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SeaStar
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| Posted: Feb 12 2010 at 8:17pm | IP Logged
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Oh, dear...
All week my ds (7) has been off and on distraught over a mysterious topic.
Tonight he finally told me tearfully that he thinks he has blasphemed the Holy Spirit and doesn't know if he can ever be forgiven  .
Further inquiry revealed that he said (once- though unclear when this was), that the Holy Spirit was silly, and now the words are stuck in his head.
Argh.... I think I did once read the Gospel passage to my dc about Jesus saying the one sin that is the very worst and unpardonable is blaspheming the Spirit.
I tried to reassure him that God will always forgive our sins if we are truly sorry, and I told him to say over and over (in his head) "Jesus I trust in you" to ward off unwanted thoughts.
Tonight I am trying to research and understand better what Jesus meant when he said those words. I believe (and could be very wrong here) that he said the words to a group of Pharisees who saw him perform a miracle and said it was satan who really did it. One source I read said that we could never blaspheme the Holy Spirit in that same way because Jesus is not on earth performing miracles in the same way he was then; we can't "see him" and deny the Spirit in the way the Pharisees did. But this was not a Catholic source, and I was wondering if anyone here could shed more light on the matter....
or offer advice for explaining it to a distraught 7 yo. Our priest is currently out of the country or I would just plan to take ds to talk to him tomorrow during the confession hour.
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: Feb 12 2010 at 8:21pm | IP Logged
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Off the top of my head.. the only thing I can suggest that might help is to consider what is needed for anything to be a sin.. like you have to know what you're doing is a sin and do it anyway.. I'm lousing this up.. I hope you get it.. I was sitting here trying to be awake enough to cook dinner.. as soon as the jello makers are out of the way.. so I'm a little fuzzy headed.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
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Maddie
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| Posted: Feb 12 2010 at 8:22pm | IP Logged
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no help here, just offering an Our Father for such a sweet, tender hearted boy who Jesus must be so pleased with. 
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~Maddie~
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: Feb 12 2010 at 8:26pm | IP Logged
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ok remembered where I could read it.
for a Mortal sin to be a Mortal sin..
1) serious matter
2) sufficient reflection
3) full consent of the will
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Jodie, wife to Dave
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Michaela
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| Posted: Feb 12 2010 at 8:43pm | IP Logged
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Melinda,
I heard a priest (I think it was Fr. Pacwa of EWTN) say that Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is the sin of despair -- not believing God can help you...there is no hope...no forgiveness for something they have done...not believing in God's mercy...along those lines.
Reading CCC1864
"Whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin" Mark 3:29, Mt 12:32, Lk 12:10
There are no limits to the mercy of God, but anyone who deliberately refuses to accept her mercy by repenting, rejects the forgiveness of his sins and the salvation offered by the Holy Spirit. Such hardness of the heart can lead to final impenitence and eternal loss.
Also reference
CCC982 There is NO offense, however serious, that the Church cannot forgive. "There is no one, however wicked and guilty, who may not confidently hope for forgiveness, provided his repentance is honest." Christ died for all men desires that in his Church the gates of forgiveness should always be open to anyone who turns away from sin. Mt 18:21-22
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Michaela
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JennGM
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| Posted: Feb 12 2010 at 11:05pm | IP Logged
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The other day we were reading the St. Joseph Baltimore Catechism and I thought these words were very comforting:
"Children do not often commit mortal sin.
God protects them in a special way.
But big people sometimes commit mortal sin.
Even big boys and girls do sometimes.
We must hate mortal sin."
but like Jodie said, the matter must be seriously wrong, intend to it, and then commit it.
Saying the HOly Spirit is silly isn't seriously wrong.
Praying you'll find the words to explain to him. We treat with reverence, in both words in action, things of Faith, and he shouldn't say things like that, but it's not the same as blasphemy.
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Jennifer G. Miller
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SeaStar
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| Posted: Feb 13 2010 at 11:36am | IP Logged
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Thank you all for your help. Jenn, I realize now that it was the ST. Joseph Catechism that brought this up in the first place. We were discussing what a mortal sin might be, and I was inspired to read the passage about the Holy Spirit.
I will go back now and reread that part of the catechism with my ds and try to help him see the difference. He is a tough one- I don't understand how the boy who thought nothing of pulling his sister's hair yesterday afternoon and making her cry can be the same boy was weeping at bedtime over crimes against the Holy Spirit...
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
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MichelleW
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| Posted: Feb 15 2010 at 2:21am | IP Logged
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I am just seconding Michaela. I was very worried about doing this as a child and my uncle (who is a priest) sat with me and explained that "blaspheming the Holy Spirit" means to intentionally reject God and then to despair of salvation. The reason it is unforgivable is because you are not allowing God to forgive it. You are withholding yourself, staying away from the only source of forgiveness.
Pulling your sister's hair is forgivable. I think the thing that is so scary about this particular sin is that it is so final--no forgiveness. But this could be a good thing, this could be the perfect time to introduce true contrition...(speaking as one who often pulled her sister's hair and really benefitted from learning not only the Act of Contrition, but also how to offer reparation...).
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florasita
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| Posted: Feb 15 2010 at 6:57am | IP Logged
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oh my the poor little fellow ! He must be a very serious soul ! The Holy Spirit is often the most difficult person of the Trinty for people to come to truely have an understanding of . If some adults don't quite get the mystery , it is not unusual for a child not to get it .
Yes if he has confessed this he must have sorrow in order that he is dwelling on the issue , maybe it needs to be made more clear to him it is ok to wonder and not understand , that is not a sin to question the why . That is a normal responce to mystery . We will not always know the answer to the why question right away . What is the right responce is to go to Our Father like any child and ask Him the why . Then step back and wait for His responce . He will show us the answer when He feels we are ready to learn and receive the answer  also maybe a talk with Your child about truely accepting forgiveness . To beleive that forgiveness means we do not carry our sin around with us any more it is not there . It is over and done with . God asks us to acknowldge our sin , wish to deal with the consquences , and most of all accept His forgiveness ( love ) and belive it .
not accepting God's forgiveness is a sin because if we don't accept His love it is an insult to Him , it is lack of trust . We will indeed reamin stuck and many do contnue to carry around the guilt of sin He has already said He forgave . Belief is a whole other thing because we cannot as you know force people to beleive but with children I truely think this comes from reassurance from the parents . We all need because we are human affrimation that we are truely loved so affrim & instill in your child He is loved by God through yourself & your spouse . I know through reinforcing that affrimation is a great tool to instill belief . Perhaps a little study on the virtue of faith ( beleif ) and what this virtue is and how we can practice it would be helpful . The family virtues guide is a great book to get a deeper undertsnding of the virtues and how we can put them into practice in our daily lives .
Hope this helps a bit  and I will pray for your serious little fellow
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stellamaris
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| Posted: Feb 15 2010 at 12:07pm | IP Logged
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Melinda, this question comes up every year in RCIA. As Michaela quoted above, the Catechism teaches that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is an unforgivable sin, but that is only because it is basically persevering in opposition to God. Any sin which is repented of is forgivable. The Pharisees REFUSED to acknowledge that Jesus was the Messiah, even though they knew from the OT that He was fulfilling all of the Messianic prophesies. In fact, Nicodemus admits to this in John 3:2 when he says to Jesus: "Rabbi, we know that thou art come a teacher from God; for no man can do these signs which thou dost, unless God be with him." So they KNEW He was at the very least a prophet, and they hardened their minds and hearts against Him. This is the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit--refusing God completely. If your son is worried that he did commit this sin, it is easy to reassure him. If he had in fact committed this sin, he would not ever be worried about it. He would not care about the state of his soul, nor would he care whether he had offended God, because he would be so convinced that what he had done was right that he would never repent of it. If he is concerned about having sinned, that's a sure sign that he has not committed blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. HTH!
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Caroline
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JennGM
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Melinda, Some of this falls into scrupulosity. For a young boy who is just learning what are the mortal sins, learning to examine his conscience, he will be wondering if some of the things he does falls into these categories. If he's thinking about it later and wondering if he did, then he didn't commit a mortal sin. It must fit those three conditions.
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Jennifer G. Miller
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SeaStar
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| Posted: Feb 15 2010 at 8:18pm | IP Logged
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Since my original post, there have been a couple more times when he's come to me afraid he's committed a mortal sin. I guess that is scrupulosity at work? Thanks to all your replies I have been on much firmer ground talking him through this.
I tell you, some days you think you aren't getting anywhere, but I guess they really do listen and absorb.
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
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4Real Forums : Domestic Church
Topic: Blasphemy- help!
