I am a 28 year-old man with same-sex attraction as a cross. I had been using channels like this as part of my journey to Christ even before I knew what I was doing or what I wanted. I just had my first Courage meeting this past week, where the priest offered me my first confession. I was able to partake in the Eucharist for the first time. I am feeling temptation right now and this is a video on my playlist of go-to's for when I am feeling weak. Chastity is a journey, but well worth it. With our Lord's help I can do this! Thank you so much!
This is a great help. Thank you. I was stressed and frustrated and wanted to sin. Thanks to me remembering Gods promise and my not wanting to offend Him, I was able to stop and realized how close I was to the edge before I came to myself. I now thank God for His grace and mercy.
I love this idea that the root of all sin is privileging temporal, and often illusory, pleasures over those gifts which last forever. You beautifully elucidated that favoring these brief moments of pleasure over the everlasting rewards really emanates from our most grievous sin - that sin being that we don't believe in the promises made by our heavenly father. This is something I must constantly keep in mind, when confronting my own battle with the lust I have for women in my life or those that I see in the media. When my mind is preoccupied by sexual thoughts towards a married coworker, I must remind myself that not only is this a violation of her, but it is also a message I am sending out to my God that I doubt his word to me that what he can offer me, for all eternity, is far greater than the the sexual fantasy that I have concocted in my head.
I struggle with this since I don't have certainty in God's existence or that he is Jesus. In fact I often find myself doubting God's existence due to divine hiddenness I've asked God to reveal himself and nothing comes up. So how can I even go with what you're saying about heaven if I doubt God's existence regularly? If there is no God then logically there is no heaven and thus this life is all we get and therefore we ought to pursue the pleasures in this life. I see no way around this dilemma unless God actually does reveal himself in some way so that I can know he exists and therefore that heaven exists.
I'm praying for faith for you! Ask God for his gift of faith, because it can only come from him. God reveals himself, not by definitive, scientific proofs, but through signs pointing to his presence. Things like: Why do we humans distinguish good and evil? I pray for clarity of vision and thought that you can discern some of these signs. Finally, ask yourself - has pursuing the pleasures in this life ever given you lasting satisfaction?
Hi Kyle, something in you is obviously stirring your heart, you’re seeking, you’re questioning, and that’s all good! I have no doubt God will reveal himself to you, and who knows how that will happen or come about, but a simple heart felt prayer such as ‘God, I’m searching for you, I’m seeking you, but I doubt your existence, I’m struggling to believe you are real, if you are a God of love and that you sent Jesus to die for me, please show me, touch my heart, let me experience this love, and your presence’ God won’t let you down or leave you wanting, I’m believing for you, that he will reveal himself to you…how this will happen or when, we don’t know, but I do know that he will! God bless you
I've been struggling through something similar - and I feel for you. It's really hard to go through the loneliness, the feeling of being overlooked - that's what makes me wonder. But that's why you have to diligently read your Bible - every day. Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would bring to our remembrance everything he told us - but in order to remember you have to know it. You can be sure it's the Spirit when he brings God's word to your remembrance. God always works through impossible situations. He loves humble hearts - and he uses the foolish things to shame the wise. So keep praying - and be really, really open and raw. Don't hold back. After a while, you'll look back and see what he was doing, because you couldn't see it at the time. Then you'll have another period of doubt or difficulty - so remember the "good times" and don't fall back. Perhaps the single most insistent command in the Old Testament was _remember_ - because the people of Israel were always forgetting God's miracles, his deliverance, and his salvation. They never stayed faithful to him because they forgot and were charmed by idols. Don't be like them! Maybe the book of Judges will be a good place to start reading - then on into 1 Sam. Or read the entire OT cover-to-cover. It's completely full of examples of God's goodness, then in a time of "hiddenness" the people go after their idols - then they are opressed by their enemies and they cry out to God, and he saves them. Over and over and over.
Well, I find it interesting you think the options are: God exists, therefore live pure God doesn't exist, therefore pursue pleasures (live with impurity) But you must have some inner sense of what is wrong and what is right? Most people do - they know these sort of behaviours are intrinsically flawed, shallow, and, for the devout, sinful. Should you not then live in a way that brings fulfillment, depth, and joy? Regardless of whether or not God and Heaven exists?
I am a 28 year-old man with same-sex attraction as a cross. I had been using channels like this as part of my journey to Christ even before I knew what I was doing or what I wanted.
I just had my first Courage meeting this past week, where the priest offered me my first confession. I was able to partake in the Eucharist for the first time. I am feeling temptation right now and this is a video on my playlist of go-to's for when I am feeling weak. Chastity is a journey, but well worth it. With our Lord's help I can do this!
Thank you so much!
Life and temptation will take you to the edge. Hold on to Jesus and you will not fall ❤
Yooooo let’s goooo what a chad
How’s it going for you?
Halfway through my Theology of the Body class at Steubie U, never taken anything like it, and the terminology is DIFFICULT, but worth it
This is a great help. Thank you. I was stressed and frustrated and wanted to sin. Thanks to me remembering Gods promise and my not wanting to offend Him, I was able to stop and realized how close I was to the edge before I came to myself. I now thank God for His grace and mercy.
I love this idea that the root of all sin is privileging temporal, and often illusory, pleasures over those gifts which last forever. You beautifully elucidated that favoring these brief moments of pleasure over the everlasting rewards really emanates from our most grievous sin - that sin being that we don't believe in the promises made by our heavenly father. This is something I must constantly keep in mind, when confronting my own battle with the lust I have for women in my life or those that I see in the media. When my mind is preoccupied by sexual thoughts towards a married coworker, I must remind myself that not only is this a violation of her, but it is also a message I am sending out to my God that I doubt his word to me that what he can offer me, for all eternity, is far greater than the the sexual fantasy that I have concocted in my head.
Beautiful! Bless you, Drake.
@@TheologyoftheBodyInstitute I Want To Have Make Love In Heaven With Saint Cecilia!
courage my friend, accoutability, fellowship and the sacraments frequently
thank you for this video. May God bless you!
We're glad it was helpful! God bless you, too!
This is good for us all. Humanity! Love it!!!!!!!!
Thank you for this beautiful discussion.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Amen indeed!❤
Excellent!
Agreed, I'm happy I saw this especially since we're in Lent
Thanks
I struggle with this since I don't have certainty in God's existence or that he is Jesus. In fact I often find myself doubting God's existence due to divine hiddenness
I've asked God to reveal himself and nothing comes up. So how can I even go with what you're saying about heaven if I doubt God's existence regularly? If there is no God then logically there is no heaven and thus this life is all we get and therefore we ought to pursue the pleasures in this life. I see no way around this dilemma unless God actually does reveal himself in some way so that I can know he exists and therefore that heaven exists.
I'm praying for faith for you! Ask God for his gift of faith, because it can only come from him.
God reveals himself, not by definitive, scientific proofs, but through signs pointing to his presence. Things like: Why do we humans distinguish good and evil? I pray for clarity of vision and thought that you can discern some of these signs.
Finally, ask yourself - has pursuing the pleasures in this life ever given you lasting satisfaction?
Hi Kyle, something in you is obviously stirring your heart, you’re seeking, you’re questioning, and that’s all good! I have no doubt God will reveal himself to you, and who knows how that will happen or come about, but a simple heart felt prayer such as ‘God, I’m searching for you, I’m seeking you, but I doubt your existence, I’m struggling to believe you are real, if you are a God of love and that you sent Jesus to die for me, please show me, touch my heart, let me experience this love, and your presence’ God won’t let you down or leave you wanting, I’m believing for you, that he will reveal himself to you…how this will happen or when, we don’t know, but I do know that he will! God bless you
ask him to reveal himself, but you must take steps in faith, too
I've been struggling through something similar - and I feel for you. It's really hard to go through the loneliness, the feeling of being overlooked - that's what makes me wonder. But that's why you have to diligently read your Bible - every day. Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would bring to our remembrance everything he told us - but in order to remember you have to know it. You can be sure it's the Spirit when he brings God's word to your remembrance. God always works through impossible situations. He loves humble hearts - and he uses the foolish things to shame the wise. So keep praying - and be really, really open and raw. Don't hold back. After a while, you'll look back and see what he was doing, because you couldn't see it at the time. Then you'll have another period of doubt or difficulty - so remember the "good times" and don't fall back.
Perhaps the single most insistent command in the Old Testament was _remember_ - because the people of Israel were always forgetting God's miracles, his deliverance, and his salvation. They never stayed faithful to him because they forgot and were charmed by idols. Don't be like them!
Maybe the book of Judges will be a good place to start reading - then on into 1 Sam. Or read the entire OT cover-to-cover. It's completely full of examples of God's goodness, then in a time of "hiddenness" the people go after their idols - then they are opressed by their enemies and they cry out to God, and he saves them. Over and over and over.
Well, I find it interesting you think the options are:
God exists, therefore live pure
God doesn't exist, therefore pursue pleasures (live with impurity)
But you must have some inner sense of what is wrong and what is right? Most people do - they know these sort of behaviours are intrinsically flawed, shallow, and, for the devout, sinful.
Should you not then live in a way that brings fulfillment, depth, and joy? Regardless of whether or not God and Heaven exists?