Overcoming Pornography Addiction: A Path To Freedom Through Confession And The Sacraments

Welcome to the web edition. Below is text extracted from the PDF for reading on any device. Use Download for the original file to print or share offline.

Jesus suffered for your sins, trust in the power of confession Written by Fr. Joseph LoJacono, IVE, STL 2020 A.D. Overcoming Pornography through Confession and the Sacraments The path to freedom 1. Admit the gravity of your sin. 2. Trust in the Mercy of God by committing to frequent confession, monthly or weekly if possible. 3. Recognize the occasion of sin for you. 4. Develop ways to avoid the occasion of sin. 5. Make a battle plan for when you are tempted. 6. Learn to say the “Jesus prayer” when tempted. 7. Build good habits contrary to this sin by committing to sacrifice and prayer. 8. Meditate on the passion and death of Jesus Christ. 9. Receive the Eucharist frequently even daily. 10. Build habits of self-giving to other persons leading to chastity Trust in the mercy of Jesus offered in confession

1. Admit the gravity of your sin Go to confession and say, “I have an addiction to pornography.” Mention how many times you sinned. Truly acknowledge there is no excuse or justification for this grave sin. 2. Trust in the Mercy of God. Recognize the cycle of addiction, wanting to stop, failure after an impulse, depression, Satan accuses you, fall again. Know, Jesus calls you to trust in His mercy accepting you 1000 times in confession. (I) Commit to at least monthly confession, weekly if available. Avoid obsessing about confession (for example, going more than once a week). Trust in the mercy of God who knows your sins, efforts and walks with you. (II) Trust the Lord will help you overcome this sin in time, as you build virtues contrary to this addiction. Know one fall will not destroy any good habits you are starting to form. 3. Recognize the occasion of sin for you. (1) Do you tend to fall late at night? When you are bored? When you anxious? When you are looking for a distraction? (II) What is the location and means you tend to use for sin? Do you tend to use your cell phone, computer, or TV? 4. Develop ways to avoid the occasion of sin. (I) If you tend to fall late at night, put your phone in another room. If you fall with the computer, put it in a public place. (II) Put filters on your phone, computer, and cancel any adult TV channels. Put images of the suffering Lord or the Virgin Mary on your phone, computer, near your TV. 5. Make a battle plan for when you are tempted (II) Move your attention to some other subject, whether it be sports, a hobby, something that engages your attention (III) Look at the Cross of our Lord Jesus and plead the precious blood of Jesus to protect you from this temptation. 6. Practice saying the “Jesus prayer” repeatedly until it becomes a habit for you to turn to this prayer. When the impulse is strongest, say the “Jesus Prayer”. Breathe deeply and say, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God have mercy on me, a sinner.” Breathe deeply again. Keep praying this prayer until the impulse calms down. After you are calm you can say, “I renounce the spirit of lust” or other demonic spirits you feel attacking you. 7. Build good habits contrary to this sin by committing to sacrifice and prayer (I) Commit to daily prayer and some sacrifice on Fridays, remembering the passion of the Lord as the Church requires. (II) If you fall into seeing pornography again, do an act of physical penance every single time you fall—for example, fast from one meal for every fault, deprive yourself of media for 3 hours, and make reparation to your wife if you are married with an act of self-giving. 8. Meditate on the passion and death of Jesus Christ Make a practice of meditating on the passion of the Lord Jesus. Plead the precious blood of Jesus to cover all your senses daily with a formal prayer. Ask Our Lady of Sorrows to pray for you. 9. Receive Communion often even daily (I) If you are trying to live all of the above continue to receive the Eucharist, even if you fail occasionally. Always follow advice of your spiritual director. (ii) If you lapse in these practices go to confession before you receive communion 10. Build habits of self-giving to other persons leading to chastity (I) Know that the opposite of pornography is free self-giving love to “real persons” according to the plan of God. (II) Recognize that "Chastity means the successful integration of sexuality within the person." Leading to a "complete and lifelong mutual gift of a man and a woman." CCC 2337 (III) Make acts affirming and sacrificing for other people. Married men count the number of times daily you affirm your wife and create a plan of spiritual sacrifices for your wife.