10 year's freedom from pmo - my Catholic method

The problem is that in case of sacraments some or many receive them without a necessary faith or without being aware of the presence of Jesus in them. This leads to valid receiving the sacraments but they (Jesus in them ) cannot work in such a believer or His work is not optimal.
That it's not only my personal beliefs I can quote below some passages from the document 'THE RECIPROCITY BETWEEN FAITH AND SACRAMENTS
IN THE SACRAMENTAL ECONOMY' published on the official Vatican page https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/..._20200303_reciprocita-fede-sacramenti_en.html

' The fruitful reception of Holy Communion presupposes not only faith in the real presence of Christ in the sacramental species, but also the will to maintain the bond of union with Christ and with His members '

My comment - How to maintain the bond of union with Christ without prayer? And to pray it's necessary to be aware of the presence of God. Beside of this in all sacraments there is some prayer - for instance the mass.

' it is not possible to receive the effects of sacramental grace (fruitfulness ) conveyed by sacramental signs without entering into the world that these sacramental signs express. Faith is the key that opens the door to that world which makes sacramental realities truly become signs that signify and efficaciously cause divine grace.

' in faith we recognize that the Eucharist constitutes the most intense way of Christ’s presence among us, since it is a real, corporal, and substantial presence.'

' the sacraments make possible today, by the Spirit, a personal relationship with the Lord '

My comment - how possible is this personal relationship without being aware Who is in this sacrament? Who am I receiving?

'effective sacraments without faith would mean either: a mere causal mechanism (or) a kind of magical action that is foreign to the Christian faith '

'The deepest encounters between human persons are always interpersonal. The encounter with God participates in this nature: it is a personal encounter with the Trinitarian God who makes Himself present in Scripture, in the Church, and in the sacramental signs.'

My comment - how can I personally encounter, meet God in sacrament without being aware Who am I meeting?

' Sacramentality implies personal communication and communion between God and the believer through the Church and sacramental mediations.'

To know it (because of reading about it or hearing ) is not the same as being aware of it during adoration or prayer or mass etc. And when we aren't aware of it then this knowledge doesn't help our faith (doesn't help us to be open to God and His graces).

It depends how we understand the words 'uniquely feel'. In a positive meaning it's of course true - the life of faith is different, unique for each man.
But in a negative meaning I can understand it that every man can believe or don't believe in some articles of faith or every man can interpret some passages of the Bible or some official teachings of the church in his own manner. And this attitude is false, leading either to a schism, heresy or to something which I can call 'I believe but my faith and practices don't help me in my real life (God doesn't help me in my real life)'
This I see too often on the forum. So many believers here but only a few rescued by God from PMO sin.
Why a few only?
I can err but I believe it's because the vast majority of the believers have their own, 'unique' (in the negative sense) beliefs and / or practices. In such a way I understand it and I'm (personally) sure it's true.

 

Many years ago I finished reading the Bible. I read only one column a day (OT and then NT) from the beginning to the end. It took a few years. Then I realised that something lacks. In the Bible there weren't the teachings about sacraments for example. So I knew almost nothing about them beside the teaching in religious lessons I attended in my school years. But it was only some knowledge for children mostly.
Is it important at all? Yes, it is because how could I receive the sacramental graces when I didn't know sufficiently what sacraments mean, what is important to prepare for them, what I must avoid so that they can be fruitful. The same with mass. About mass there is almost nothing in the Bible and every week I go to mass. And I wondered in my years of active PMO addiction - why mass didn't work? Why sacraments of reconciliation and Communion didn't work? Why prayer didn't work?
Reading Catechism of RCC and at the same time other doctrinal sources like treatises and other material about prayer, mass, about how God gives graces and the details about them - these all led me to the freedom from PMO because I noticed how many basic mistakes I had done for so many years. And all the knowledge was only partly in the Bible and even if it was there, I could interpret the Bible passages in many ways not knowing what is the right Catholic interpretation.
The Catholic theology is for me the truth. And it happened what Jesus promised - Get to know the truth and the truth will set you free. First I got it to know then I implemented it and now I'm free.
The vast majority of Catholics don't know even the basic theology of the Church and how can they use the means of salvation (from addictions including) when they even don't have the sufficient knowledge. Another problem is to implement the knowledge in life but how can you implement something what you don't know good enough?
before you got your driving licence you had to get to know a lot then some implementation during the course and now you drive safely. And what with flying a plane? Could you do this without sufficient knowledge and practical flying with an instructor?

And then Catholics complain - my faith doesn't work. I go meditating zen or to yoga classes.... maybe this will save me from stress, sadness, addiction ...

 

Traditions of the church (meant as teachings of church fathers, councils, synods, Catechism) mostly base on the Bible. That means if something is explained how the church understands something then there are added some passages from the Bible mostly. It's especially when we read catechism of RCC. The official teaching (tradition of RCC) are mostly commentaries on how to understand the Bible excerpts. Sometimes the official teaching only very loosely is based on the Bible but it seems a minority case.
If I had a choice once again I wouldn't have read the whole Bible at first but rather the Catechism of RCC and other (official) sources from Tradition. I could have had more practical knowledge much sooner to use in my daily life. So I think my biggest problems could have been solved earlier.

 

How to be saved from PMO according to saint Basil the Great (AD 379)

Luke 2.29 - 30: ' Then he (Simeon) took him (the child Jesus) up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,Lord, now let your servant depart in peace, according to your word:For my eyes have seen your salvation '

The saint's commentary to Luke 2.29 - 30:
' Now, it is a custom in Scripture to call the Christ of God, salvation, as Simeon says: “Now let your servant depart in peace, O Lord, because my eyes have seen your salvation.” Therefore let us subject ourselves to God, because from him is salvation. He explains what salvation is. It is not some mere active force, which provides us with a certain grace for deliverance from weakness and for the good health of our body. What then is salvation? “For he is my God and my Savior: he is my protector, I shall be moved no more.” The Son, who is from God, is our God. He himself is also Savior of the human race, who supports our weakness, who corrects the disturbance that springs up in our souls from temptations.'


How do I understand the saint's commentary in context of PMO

What is salvation according to the saint?
Salvation is first of all the Christ, the Savior.
What can the Savior (salvation) do for us?
The Savior (salvation) can help us in our weakness.
What is our weakness?
bad habits, a weak will, addictions, PMO ...
What can the Savior (salvation) do for us either?
He can correct the disturbance which comes from temptations.
What is the disturbance?
All the bad, sinful actions and thoughts, emotions, imagination, PMO which occur when we give in the temptations.
What does it mean that He can correct the disturbance?
It means He can save us (set us free) from PMO and other disturbances.
What do we have to do so that He can save us (set us free) from PMO and other disturbances?
1. We have to subject ourselves to God, because from Him is the salvation.
What does it mean to subject oneself to God practically?
To try honestly to live how God's Word and the church (her teaching) teach.
What's more do we have to do so that He can save us (set us free) from PMO and other disturbances?
To depart in peace (like Simeon) our eyes have to see our salvation = our Saviour.
What does it mean to depart in peace?
It means that you don't feel forced to do PMO and you don't do it.
What is the direct way, method leading to the peace?
Our eyes have to see our Saviour = Jesus.
What does it mean practically? Only few saints could see Jesus. I'm not one of them.

The answer is: You really mean you can't see Jesus?
What's wrong with your faith? Do you believe that Jesus is the Host during the mass or during the adoration of the most holy Sacrament?
And if you pray. You really don't believe that you are in the presence of Jesus?

Provided you believe you can see Jesus through faith in:
1. Prayer if you try to be aware of His presence all the prayer time.
2. during Adoration - provided you spend some time on Adoration trying to be aware of His presence all the time. You can even see Him with your eyes watching the Host (Jesus).
3. during the mass because the mass includes the combination the two points above plus taking the Host not only you can see Him but additionally you can eat (receive) Him in real.

If you see the Lord through faith (look at the 3 points above) you will be set free from PMO and you'll depart in peace.
How long will the process take? Years?
It all depends on how often and for how long will you decide to see Jesus during a day. It can take years if you are very inconsequent.
It can take some days or weeks if you are highly consequent seeing Him in every PMO temptation and temptations and bad thoughts, memories, fears etc.
In my case it took one or two week but I was extremely consequent in seeing Jesus. And after those 2 weeks I have seen Jesus as many times and as long as I feel that I can stay sober without too much effort.

Many will say - but I don't have enough faith to believe that I see Jesus in prayer, Adoration or the mass.
If you have not enough faith then pray for faith as long as you feel you have enough of it.
And you can ask too - I have so little faith that it would be need to pray for it hundreds of times a day, it's too tiring, boring not doable.
My answer - but you have the time to imagine naked women, sex acts hundreds of times during a day, especially in PMO sessions (then it's sometimes thousands of times a day).

So the choice is yours. To see Jesus hundreds of times or porn, imaginations.

Many will say - This way (to be set free from PMO) is too hard. Too much, too long and too often prayer. I'll go and seek another lighter way.

Then go and seek. The choice is yours. But you won't find a lighter way because this way is the lightest. I've already been in the business of the seeking for 3 decades or more. And you are right - there is one lighter way - an instant healing by Jesus. But the problem is that it's very rare, so rare that I have never heard, read about it excluding one case which took place roughly 500 hundreds years ago - it was a saint. I don't remember his name.
And what is an additional problem with an instant healing from PMO by Jesus?
Many believers think and hope that Jesus can heal them instantly. Why? Because their effort could be only limited. Some prayers, one mass with a priest who can 'make miracles' or a week or more of some special prayers, one fast or three - and mission accomplished. The miracle is taking place and I can live like I have lived until now but without PMO. That's why Jesus, knowing this better than we do, doesn't use an instant healing usually because He wants us to change all our life but not only one fragment of it. He wants us holy and to become holy we have to make regular honest efforts until our death.

 

Yes, that's right. What I meant that Catholic Tradition is based on the Bible was not that the Bible was first. I rather wanted to hint that the Tradition is not separate from the Bible.
It's because I think Protestants want to prove that Catholic Tradition are some ideas which are totally non biblical. But if we read Cathechism of RCC or other doctrinal documents then we notice that there are many verses or passages taken from the Bible which say about some teaching in Tradition.
Of course not all content of Tradition we can trace in the Bible but I think in most cases we can find it.
Beside of this if a Protestant tells me - this and this is totally unbiblical, for example the role and significance of Mary then I tell him - give me at least one verse from the Bible telling that all we should believe and practice must be said in the Bible. They never tell me such a verse which proves that so called Sola Scriptura is totally unbiblical. And it contradicts their basic belief.
So there is no need for Catholics or another apostolic churches to find and show something Protestants in the Bible which would prove them that it's trustworthy. It's rather a must for Protestants to show to Catholics that all Tradition must be in the Bible and if there is not the case then Tradition could be rejected. But they will never find even a verse about it.

 

Protestant faith is based in 70% (my opinion taken from my experience) on denigrating Catholic Church. Both in theory (theology) and in practice (Protestant evangelisation). That's why whenever they say - that must be in the Bible or that isn't in the Bible, we Catholics should tell them - If you believe only in what is said in the Bible then tell me where is this in the Bible that we have to believe only in something what there is written. Then the honest ones have the opportunity to discern that their most important and decisive tenit of faith is based on nothing but unbiblical interpretation of Luter. If some groups of people have been trying to undermine and destroy the Church for 500 years then tell me - does their mission come from God?

It won't work because they'll tell you - you are a good man unfortunately led by false prophets (priests) who have taught you man's tradition and who don't follow the word of God (the Bible).
When you read the church fathers then you can see that many of them fought in writting and oral word with various heresies of those ancient times. The church fathers were saints so they not only defended the Church with their words.

Yes, but what will the witness answer to a Protestant telling - You are a (very) good man but what you say is not in the Bible so I can't believe you.

 

Indeed Sola Scriptura principle is a heresy which come all other untrue or distorted beliefs from, though I'm not an enemy of individual Protestant believers either. I'm an enemy of Protestant theology rather because I can see distinctly how much they lose not believing and practising all they could (in the matters of getting rid of PMO too). Their zeal is wasted to some (sometimes significant) degree.
Personally I think it's impossible to convert a Protestant unless he is confronted with the biggest lie in their faith that all must be in the Bible. Many of them don't even know that nowhere God said about it. They are misled by being silent about it. Their teachers say over and over as a mantra Sola Scriptura , Sola Scriptura , Sola Scriptura , Is that in the Bible?, Is that in the Bible?, Is that in the Bible? ... That's not in the Bible, That's not in the Bible, That's not in the Bible, ..... That's (un)biblical , That's (un)biblical , That's (un)biblical , That's (un)biblical , That's (un)biblical , That's (un)biblical , That's (un)biblical , That's (un)biblical , That's (un)biblical , .....
So the individuals think it's God's will they should believe and practise only what is supported by the Bible and that Sola Scriptura is evident and supported by the Bible many times but it's a basic fraud kept in silence...

 

But what would be the source of this emotion? If it's only being kind towards another person then equal chances have many sects to 'convert' a Catholic. For example Jehova's Witnesses are very kind, loving and even inclined to help a Catholic (at the beginning). Hare Krishna sect can bomb you with 'love' (at the beginning).
But yes, you're right. For the majority of common Protestants may not work logic and theology debates. Why I did think so? It's because I only used to talk with so called conscious Protestants (well read and well prepared to destroy Catholic dogmas). The worst of them (in persuading that Catholic Church is pure evil) are former Catholics who 'converted' as adults. And these conscious (well knowing Protestant theology) can't be converted by simply being kind and loving. Provided they are honest but not fanatical they could notice that no verse says about Sola Scriptura. All other theology mistakes come from rejecting the Church teaching and accepting Sola Scriptura as the only source of faith.
Maybe to convert a 'common' Protestant what is needed is us living according to faith (to the degree of being a saint) plus prayer and sacrifice for them. In case of the 'conscious' ones what may work it seems to be a miracle. For example a Lutheran priest converted because he couldn't expel a demon from a possessed Protestant believer and came with him to a Catholic exorcist and only his exorcism succeeded.

You may be right here. I think because women have little or no inclination to theology. But men are another case - they like immersing in faith debates. That's why politicians who want to win women's votes and support dress themselves very well, have utterly clean new fashionable shoes, shaved faces ... and they embrace little children in their arms (the known photos of Hitler and Stalin) or .... they present women with beautiful bunches of flowers (the case of Mr Putin).

Yes, and He used miracles to influence their emotions. But are we able to use miracles?

 

You're right, she is unique. I thought about average women. And they aren't interested either in politics or theology. And if someone isn't interested in something they have little or no knowledge about it.
I don't say women are inferior but I see distinctly that women and men have mostly different interests. They simply are different. Which doesn't mean that there aren't women who are excellent and better than the majority of men in politics, theology, sport, science etc. but once again IMO they are unique and it's not common. I'm not and won't be a supporter of feminism telling that there are almost no differences between the two sexes. Some things are done better by average women (teachers, work as a parent ...) and some are better done by average men ( soldiers, sportspersons ...).

 

Good point. This can be told to them. They treat the Bible as if it would be direct expressions of God. As if God had written the Old Testament with His finger and as if Jesus had been a writer completing the New Testament. If Jesus wanted to leave His words without any representatives He would have written some books with long detailed commentaries in order to prevent all the possible disagreements among believers in future. He wouldn't have established a church because only His books but no men would be His representatives.
But why Jesus hasn't written any book although He could? It's because He entrusted all His legacy to the Church. But tell Protestants about this and they'll answer - Sola Scriptura!

And we have results of this attitude. When did you hear in church you go to a priest saying that lgbt is sinful or that abortion is a murder or when did you hear a Christian telling about it? Attention - youtube videos or books don't count. When did you ( unpersonally you) hear about this in public, said by a Christian in presence of believers?