DOMINUS PARS HÆREDITATIS MEÆ

Hello oceanofbliss: 

There is a disconnect here. On the one hand, you have stated that you used to be a Catholic. Then, you state that you are now an atheist. But yet you believe you are “the same person” which your family has always loved? 

No, you are not the same person, unless your Catholicism was atheistic all along or your atheism is Catholic—both propositions are unlikely. That your mother feels you are an embarrassment is because she feels a certain betrayal to the belief system she tried to hand on to you.

It is not lack of forgiveness—it is deep, parental disappointment. Parenting is at times almost unbearable. It is certainly a thankless job at many times. You put up with more bs and selfishness and nonsense from your brats than you can ever tally up. But when they grow up and start to become human beings with some evidence of having the values you consider essential and core, it makes you proud.

On the other hand, if I raise my kids to be atheists and one runs off and becomes a born again Christian with all that entails, I am going to feel disappointment. If I raise my kids to be pro-choice, pro-gay marriage and pro-spread the wealth Democrat, and they grow up and join the far right-wing of the Republican and deny every principle I fought for them to believe in, I’m not going to be a happy camper. I’m going to feel betrayed, and somewhat judged, because I know they will repeat over and over “Yeah, I’m a recovering Democrat..” or “My dad was hard-core liberal and raised me that way, but I’ve since seen the light.”

So, it is not that your mother is being unforgiving, but that you have turned out to do the opposite of what she would have wanted. For a devout Catholic, Jesus Christ is the core and center of our life, our thoughts, our values, and our vision for a better future. The Catholic worldview is pro-natural marriage, pro-family with discipline and honoring of elders, pro-life, it is pro-law and order, it is pro-nature and not doing things against nature, it is in favor of sobriety and self-control, and it is pro-truth that is clear, objective, and eternal, having been revealed by God.

For a Catholic, atheism is not just doubt or saying “I’m not sure if there is a God” but it is denial and negation, saying “There IS NO God.” So where does that leave conscience and morality? You have no more Ten Commandments, because those are from God. And even if you follow them, there is no obligation to do so since there is no God or judgment to answer to for breaking whatever rule you want to break.

Some parents who are Christian suspect deep down that their son or daughter who confesses atheism does so for ulterior motives of lifestyle choice. In other words, they resent the rules, the expectations of the home, based on Christianity, and they want to make a clearly defined break that will send a message to their parents.

For some children, atheism is a way to punish parents, and the family. Then, it is an excuse to get out, whore around, be hedonistic and selfish, and say “eff you and the horse you rode in on” to anyone and everyone you reject. It is a sort of pseudo emancipation so that you are no longer held to any exterior guideline for growth and self-improvement, because the atheist can always hide behind, “eff you, whatever you’re into and preaching at me, I’m not into that.”

A parent will naturally wonder, once their son or daughter confesses to no longer believing in God, “Where is he or she going to take this?” Deep down, you as a parent feel like a failure also, and there is a sense of anger. Parents don’t do this, but they would certainly like to say, right back to their son or daughter, “Oh really? Eff me and my religion? No, kid, eff you and eff all the bs and crap I put up with, literally from the day I changed your crapped diapers to now.” Parents don’t talk like that, but they certainly would like to in some cases where they feel the sting of disappointment in a child who has renounced the belief system they thought was the core of the family life.

Perhaps this will give you some perspective into the issues you have caused by renouncing the Catholic Faith.

God bless and take care! Fr. Angel

Hello anon:

The ancient and holy Sees of Rome and Constantinople have so much in common because they are both, as it were, two branches from the same stump that is Christ. And as a sign of the many similarities, there are good friendships on Tumblr formed between Easter Orthodox and Catholic bloggers. One of my favorite bloggers is theophilus1979.tumblr.com

So if we share the same faith in Christ, love of the holy Virgin Mary, fellowship with the Saints and celebration of the seven sacraments, what are some of the differences?

The main problem is that in the course of time, the See of Rome began to exert more claims of power and authority over the local churches, which Eastern Orthodoxy insisted should be more self-governing. These claims are said by Roman Catholics to be a reasonable progression of the development of doctrine. 

Catholics say that in the ancient churches, there was indeed more self-governance, with Rome still being looked to as a superintendent and guardian of faith and unity. With the passage of time, and the interference of states and other things in the life of the Church, the Catholic belief is that:

1) It became necessary for the see of Rome to exert more primacy

2) It became clearer that the Lord also wished the Roman See to exert more teaching authority in order to fight “conciliarism”

3) It became clearer that a monarchical primate (Bishop of Rome) with first say should also have that charism of truth which would protect his decisions from leading the Church astray on faith and morals, and so developed a clearer understanding of the personal infallibility of the Pope.

Eastern Orthodoxy sees the positions of the papal primacy and the personal infallibility of the pope when he speaks ex cathedra (or from his chair) to be heretical. While they respect the see of Rome, they believe it has fallen into heresy and so they cannot obey it. You could say, in their view, that “Peter is the rock, but the rock has gone astray.” Once the See of Rome curtails its monarchical claims of power and teaching authority over the entire Church, there will be a possibility for the Eastern Orthodox of discussing the unity of East and West again.

The position of Eastern Orthodoxy, that the Church can be governed just as well with a lesser role of the Pope as “first among equals” sounds nice, and ideal. However, I personally believe it is unworkable in the nitty gritty, practical reality of the global church. And frankly, I simply do not believe that is the will of Jesus Christ in the unfolding of history and God’s Providence as it unravels in human history.

I also do not believe that it would be a loyal rending of development of the doctrine of the Petrine Ministry, because it would place the entire Church in the state of following ancient practice because they were ancient practices, and not because they are still valid. That is the error of antiquarianism.

Therefore, when I weigh in on the issue, I find myself compelled in faith to choose the interpretation of Rome over that of Constantinople. From that choice, everything else follows in the confession of faith. God bless and take care! Fr. Angel

Hello anon:

First, ask yourself what you are going through, and how it is having an effect on your “intentionality.” What are your real intentions here? And does the reason and logic in your mind go along with your intentions and tell you that you are being faithful to Jesus’ will or to your own convenience or wants?

Do you believe, after seriously studying the New Testament, that Jesus never founded a church? Because born again churches have only existed within the last hundred years, if you speak of Pentecostal and Assembly of God churches, and maybe two hundred years if you stretch that into the “holiness movement” which swept through certain Protestant churches during the 1800’s.

By joining a born-again congregation, you certainly could not be joining a group that traces its existence back to the New Testament, and to Jesus. It would definitely be an assembly that traces its history to a human founder or foundress. Also, do you deny and no longer believe that Jesus wanted to establish a church of unity and oneness?

Because born-again Christians are scattered across hundreds if not thousands of denominations which have contradicting and competing doctrines. Do you now believe that is what Jesus intended, and therefore you wish to join a form of Christianity which is very splintered?

I guess you also no longer believe in the firm and authoritative role of the Apostles, or maybe you believe the Apostles had authority as a teaching body, but that it died out with them? Because born-again groups have no centralized authority or teaching body, such as Catholics do with the Pope and bishops. Do you now believe in private biblical interpretation? Do you now believe that every denomination has the right to subject its interpretation of Scripture to conference votes (which is what happens when there is no Apostolic Succession), and that those who disagree have a right to walk out and start new churches?

Also, do you now believe that Scripture contains no evidence for the seven sacraments of the Church, but that only baptism and “Supper of the Lord” were left as “ordinances” meaning they do not give any grace but are pure symbols of the interior faith of the person? That is the born-again belief of Christians.

They say you don’t get baptized to receive grace, but rather it celebrates the interior grace that is already in you when you confessed Jesus as Lord and Savior. They say that communion is simply a symbolic reminder of Jesus’s Body and Blood, but that Jesus can only be present in the worship through preaching, praise and song—not sacraments. Is that what you now believe?

So, you are prepared to deny that marriage, anointing of the sick, confirmation, holy orders, Eucharist of Real Presence of Jesus, and forgiveness of sins through confession are true sacraments instituted by Christ? 

Finally, initiation into born-again Christianity means the rejection of Mary as a virgin, for they believe she and Joseph had sex just like any normal couple. In fact, they see Mary and Joseph as just normal. It also means you reject the doctrine that angels and saints can go before the throne of Christ and put in a good word for us, or basically you are prepared to say they are in heaven but they don’t think about us or intercede for us. Either that, or you accept “soul sleep” of some born-agains, who believe that the souls of the dead are in a state of sleep and will not begin to enjoy heaven until the end of the world.

That means you are prepared to have fellowship with people on earth only, but you no longer acknowledge fellowship with anyone who has already crossed over, because that would interfere in the born-again doctrine of the sole relationship which a Christian should have with only Jesus the Mediator. 

Finally, speaking of those who have crossed over, by joining a born-again assembly, you will reject the Catholic doctrine of salvation outside of water baptism. Catholics believe that people who have not confessed Jesus as Lord and undergone adult, water baptism can still be saved if they follow what is right in their conscience.

The born-again doctrine is, well obviously, that you have to be born again. So, in your new faith, you are accepting that the vast majority of the 6 billion people on earth, are going to hell because of Jesus. In other words, because Jesus paid the price of sin but they have not been born again, they cannot be saved. They are going to hell. That would make you pretty lucky, but not so them. 

Again, ask yourself whether you have really thought through the plan of Jesus, and what He accomplished in the Bible (e.g. founding the true Church on the foundation of Apostolic authority). Or, ask yourself if you are looking at more superficial and shallow reasons, like feeling good with friends, happy fellowship, beautiful, uplifting bands that play nice Christian music, etc. 

Based on that honest appraisal, make the decision which you believe is the true and valid one, apart from any feelings you have, because feelings are passing and deceptive. God bless and take care! Fr. Angel

Hello anon:

First, quote Scripture: 

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13).

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations (Jeremiah 1:5).

They have built the high places of Topheth in the Valley of Ben Hinnom to burn their sons and daughters in the fire—something I did not command, nor did it enter my mind (Jeremiah 7:31).

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb (Luke 1:41).

Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them (Luke 18:16).

How can little children come to Jesus through baptism if people abort them and don’t let them take their first breath, or after letting them take their breath, kill them? The problem with most “pro-choice” Catholics is that they are not Scriptural, and Biblical Christians.

Not all Catholics are Christians in a subjective sense of accepting Christ. They might be objectively Catholic, which means warm bodies that once upon a time were baptized in the Catholic Church, but they do not know the essential traits of Biblical Christianity. And if they do not know the Bible and confess the essential teachings of Jesus Christ, how can they be Christian at heart as well as in name?

If they were more familiar with the word of God, they would see that God’s Word is very pro-life and speaks of God knowing us before we are born. God’s Word speaks of the life of Jesus and John the Baptist even when they were in their mothers’ wombs.

So if Scripture is so clear that there is life, God knows that life, and that life is even capable of sensing joy, how can be support a choice to kill it? Only if we are secular Catholics, or non-Biblical Catholics. Some Protestant Evangelicals say that Catholics who don’t know their Bible are pagan, or semi-pagan, and as much as it hurts to hear that, the shoe does fit if we are honest.

“They told me they want a church ….” Well, there you have it. It comes down to what they want, not what Jesus wants. It comes down to them telling God what to do, instead of obediently hearing God’s Word and submitting to it. That is not only not Catholicism, that is not even Christianity for: “Every scripture is divinely inspired, and profitable for teaching, for conviction, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).

If they really want a church that supports a woman aborted her child, they do not want a Catholic Church. For the Catholic belief is that such a church is an invention, a lie, a satanic deception, a submission not to God’s Word, but to pagan choice and pagan submission to the human licentiousness: “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it” (Luke 11:28). God bless and take care! Fr. Angel

Hello anon:

Thank you for your words of testimony. We can never have enough words of testimony. Back in the 90’s, I went to speak to a healthcare professional over some grief I was going through and was finding to be debilitating, and she said, “I’ve had the exact same thing happen, Father, and I survived and recovered. You can too.” Those words were such a comfort, and I think your words will be too for people who have endured the trauma of rape.

What I say in regards to Christian forgiveness is to let it come, when it comes. Forgiveness of the rapist is part of healing and healing is a long process of movement, from the trauma, to the post-trauma symptoms, from the post-trauma symptoms, to finding options, from finding options, to making the decision to take your life back, from making the decision to take your life back, to taking your life back, from taking your life back, to forgiving those who stole your peace and joy of life, and from that forgiveness to healing, so that from the healing, you not only survive, but begin to thrive again.

The good Lord doesn’t mind that we take our time. He gently and patiently moves us along in the process of healing. Everyone finds a different point when they are ready and are able to forgive those who have harmed them. Even then, it is fine, in our prayer, to ask God to bring such people to justice, and to give them their just deserts. Forgiveness is not liking the rapist or even wanting to be around them ever. Forgiveness is letting God take over the justice and vengeance, so that the anger and bitterness will not hold us hostage, so it will not stop us from loving again.

Take your time, anon. You’ll get there, when you get there. It may be months from now, to years from now. Priests like to tell people from the pulpit how they have to forgive or they should not come to Communion. I don’t think one size fits all. I rather tell people to forgive when they understand what forgiveness is, and when they are able to do what they understand is the act of forgiving. When the grace of God prompts you on that day to begin forgiving, just say, “Here am I Lord, I come to do your will.” God bless and take care! Fr. Angel 

Hello anon:

Many Catholics have not become knowledgeable about the need to stay united to Catholic doctrine in order to be really and truly Catholic. People sincerely think, incorrectly, that as long as you feel Catholic, you are Catholic, or as long as you go along with some major Catholic beliefs, and reject the rest, you are still a good Catholic.

Yes, you are correct that we should not receive the Eucharist if we are conscious of grave sin:

Can.  915 Those who have been excommunicated or interdicted after the imposition or declaration of the penalty and others obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to holy communion.

Can.  916 A person who is conscious of grave sin is not to celebrate Mass or receive the body of the Lord without previous sacramental confession unless there is a grave reason and there is no opportunity to confess; in this case the person is to remember the obligation to make an act of perfect contrition which includes the resolution of confessing as soon as possible.

Can.  917 A person who has already received the Most Holy Eucharist can receive it a second time on the same day only within the eucharistic celebration in which the person participates, without prejudice to the prescript of ⇒ can. 921, §2.

Can.  918 It is highly recommended that the faithful receive holy communion during the eucharistic celebration itself. It is to be administered outside the Mass, however, to those who request it for a just cause, with the liturgical rites being observed.

Can.  919 §1. A person who is to receive the Most Holy Eucharist is to abstain for at least one hour before holy communion from any food and drink, except for only water and medicine.

The Church also makes it clear that not supporting Catholic faith and morals, such as not supporting the Catholic Church’s position on gay marriage, is a violation of keeping unity and faith with the Church:

Can. 750 §1. A person must believe with divine and Catholic faith all those things contained in the word of God, written or handed on, that is, in the one deposit of faith entrusted to the Church, and at the same time proposed as divinely revealed either by the solemn magisterium of the Church or by its ordinary and universal magisterium which is manifested by the common adherence of the Christian faithful under the leadership of the sacred magisterium; therefore all are bound to avoid any doctrines whatsoever contrary to them.

§2. Each and every thing which is proposed definitively by the magisterium of the Church concerning the doctrine of faith and morals, that is, each and every thing which is required to safeguard reverently and to expound faithfully the same deposit of faith, is also to be firmly embraced and retained; therefore, one who rejects those propositions which are to be held definitively is opposed to the doctrine of the Catholic Church.

Can. 751 Heresy is the obstinate denial or obstinate doubt after the reception of baptism of some truth which is to be believed by divine and Catholic faith; apostasy is the total repudiation of the Christian faith; schism is the refusal of submission to the Supreme Pontiff or of communion with the members of the Church subject to him.

Can. 752 Although not an assent of faith, a religious submission of the intellect and will must be given to a doctrine which the Supreme Pontiff or the college of bishops declares concerning faith or morals when they exercise the authentic magisterium, even if they do not intend to proclaim it by definitive act; therefore, the Christian faithful are to take care to avoid those things which do not agree with it.

Can. 753 Although the bishops who are in communion with the head and members of the college, whether individually or joined together in conferences of bishops or in particular councils, do not possess infallibility in teaching, they are authentic teachers and instructors of the faith for the Christian faithful entrusted to their care; the Christian faithful are bound to adhere with religious submission of mind to the authentic magisterium of their bishops.

Can. 754 All the Christian faithful are obliged to observe the constitutions and decrees which the legitimate authority of the Church issues in order to propose doctrine and to proscribe erroneous opinions, particularly those which the Roman Pontiff or the college of bishops puts forth.

I should clarify that most Catholics who support gay marriage are not in mortal sin, because they sincerely believe the Catholic Church has made a mistake in opposing gay marriage and they sincerely believe they are supporting the right position.

Of course, such people have an obligation to study their faith and get in touch with the reasons, logic, and Biblical foundation of Catholic teaching against gay marriage. They also need to realize that it is fine to wish that gay and lesbians find true love in life and are happy, but that doesn’t mean re-defining natural marriage through the courts and the law books.

There are a small number of Catholics who study the doctrine of the faith and continuing obstinately persisting in their errors because human pride and a rebellious spirit do not allow them in humility to consider a change to their position, and those people definitely should not be going to Communion, because they have a clearer sense that they are not truly Catholic, through their own fault.

God bless and take care! Fr. Angel

Hello countryengineer:

Yes, I would agree. In fact, I stated the same in this post:

“Since asexuality should not be confused with impotence, which is physical inability, I would say that the Catholic Church would be open to marrying an asexual couple, as long as they would be open to the possibility of some kind of “consummation” of their marriage, and the possibility of openness to children.”

God bless and take care! Fr. Angel

Hello anon:

I’m not sure which “gifts” of the Holy Spirit you are talking about. You may wish to read St. Paul’s teaching on this matter in 1 Corinthians, chapters 12, 13, & 14. In Corinthians, chapter 12, St. Paul speaks of the charisms, or charismatic gifts of the Holy Spirit. In these verses, he gives a list of some of the charisms, but there are charisms than are here listed. Here is the passage:

“And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? (1 Corinthians 12:28-30).

Then, in chapter 13, St. Paul goes into the greatest gifts, which are the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity, first poured into our souls in baptism and developed later in the Christian life. I don’t want to make this post too long, so let me just leave you with two thoughts on the charisms and charismatic gifts (chap. 12 & 14) and the the theological virtues (chap. 13).

1) The charisms and charismatic gifts are bestowed upon you by the Holy Spirit, but these gifts are not meant for you personally, to make you feel holy or better than other Christians. Rather, these gifts are simply meant to flow through you and give to the wider community the blessings of being inspired to see God’s wonders, to build up the faithful with mutual edification, and to be at the service of others. We read from the Apostle: “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good” (1 Corinthians 12:7). The clergy and laity can show all sorts of charisms or charismatic gifts, but that doesn’t mean they are holy. It just means the Holy Spirit is using them for some task but they still have to work on their personal walk with the Lord. The life of holiness requires a different set of gifts which are hidden, deep, interior, and are called the theological virtues.

2) The theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity are poured into you at baptism with sanctifying grace, and these gifts are meant for you personally. In exercising these gifts over and over, you continue to increase in faith, have a more solid and firm hope, and sense an intense love for God through charity, which makes it possible to show charity to others. Charity is the virtue which does make us just “loving” people, but enables to love people for the sake of God’s love. If God’s love isn’t the reason why you are loving someone, then that is not real divine charity—that is more being nice and getting along, which even an atheist can do. The more the theological virtues grow through being exercised, the holier a Christian becomes. A saint on earth is someone who has begun to live out the virtues of faith, hope, and charity, to a heroic degree.

 Anon, I am glad that you are learning about the gifts and wish to seek after them. But don’t feel bad if you can’t pray in tongues, and don’t feel bad if you can’t prophesy or do miracles of healing, and don’t feel bad if you are not seen with the stigmata or don’t see visions of Jesus or the Virgin Mary. Those gifts of the Holy Spirit do not mean you are holy at all. If you want to be holy, for real, pray that you practice faith, hope and charity. No one will see, and no one will know most of the time when you are practicing these virtues, but God will know, and with time, you will feel that someone really beautiful, a change, is happening to you, which is that you are becoming a saint:

And now there remain faith, hope, and charity, these three: but the greatest of these is charity (1 Corinthians 13:13).

God bless and may the Holy Spirit breathe into you, and all your youth group, His the fire of His divine charity! God bless and take care! Fr. Angel

Hello anon:

The images of that third vision speak of God’s judgment coming upon the world if people do not convert and live the Gospel of Christ. The Vatican gives us further interpretations to understand this “Third Secret.”

http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20000626_message-fatima_en.html

From that document, there is this pertinent passage that for us, free will is always there. We are not condemned to an already fixed future, but rather God’s allows us to choose, and He steers us towards those choices which will bring His salvation to the greatest number of souls. So the Vatican document gives us this passage:

The vision then shows the power which stands opposed to the force of destruction—the splendour of the Mother of God and, stemming from this in a certain way, the summons to penance. In this way, the importance of human freedom is underlined: the future is not in fact unchangeably set, and the image which the children saw is in no way a film preview of a future in which nothing can be changed. Indeed, the whole point of the vision is to bring freedom onto the scene and to steer freedom in a positive direction. The purpose of the vision is not to show a film of an irrevocably fixed future. Its meaning is exactly the opposite: it is meant to mobilize the forces of change in the right direction.

For the Catholic Church, the time has passed for the Gospel of convenience and political correctness. The presence of evil in the world is still active, and even in places where the Gospel was preached freely, it is undergoing restrictions because of the “dictatorship of relativism.”

Another meaning from this vision is that our suffering, our pain, our anxieties, and our stress, are not useless. Jesus wants every member of the Church to partner up with Him in offering suffering for reparation to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Jesus wants the faithful to be consecrated to Mary’s Heart, which means to take on 100% her attitude of “let it be done according to His word.” The heart is the core center of attitude, and Mary’s attitude is that the more we surrender to God’s will, the more the Church will come to the rescue of the “souls of poor sinners” that are in danger of the fires of hell.

To summarize: 1) God’s judgment is visiting us if we do not turn back from disobedience and sin. 2) Sometimes this judgment is in the form of great suffering and persecution unleashed upon the Church. 3) The faithful must convert and act urgently, not stand on the sidelines and wait for evil to be fought by others. 4) Evil is fought from within the Church, through submission to God’s will, confessing, receiving Communion, and constantly praying the rosary. 5) Out in the world, evil is fought when Christians offer up their cross to Jesus and through this offering (in union with the Immaculate Heart of Mary), do penance. 6) If we follow the Fatima Message, we are following the Gospel of Christ. 7) If we put the Gospel into practice, we can actually use human freedom for a great flowering of holiness and change the course of history. It is not written in stone that evil will overcome us. We can change that. I’m saying things here very simplistically. I strongly suggest reading that Vatican document which gives a detailed interpretation of the Fatima prophecy.

God bless and take care! Fr. Angel

Hello anon:

First thing is to pray and ask Our Lord not to allow you to obsess and make this one sin a cause of despair. It is a sinful habit, but it is not going to send you to hell. Then, continue to make every effort to grow as a Christian in other areas. Are there grudges to get over? Are there people to forgive? Are there basic tools for healthy living to be worked on, such as being able to laugh at silly things, not take yourself too seriously, be patient with those who are different than you? Do you struggle with road rage or being judgmental of the petty faults of others? What is your attitude toward the poor, the needy, the suffering? 

Do you help out at home with chores, with upkeep, and if you work, do you help the head of the household out with any bills? Do you make it to confession at least once a month, and attend Mass faithfully every Sunday (or at least Saturday evening for the vigil Mass)? How is your relationship with neighbors, with peers, with those who might be a potential boyfriend?

Finally, do you take care of yourself, your physical health, and not letting yourself indulge in unhealthy entertainment? These questions may seem strange, but with any addiction, you are dealing with issues of self-esteem, self-perception, and how to relate well with others. The secret for a Christian is not to allow the addiction, whether it’s masturbation or anything else, to infect and “seep into” the rest of their lives, which it often does. The effort which helps you to fight this addiction is aided by Christian giving and generosity in all the other areas of your life. It will not take away totally the temptations and occasional falls, but it will go along way to put faith, hope, and charity at the center of your goals. There are other suggestions which you can find if you go to the search part of my blog and type in “masturbation.” God bless and take care! Fr. Angel

Hello anon:

“Supposed to” would suggest that the Church has a rule. However, the Catholic Church does not require people to pray the rosary, and so there is no prescribed rosaries you should pray. 

The rosary, however, is very highly recommended as a form of Catholic contemplation or mysticism. The traditional practice was to pray 15 decades a day, meditating on the joyful, the sorrowful, and the glorious mysteries of the lives of Jesus and Mary. Now, John Paul II added the luminous mysteries, so if one wanted to meditate on all the mysteries in one day, you would pray four rosaries.

But each person may decide when they wish to pray the rosary, and how many times. God bless and take care! Fr. Angel