Lenten Retreat, Day 9: Overcome Scruples and Guilt

We begin with the sign of the cross, In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Examine your conscience and feel sorry for your sins. (Take a few minutes. In silence, remember and feel sorry for your sins, and think of ways you will amend your life.)

Pray the Act of Contrition.

During Lent, we focus on doing good and avoiding evil. However, sometimes when we try to be perfect in our spiritual life, we tend to become anxious, guilty, and develop scrupulosity. Many people suffer from scruples. Even some saints suffered from it.

One might ask, ‘What are scruples?’ Scruples are distressing thought patterns, more like anxiety and guilt, especially, relating to moral and religious issues. It is a preoccupation and obsession about one’s sin, which leads to oppression and a sense of guilt, that never washes away, even when the person has been to confession. A person, suffering from scruples, is introspective about sin, and may feel guilty over sin, that are imaginary or constantly seek clarity on actual sins.

Some theologians think that to overcome scruples, we must lose the consciousness of sin. In that way, they think people won’t be tormented by scruples. However, this is wrong, because when we lose the consciousness of sin, we fail to repent of our sins, and this will only make sin to increase and people to lose their salvation. Isn’t this what satan wants?

God allowed many saints to be tormented by scruples, which led to their sanctification. I am not suggesting that scruples are a good thing, however, there are good ways of overcoming scruples. Perfectionism can cause one to be scrupulous. This is one of the defects that many saints had, and they suffered from scrupulosity, because of their desire to be perfect. It is God’s will that we are perfect in all our ways. However, the perfectionism that God desires from us comes only when we depend entirely on God. God allowed the saints to suffer scrupulosity because they were aiming at perfection, through their own abilities, such as mortification and good works. However, through their suffering they learnt obedience and were delivered from their scruples.

Scrupulosity arises from an inward disposition of the mind, when one is obsessed about sin, and relies completely on self knowledge and reasoning, to evaluate one’s state of sanctity. The standards the scrupulous set are so high that they can never be achieved, and therefore, they are constantly tormented, finding no peace or relief from this condition. How can one be delivered from this condition? One requires developing trust in Jesus Christ and complete surrender to the will of God to overcome scruples. Grace helps one to overcome scruples, but grace comes from humility and obedience to God’s word.

The scrupulous are usually disobedient and set in their own ways. Humility constantly seeks to do things God’s way. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9).

To overcome scruples, one must completely rely on God’s mercy and receive it. “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 18:3). We must let go and let God. One must let go of one’s evaluation of oneself and let God cleanse us. We cannot wash away our sins, only Jesus Christ can. Therefore, confess your sins and believe in His great mercy and receive His graces. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death (Romans 8:1-2).

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end, Amen.