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Michael Blissenbach's avatar

I’m profoundly grateful for your friendship and for your witness to Christ, Ray. And you don’t have to battle these temptations that you struggle with alone. Jesus, Mary, the saints, and your brothers and sisters in Christ all love you and will help you carry your cross.

That’s one reason why having those close male Catholic friends whom you spend time with in person is so important. Every Frodo Baggins needs at least one Samwise Gamgee in his life.

So as you prepare to enter into full communion with Holy Mother Church, I strongly encourage you to build those friendships with good, virtuous, kind Catholic guys who live in your area and whom you can spend time with in person. I’m sure there are even a few who have similar interests and hobbies to you. And remember, it will take time to find those friends and build up those close friendships, so don’t feel discouraged if it takes longer than you expect to find your band of brothers.

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John Gillen's avatar

Congratulations Ray. Addiction regardless of the type is so difficult because while the temptation may subside it never goes away. I have fought one, although not as serious nor physically as damaging but still spiritually wrong. About 20 years ago I was listening to Father Larry Richard on Catholic radio and was talking generally about addictive sin. He said “ Why do you want to keep hurting Jesus if you love him” and then he said “Jesus doesn’t want you to be nice he wants you to be holy!”. I had excused my issue for so many years because I kept telling myself that I was nice. His words knocked me over and I stopped immediately. The temptation is still there but I just hear those words again, He wants you to be holy. It has carried over into the rest of my life and sustains me especially when so many around me have fallen away from the church and adopted so many of the current progressive ideology. They all consider themselves “nice”. If you are truly Holy you can’t help to nice but it doesn’t go the other direction.

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