Scrupulosity is a spiritual disease that causes you to have an excessive fear of sin. You may think you’ve sinned when you really haven’t or you may go through life paralyzed with anxiety about the possibility of committing sin.
Scrupulosity is a trap set by the devil to weaken your trust in God and — ultimately — lead you to despair of the possibility of your salvation.
Many devout Catholics are susceptible to scrupulosity. Here are a few ways to overcome it.
1. Practice radical abandonment to the mercy of God
Fact: God loves you and is actively working to lead you to heaven to be with Him forever! And He knows that you’re going to trip sometimes along the way. But He’s always ready to forgive you and give you His grace, so long as you don’t run away from Him out of shame, fear, or spite.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by scrupulosity, focus your gaze on Jesus and His merciful heart. Recite a prayer of trust, such as this one given to St. Faustina by our Lord Himself, “O blood and water, which gushed forth from the heart of Jesus as a fountain of mercy for us, I trust in You.”
Matthew 14 is a powerful Scripture passage that teaches us how to practice radical trust. In it, Jesus walks on water to a boat the Apostles are sitting in during a storm:
“But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, ‘It is a ghost!’ And they cried out for fear. But immediately he spoke to them, saying, ‘Take heart, it is I; have no fear.’ And Peter answered him, ‘Lord, if it is you, bid me come to you on the water.’ He said, ‘Come.’ So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus; but when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, ‘Lord, save me.’ Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, ‘O man of little faith, why did you doubt?’”
In other words, look at Jesus, not the spiritual storm engulfing you.
2. Don’t go overboard in the confessional
The Sacrament of Confession is the font of God’s mercy. Yet many scrupulous Catholics fear the sacrament because they think it requires more of them than it really does. In confession, you are required to list at least your mortal sins and make a firm resolution to amend your life.
