A Sunday Thought to Start the Week Off Right
Continuing our Sunday series about the Sacrament of Confession, we've seen that we can seek forgiveness of our sins in many ways outside of Sacramental Confession. To be clear, this includes both venial and mortal sins. It's reassuring to know that we don't have to wait until we can get to Confession to ask God's forgiveness and to be actually forgiven, right then and there, assuming we recognize our sin, sincerely express our sorrow, and have a serious intention to amend our lives. Of course, it won't do if we're just looking for instant relief from feelings of guilt and then just go about our sinning ways again. That would be presumptuous of God's mercy, wouldn't it?
Let's also recognize that it would also be presumptuous of God's mercy if, seeking immediate forgiveness of our sins, we were to somehow lump venial and mortal sins together: Our ability to seek and find forgiveness before we're able to get to the confessional must not, in any way, minimize the seriousness of mortal sin. Let's let now defer to Father Alfred Wilson for a more detailed review and analysis:
“In human friendship there are certain faults which, much as they may regret them, friends are nevertheless prepared to tolerate, and there are other faults incompatible with friendship which destroy it at once. Exactly the same holds good with the Divine Friendship. Mortal sin is an offense against God’s law which ‘destroys divine friendship, robs man of sanctifying grace and the right to eternal happiness, and so kills the spiritual life of the soul. Venial sin is an offense against God which does not destroy Divine Friendship but leaves grace and the right to eternal happiness substantially intact, does not imply complete aversion from God, and is more easily pardoned than mortal sin.’ (Fr. Davis) Mortal sin implies the practical preference of some created good to the friendship of God by breaking His law in a serious matter and defying His sanction of eternal damnation. To prefer the creature to the Creator (and the mortal sinner does this since he knows that he cannot have the two together and that it is therefore a question of either – or) is a supreme defiance of God which makes farcical any profession of friendship with Him.
“It is immediately obvious to common sense that certain sins are, of their nature, serious; e.g., murder, suicide, adultery, robbery with violence; and that other sins, e.g. white lies, are not serious. In between the obviously serious and the obviously not-serious sins, there are other sins whose gravity it would sometimes be impossible to decide without the help of revelation and God’s infallible Church.”
It should be eminently clear that the ability to discern whether whether we have committed a mortal or venial sin should be important to us. Elsewhere, Father tells us that any serious Catholic will know when he has committed a mortal vs. a venial sin. It shouldn't require a process of intense self-reflection or scrutiny. Nevertheless, here he provides a detailed breakdown of how we judge a sin to be mortal or venial.
“In discussing the gravity of sins we must bear in mind: 1. The importance of the law, and 2. The willfulness of the offence. A venial sin cannot destroy God’s friendship, no matter how deliberate it is. On the other hand, even a serious offence will not destroy God’s friendship unless it is committed with full deliberation. Before a sin can be mortal there must be: 1. Serious matter, i.e., question of an important law. 2. Full advertence of the mind to the gravity of this matter; i.e., we must know and recollect its gravity at the time of acting; and 3. Full consent of the will in the act of the sinning; e.g. if we were hustled by spontaneous and indeliberate passion into acting before we had had time for sufficient deliberation, there would be no mortal sin. If any of these conditions is not verified, the sin is not mortal. It is important that these distinction should be understood."
"Theologians distinguish three main grades of sins: 1. Sins which are, of their nature, light; e.g., lies. A lie is never a serious sin unless it involves serious uncharity or injustice. 2. Sins of their entire nature grave; e.g. murder, impurity. 3. Sins which may be mortal or venial according to the gravity or levity of the matter; e.g., uncharity, injustice, immodesty, gluttony, drunkenness, pride. If a sin is of its nature light, only a false conscience can ever make it serious. If a sin is, of its nature, grave, only incomplete willfulness, due to imperfect advertence or only partial consent, can make it venial.”
I found this breakdown helpful in sharpening my Catholic sensibility. If called upon to explain this to others, Father's words provide a good base of knowledge on which to draw. But even though I do try to practice my Faith seriously, there still can be times when I'm a bit unsure of the the gravity of a sin. So Father's words here expanded my understanding of how I might make a proper assessment in those cases where I'm not sure.
I hope you've benefited from our series on the Sacrament of Confession, highlighted with passages from the pen of Father Wilson. Maybe they've helped you more freely and consistently examine your conscience briefly each day. Ideally you've developed the habit of asking God to forgive for your sins right away, rather than thinking you have to wait until you can get to Confession. For those of us who've struggled a bit with the anxiety that can accompany this great Sacrament of Reconciliation with Our Lord, perhaps our preparation for and time in the Confessional will flow free and easy, no longer cramped by worry or stress.
Enjoy your Sunday respite. Perhaps you can check in during the week for our regular posts.
Let's also recognize that it would also be presumptuous of God's mercy if, seeking immediate forgiveness of our sins, we were to somehow lump venial and mortal sins together: Our ability to seek and find forgiveness before we're able to get to the confessional must not, in any way, minimize the seriousness of mortal sin. Let's let now defer to Father Alfred Wilson for a more detailed review and analysis:
“In human friendship there are certain faults which, much as they may regret them, friends are nevertheless prepared to tolerate, and there are other faults incompatible with friendship which destroy it at once. Exactly the same holds good with the Divine Friendship. Mortal sin is an offense against God’s law which ‘destroys divine friendship, robs man of sanctifying grace and the right to eternal happiness, and so kills the spiritual life of the soul. Venial sin is an offense against God which does not destroy Divine Friendship but leaves grace and the right to eternal happiness substantially intact, does not imply complete aversion from God, and is more easily pardoned than mortal sin.’ (Fr. Davis) Mortal sin implies the practical preference of some created good to the friendship of God by breaking His law in a serious matter and defying His sanction of eternal damnation. To prefer the creature to the Creator (and the mortal sinner does this since he knows that he cannot have the two together and that it is therefore a question of either – or) is a supreme defiance of God which makes farcical any profession of friendship with Him.
“It is immediately obvious to common sense that certain sins are, of their nature, serious; e.g., murder, suicide, adultery, robbery with violence; and that other sins, e.g. white lies, are not serious. In between the obviously serious and the obviously not-serious sins, there are other sins whose gravity it would sometimes be impossible to decide without the help of revelation and God’s infallible Church.”
It should be eminently clear that the ability to discern whether whether we have committed a mortal or venial sin should be important to us. Elsewhere, Father tells us that any serious Catholic will know when he has committed a mortal vs. a venial sin. It shouldn't require a process of intense self-reflection or scrutiny. Nevertheless, here he provides a detailed breakdown of how we judge a sin to be mortal or venial.
“In discussing the gravity of sins we must bear in mind: 1. The importance of the law, and 2. The willfulness of the offence. A venial sin cannot destroy God’s friendship, no matter how deliberate it is. On the other hand, even a serious offence will not destroy God’s friendship unless it is committed with full deliberation. Before a sin can be mortal there must be: 1. Serious matter, i.e., question of an important law. 2. Full advertence of the mind to the gravity of this matter; i.e., we must know and recollect its gravity at the time of acting; and 3. Full consent of the will in the act of the sinning; e.g. if we were hustled by spontaneous and indeliberate passion into acting before we had had time for sufficient deliberation, there would be no mortal sin. If any of these conditions is not verified, the sin is not mortal. It is important that these distinction should be understood."
"Theologians distinguish three main grades of sins: 1. Sins which are, of their nature, light; e.g., lies. A lie is never a serious sin unless it involves serious uncharity or injustice. 2. Sins of their entire nature grave; e.g. murder, impurity. 3. Sins which may be mortal or venial according to the gravity or levity of the matter; e.g., uncharity, injustice, immodesty, gluttony, drunkenness, pride. If a sin is of its nature light, only a false conscience can ever make it serious. If a sin is, of its nature, grave, only incomplete willfulness, due to imperfect advertence or only partial consent, can make it venial.”
I found this breakdown helpful in sharpening my Catholic sensibility. If called upon to explain this to others, Father's words provide a good base of knowledge on which to draw. But even though I do try to practice my Faith seriously, there still can be times when I'm a bit unsure of the the gravity of a sin. So Father's words here expanded my understanding of how I might make a proper assessment in those cases where I'm not sure.
I hope you've benefited from our series on the Sacrament of Confession, highlighted with passages from the pen of Father Wilson. Maybe they've helped you more freely and consistently examine your conscience briefly each day. Ideally you've developed the habit of asking God to forgive for your sins right away, rather than thinking you have to wait until you can get to Confession. For those of us who've struggled a bit with the anxiety that can accompany this great Sacrament of Reconciliation with Our Lord, perhaps our preparation for and time in the Confessional will flow free and easy, no longer cramped by worry or stress.
Enjoy your Sunday respite. Perhaps you can check in during the week for our regular posts.
Happy Sunday!
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