of reminds me of the seven cardinal sins I learned in my youth(from a good woman religious).  As I reflect it seems that I have kind of bounced around your triumvirate of evil from my youth to the present.  God’s grace has blessed me and the more open I am to it the more graces He sends. 

]]> By: danburke http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/2010/04/26/how-can-i-identify-my-root-sin/comment-page-1#comment-7741 danburke Fri, 27 Apr 2012 09:14:00 +0000 http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/?p=3265#comment-7741 See a doctor. :-) See a doctor. :-)

]]> By: Jay http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/2010/04/26/how-can-i-identify-my-root-sin/comment-page-1#comment-7719 Jay Wed, 25 Apr 2012 09:24:00 +0000 http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/?p=3265#comment-7719 I read through this and believe I'm guilty of all three. I thought my root sin was that of sensuality but now, it appears it's more far-fetched making me feeling even more guilty as some of the things I think are normal are not afertall and i have been living with them and feeling very comfortable. I guess this is why I have never felt true fulfilment, always knowing there's an emptiness in my life. God please help me to become a better person. I read through this and believe I’m guilty of all three. I thought my root sin was that of sensuality but now, it appears it’s more far-fetched making me feeling even more guilty as some of the things I think are normal are not afertall and i have been living with them and feeling very comfortable.
I guess this is why I have never felt true fulfilment, always knowing there’s an emptiness in my life.
God please help me to become a better person.

]]> By: Cordelia Naismith http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/2010/04/26/how-can-i-identify-my-root-sin/comment-page-1#comment-7714 Cordelia Naismith Mon, 23 Apr 2012 18:07:00 +0000 http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/?p=3265#comment-7714 I have just found this list and it has been most helpful to me. I would like to have your permission to translate it into Spanish and post it in my blog (quoting the source, of course), so it could help other people who cannot understand English I have just found this list and it has been most helpful to me. I would like to have your permission to translate it into Spanish and post it in my blog (quoting the source, of course), so it could help other people who cannot understand English

]]> By: How do I know if thoughts are from the devil or just from my own mind? - Roman Catholic Spiritual Direction http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/2010/04/26/how-can-i-identify-my-root-sin/comment-page-1#comment-7219 How do I know if thoughts are from the devil or just from my own mind? - Roman Catholic Spiritual Direction Tue, 13 Mar 2012 10:00:53 +0000 http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/?p=3265#comment-7219 [...] one’s ‘root sin’ is also helpful in determining some of the reasons why our thoughts drift in certain patterns. [...] [...] one’s ‘root sin’ is also helpful in determining some of the reasons why our thoughts drift in certain patterns. [...]

]]> By: Anonymous http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/2010/04/26/how-can-i-identify-my-root-sin/comment-page-1#comment-4008 Anonymous Wed, 19 Oct 2011 21:31:00 +0000 http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/?p=3265#comment-4008 Marie, Yes, they are symptoms of pride.  This was a tough one for me to accept......I have had low self-esteem / self-confidence most of my life.  It really hurt when it seemed that people were not returning phone calls or emails......or said something negative about me.....other things like that.  Because of the real internal pain I felt, I ignored the things I read about low self esteem being selfish.  Maybe for other people, but not me!  :) Once I had read it or heard it though........it was inside me and God put it to good use. My root sin is vanity, therefore I would do things according to what I thought others expected........I was a people pleaser, and when I tried real hard to make people happy, and it <b><I>seemed</I></b> that I had failed........I felt awful........my sense of self-worth was tied to <B><I>my perception</I></B> of what others thought of me.  Emphasis on 'seemed and my perception'....this wasn't how things really were, but how I thought they were. The devil plays both ends against the middle..........so I was never happy.....always being tempted to do more for people  "This will make them like me!" ........and never feeling that they did. Once I understood and was able to believe....even just a little......that God made me and I was good, period.  I made gradual progress in building my self esteem.  For my penance once a priest made me kneel by my bed once a day for prayer and say, "Thank you for loving me."  It wasn't easy....lots of emotion and skepticism.......but it finally broke through the protective wall I had erected.......telling myself that I didn't care. What we're doing when we have low self esteem is essentially saying that we're so bad or so poor off, lowly, wretched, and miserable that not even God can fix us........and that's pride.  We are too focused on ourselves.....as if we were the center of the universe.  (<i>I really hated hearing that one...but it was true.......and the idea that I was being selfish was so abhorrent to me that it helped me to be open to the healing I needed.</i>) The Surrender Prayer was also very helpful for me, you can find it here: http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/2011/06/25/a-prayer-of-surrender And some good ideas for overcoming our root sin here: http://www.totustuus.com/overcome.htm The key is in putting God first.  I have a sticky note that says, "Who am I trying to please?" posted where I see it often.  I would imagine God feeling about me as I do for my children and grandchildren....and now I have solid church teaching on the truth of this to help me shut out the devil and my own negative thoughts.......those things are simply "not of God". It's been hard!!  I've had to change ways of thinking and behaving that I've had for almost 50 years............but it's also been absolutely worth the effort!!  God will transform us if we allow Him to.  :) Marie,

Yes, they are symptoms of pride.  This was a tough one for me to accept……I have had low self-esteem / self-confidence most of my life.  It really hurt when it seemed that people were not returning phone calls or emails……or said something negative about me…..other things like that.  Because of the real internal pain I felt, I ignored the things I read about low self esteem being selfish.  Maybe for other people, but not me!  :)

Once I had read it or heard it though……..it was inside me and God put it to good use.

My root sin is vanity, therefore I would do things according to what I thought others expected……..I was a people pleaser, and when I tried real hard to make people happy, and it seemed that I had failed……..I felt awful……..my sense of self-worth was tied to my perception of what others thought of me.  Emphasis on ‘seemed and my perception’….this wasn’t how things really were, but how I thought they were.

The devil plays both ends against the middle……….so I was never happy…..always being tempted to do more for people  “This will make them like me!” ……..and never feeling that they did.

Once I understood and was able to believe….even just a little……that God made me and I was good, period.  I made gradual progress in building my self esteem.  For my penance once a priest made me kneel by my bed once a day for prayer and say, “Thank you for loving me.”  It wasn’t easy….lots of emotion and skepticism…….but it finally broke through the protective wall I had erected…….telling myself that I didn’t care.

What we’re doing when we have low self esteem is essentially saying that we’re so bad or so poor off, lowly, wretched, and miserable that not even God can fix us……..and that’s pride.  We are too focused on ourselves…..as if we were the center of the universe.  (I really hated hearing that one…but it was true…….and the idea that I was being selfish was so abhorrent to me that it helped me to be open to the healing I needed.)

The Surrender Prayer was also very helpful for me, you can find it here:
http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/2011/06/25/a-prayer-of-surrender

And some good ideas for overcoming our root sin here:
http://www.totustuus.com/overcome.htm

The key is in putting God first.  I have a sticky note that says, “Who am I trying to please?” posted where I see it often.  I would imagine God feeling about me as I do for my children and grandchildren….and now I have solid church teaching on the truth of this to help me shut out the devil and my own negative thoughts…….those things are simply “not of God”.

It’s been hard!!  I’ve had to change ways of thinking and behaving that I’ve had for almost 50 years…………but it’s also been absolutely worth the effort!!  God will transform us if we allow Him to.  :)

]]> By: Anonymous http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/2010/04/26/how-can-i-identify-my-root-sin/comment-page-1#comment-2619 Anonymous Thu, 26 May 2011 13:04:00 +0000 http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/?p=3265#comment-2619 Well, the good news is that you are honest. The gray news is that your root sin is not in all three areas. It can only be in one. You may experience sin in all three, but in order to uncover your root sin and focus effectively, you really should talk with a spiritual director… Well, the good news is that you are honest. The gray news is that your root sin is not in all three areas. It can only be in one. You may experience sin in all three, but in order to uncover your root sin and focus effectively, you really should talk with a spiritual director…

]]> By: Justin http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/2010/04/26/how-can-i-identify-my-root-sin/comment-page-1#comment-2618 Justin Thu, 26 May 2011 12:41:00 +0000 http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/?p=3265#comment-2618 I fit under all of them... I don't know how to fix such a huge problem... I'll just ask God to help me tackle them one at a time. Lord have mercy. I fit under all of them… I don’t know how to fix such a huge problem… I’ll just ask God to help me tackle them one at a time. Lord have mercy.

]]> By: Temptations of an apostolic heart… - Catholic Spiritual Direction http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/2010/04/26/how-can-i-identify-my-root-sin/comment-page-1#comment-1617 Temptations of an apostolic heart… - Catholic Spiritual Direction Thu, 11 Nov 2010 10:03:56 +0000 http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/?p=3265#comment-1617 [...] our family, our prayer life (or lack of one). It can be relationships in our lives, it can be our root sin, or it can be our children. If he doesn’t find enough weak points in these areas, he is not [...] [...] our family, our prayer life (or lack of one). It can be relationships in our lives, it can be our root sin, or it can be our children. If he doesn’t find enough weak points in these areas, he is not [...]

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