Scrupulosity

a weapon of the evil one and how to avoid it Aaron Joseph Paul Hackett | Testimony | 07/27/2024

Fear, the evil one’s favorite tool

• “The beginning of the pride of man, is to fall off from God:
•  Because his heart is departed from him that made him: for pride is the beginning of all sin: he that holdeth it, shall be filled with maledictions, and it shall ruin him in the end.” Ecclesiasticus 10:14-15
• My brothers and my sisters. I’ve come with a very personal warning. Anyone can suffer with this. I have enclosed two links to tools you can use to combat this evil.
•  https://youtu.be/V5Jba8_4KMA?si=6HI6IK-lbVJRIuv6, https://youtu.be/GAiXwuAu6T0?si=-7FOevDhubz8RDH1
• https://youtu.be/9DT8RdeTbMU?si=5WZf0DK3kGx7C6aa
• https://tanbooks.com/products/books/humility-of-heart/
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• I have personally suffered with this for nine months. It is the worst feeling and the worse battle to go through. This is a weapon that the evil one will use, as a close friend of mine told me, “To lose your confidence in the mercy of God”. I do not know how it started. What I do know, is that God can heal me, and he can heal you too, if you suffer from this evil.
• Frist, from a Book called Humility of Heart, by TAN Publications written by Fr. Cajetan Mary De Bergiamo, In section 117 of the book, speak about those who suffer from scruples. “If such be the case, examine yourself, and you will find probably find the true reason for your scruples lies in your self-love, that is, in your pride”[1]I did not know that the source of this was pride. I read this book, and they have prayers, which will help you in your everyday life. The evil one is always trying to “hit us in the kneecaps” and bring us down. He will use everything at his disposal. 1 of St. Peter states, “Be sober and watch: because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, goeth about seeking whom he may devour. Whom resist ye, strong in faith: knowing that the same affliction befalls your brethren who are in the world.”[2]
• It all started with me wanted to be closer to God. Now that is a great goal. The huge mistake I made, was to do it on my own…..If you read any of the Catholic Spiritual writers, they will tell you and recommend you find a great confessor, a spiritual director. It is very important to Follow “ALL THE ADVICE TO THE LETTER” Obedience to the advice they give you, as long as it is not morally against the commandments of God or the magisterium of the Catholic Church, you must take it as if the commands are coming from God himself. Obedience is prized in the eyes of our God, because it shows and allows you to demonstrate your humility. St. Peter also states in the same Epistle “And do you all insinuate humility one to another, for God resisteth the proud, but to the humble he giveth grace.”[3]
• The enemy first reminds you of all your sins. Then when you go to confession to repent of them, he then starts telling you in your head, “Oh you weren’t clear or that you didn’t say it correctly to the Priest. Or he will start accusing you of things that are not mortal sins. You begin to have panic attacks and going to confession more and more. Believing in yourself that you must have clarity. If you listen to the talk done by Fr. Rippenger, who is an exorcist Priest, he will tell you in the video that you will never get clarity of soul, because God hides it from us, to prevent us from getting spiritual pride. You must remember that there are 3 conditions that you need in order for a sin to be mortal.
• “in evaluating a moral action (the object, intention, and circumstances), so there are three ingredients in a mortal sin: (1) “grave matter,” (2) “full knowledge,” and (3) “deliberate consent.” And the Catechism is clear that all “three conditions must together be met” (1857).[4]
• In a nutshell, you must know that it is evil, you know that it breaks the commandments of God (The ten commandments) and despite you knowing it is evil and it offends God, you do it anyways. An example of this would be stealing money from your workplace. Let’s say you know your boss has a jar of money in his office. He normally keeps anywhere from $500 to $1000 dollars. You know that it is wrong to steal. (Based on the natural law that is written in our hearts and the natural law that is written in to govern society. The seventh Commandment of God states, “Thou shall not steal” You tell yourself “Well I want to buy xyz with this money and he makes lots of money anyways. He won’t notice that it is missing. You just committed a mortal sin.
• His main goal here is to drive you to despair. Because if you truly feel that you cannot get rid of your sinful life, then there’s no hope for you! You might as well just go straight to hell.
• I will copy and paste Holy Scripture from the Bible. I pray for these every day. I personally suggest, because I’m doing it now, is to ask God to increase my faith, hope love and confidence in him. If you feel like you are lacking in faith, then no better than to beg for grace to increase it. This has not been easy. Please watch the videos linked to YouTube. I know I’m not the only one in the world who suffers from this.

Psalms 26-The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the protector of my life: of whom shall I be afraid?

² Whilst the wicked draw near against me, to eat my flesh. My enemies that trouble me, have themselves been weakened, and have fallen.

³ If armies in camp should stand together against me, my heart shall not fear. If a battle should rise up against me, in this will I be confident.

⁴ One thing I have asked of the Lord, this will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. That I may see the delight of the Lord, and may visit his temple.

⁵ For he hath hidden me in his tabernacle; in the day of evils, he hath protected me in the secret place of his tabernacle.

⁶ He hath exalted me upon a rock: and now he hath lifted up my head above my enemies. I have gone round, and have offered up in his tabernacle a sacrifice of jubilation: I will sing, and recite a psalm to the Lord.

⁷ Hear, O Lord, my voice, with which I have cried to thee: have mercy on me and hear me.

⁸ My heart hath said to thee: My face hath sought thee: thy face, O Lord, will I still seek.

⁹ Turn not away thy face from me; decline not in thy wrath from thy servant. Be thou my helper, forsake me not; do not thou despise me, O God my Saviour.

¹⁰ For my father and my mother have left me: but the Lord hath taken me up.

¹¹ Set me, O Lord, a law in thy way, and guide me in the right path, because of my enemies.

¹² Deliver me not over to the will of them that trouble me; for unjust witnesses have risen up against me; and iniquity hath lied to itself.

¹³ I believe to see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.

¹⁴ Expect the Lord, do manfully, and let thy heart take courage, and wait thou for the Lord.

Psalms 90-He that dwelleth in the aid of the most High, shall abide under the protection of the God of Jacob.

² He shall say to the Lord: Thou art my protector, and my refuge: my God, in him will I trust.

³ For he hath delivered me from the snare of the hunters: and from the sharp word.

⁴ He will overshadow thee with his shoulders: and under his wings thou shalt trust.

⁵ His truth shall compass thee with a shield: thou shalt not be afraid of the terror of the night.

⁶ Of the arrow that flieth in the day, of the business that walketh about in the dark: of invasion, or of the noonday devil.

⁷ A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand: but it shall not come nigh thee.

⁸ But thou shalt consider with thy eyes: and shalt see the reward of the wicked.

⁹ Because thou, O Lord, art my hope: thou hast made the most High thy refuge.

¹⁰ There shall no evil come to thee: nor shall the scourge come near thy dwelling.

¹¹ For he hath given his angels charge over thee; to keep thee in all thy ways.

¹² In their hands they shall bear thee up: lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

¹³ Thou shalt walk upon the asp and the basilisk: and thou shalt trample under foot the lion and the dragon.

¹⁴ Because he hoped in me I will deliver him: I will protect him because he hath known my name.

¹⁵ He shall cry to me, and I will hear him: I am with him in tribulation, I will deliver him, and I will glorify him.

¹⁶ I will fill him with length of days; and I will shew him my salvation.

Brothers and sisters, please continue to pray for each other and please keep me in your prayers. Jesus himself said that in Luke 9 verse 23-24 “And he said to all: If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life, shall lose it; for he that shall lose his life for my sake, shall save it.”

God bless you all,

Aaron Joseph Paul Hackett

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[1] Section 117 of Humility of Heart, TAN Publications

[2] 1 Peter Chapter 5 verse 8-9

[3] 1 Peter Chapter 5 Verse 5

[4] https://www.catholic.com/magazine/online-edition/how-do-i-know-if-its-a-mortal-sin