"Mortal sins next to impossible to commit"

[Sword of the Lord]

A lot of Christians I know can't even recite all 10.

 

[Athanasias]

To the OP you may find this page and this book helpful. The priest in my diocese St. Louis head this up. Its for scrupulous people. You may want to purchase the book listed.
http://scrupulousanonymous.org/


http://www.liguori.org/understanding-scrupulosity.html




Another book you may want to purchase to help you learn to trust Jesus more(because scrupulosity is a spiritual disorder related to the sin of pride in relation to trust) is the book Consoling the Heart of Jesus. Its great and can help as well as solid spiritual direction by orthodox Catholic priest.

http://www.thedivinemercy.org/chj/

 

[dzheremi]

It would seem odd to me to maintain this distinction between mortal and venial sins if mortal sins are next to impossible to commit, but what do I know. Whatever your priest told you, I'm sure he can explain what he means in more detail if you ask him about it, Riley. Priests don't generally just say whatever they want to without thinking. I would think that switching priests over this would be a bit hasty, particularly if the priest who told you this is one with whom you've built up a lot of trust and have a good rapport. If I were you, I would seek clarification from him first, and then if it still strikes you as unsettling, talk to him about why. Surely it was not his intention to leave you confused.

 

[Jeshu]

I think that we have to remember that sin is first of all spiritually present in our hearts and we stand condemned in it unless we repent. For example if I hate some one, then I kill love for another person in my heart long before my hate causes me to harm this person physically in some way. Hating someone else is a mortal sin!

Say you hate someone in your heart and Jesus comes, what will happen to that hate dwelling within you? When you arrive in Heaven will you still hate your neighbour or will Jesus have cut that out of you?

Hebrews 4:12-13
For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Furthermore mortal sin can be forgiven just look at King David and the apostle Paul, both forgiven murderers - however the life they lived when they were murderers died within them and instead of bringing forth bad life they brought forth good life through Christ, this is how it ought to go in our lives as well.

So you could say that all bad/wrong/untrue life within us commits mortal sins all the time, just by being like that, and only when Christ saves us from our times with lust, greed, arrogance, human pride, cruelty, selfishness, unfaithfulness, hate, dishonesty, doubt, shame, guilt and fear (to name but a few culprits dwelling within human hearts,) can we be saved from having life in mortal sin, because none of that kind of unrighteousness dwelling in human hearts will be present where we are going. Our God is pure love and unadulterated truth, and we must be born to be like Him, nothing else can live forever.

Obviously the parable of the sheep and the goat is very spiritual and also takes place right within us.

As for being guided by our conscience I think we have to be very careful. Our conscience, though created by God, has nevertheless been shaped by all kind of worldly influences and sin and blindness dwelling within us, and cannot be trusted to tell us the truth of God's loving truth rightly. Our conscience casts shame and guilt on us when we have done something wrong but cannot set us free from the wrong we have done but rather captivates us with it. It either make us feel bad that we have done something wrong without taking the wrong away, or it hardens our heart against wrong and makes us loveless and selfish people. It is true that sometimes a person is driven to Christ by a guilty conscience, but more often than not, lost sinners are oppressed by their guilty conscience and cannot regain their freedom from it all because they give more credentials to their conscience than they do to the word of God.

Paul talks about having a clear conscience - that is transparent - like a crystal sea - and does not rule over our morals and values nor our attitudes - a clear conscience means true freedom to exist! Before sin Adam and Eve didn't have a conscience directing them either, only when we sin begins our conscience to rule it over us. It is best to heed Paul's words I reckon.

Acts 24:16
So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.

Furthermore the king who once was, now is not, but will be again - is the accuser dragon (see Revelation 12 and 17) The accuser dragon uses our guilty conscience to accuse us and keep us away from God's grace. It is much better to burn our guilt and shame on the altar of His merciful love and let Him cleanse our guilty conscience and set us free from its destructive power through the power of the cross.

So neither your priest nor your conscience ruling but God's loving truth - Jesus Christ - saves you from mortal sin dwelling within you. The bible teaches us that to love another with a sincere love and love God above all is the way away from the mortal sin in which we sinners have life and that if we do fall into sin that we have Jesus to cover us, not our (guilty) conscience, but love for God and neighbour ought to be directing and governing our lives.

1 John 2:1-11
My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.

Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.

Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.

 

[WarriorAngel]

I've been told by the priest at my college that "mortal sins are next to impossible to commit." He told me that I am "no where near" mortal sin.

Thoughts?

I tend ot go to confession once a week, sometimes, more. I have a very scrupulous conscience.

I receive the Eucharist several times (3-4) per week.

i think he wants you to chill out.
scrupulosity can turn into mortal if you do not accept God's grace and pardon..and let it continue to make you obsess over sin.

mortal sin is full knowledge of it being mortal and wanting to commit it because you know that.
not sure what you are struggling with - but the more you obsess over it - the more it tempts you - the more guilt it causes and so forth.

relax.
just relax.

 

[RileyG]

I once asked my advisor (religious studies) if was possible to go to hell? Her response was "To go to hell? You basically have to say (insert f" word) You God." She also stressed out to me that humans think in images and the fires of are an image. The pain of hell is the eternal separation from God. God also suffers for those in hell becaue he loves them, but they rejected him.

(I am a double major- Psychology and Catholic Religious Studies).

Anyway, I do go into detail to my confessor about my confessions. I WILL NOT go into detail here because quite frankly, it's none of anyone's business. I do trust my confessor that I rarely commit a mortal sin becaue I never deliberately turned away from God.

ALSO I suffer from severe anxiety, depression, PTSD, OCD, and autistic traits. If that makes a difference in regards to my culpability.

God Bless

 

[RileyG]

I think we all need to be exceedingly careful what we say on this topic.

We have no idea into what detail RileyG opens himself up to his priest/confessor in his confessions - neither do we know exactly what is said to him - and before anyone jumps down my throat - nor should we - it is all under the seal.

RileyG needs to be with the same Confessor every time and probably also needs time with him outside the confessional to talk about his problems.

Thank you anhelyna!!!

He is a benedictine monk priest and is in his 60s.

He knows certain personal details about my life which I do not need to share here.

Pray for me, please.

 

[RileyG]

i think he wants you to chill out.
scrupulosity can turn into mortal if you do not accept God's grace and pardon..and let it continue to make you obsess over sin.

mortal sin is full knowledge of it being mortal and wanting to commit it because you know that.
not sure what you are struggling with - but the more you obsess over it - the more it tempts you - the more guilt it causes and so forth.

relax.
just relax.

I've been told by many priests in confession that "do not be so hard on yourself" etc.

I think my severe anxiety can also play a role.

Thank you for your kind words.

PLEASE do NOT make any unkind words towards my confessor- it is completely because it is completely unnecessary and uncharitable.

Thank you.

 

[WarriorAngel]

I've been told by many priests in confession that "do not be so hard on yourself" etc.

I think my severe anxiety can also play a role.

Thank you for your kind words.

PLEASE do NOT make any unkind words towards my confessor- it is completely because it is completely unnecessary and uncharitable.

Thank you.

I dont see how i made any unkind words towards your confessor.

 

[WarriorAngel]

as for me - was told to seek confession different places.
yeah - i'm up to every 2 months more or less going now.
i was pretty bad for a while... but when i was told it was a sin to be scrupulous - i cut back.
plus i'm on anti-anxiety and anti-depression meds now. it helps.

it was the company - i think - that i was with that made me feel horrible about myself.

 

[pdudgeon]

I once asked my advisor (religious studies) if was possible to go to hell? Her response was "To go to hell? You basically have to say (insert f" word) You God." She also stressed out to me that humans think in images and the fires of are an image. The pain of hell is the eternal separation from God. God also suffers for those in hell becaue he loves them, but they rejected him.

(I am a double major- Psychology and Catholic Religious Studies).

Anyway, I do go into detail to my confessor about my confessions. I WILL NOT go into detail here because quite frankly, it's none of anyone's business. I do trust my confessor that I rarely commit a mortal sin becaue I never deliberately turned away from God.

ALSO I suffer from severe anxiety, depression, PTSD, OCD, and autistic traits. If that makes a difference in regards to my culpability.

God Bless

OK.
so if you posted here thinking you wanted opinions and then later decided you didn't want opinions that's fine. Just PM a mod and have the thread closed, and we'll all move on a little bit wiser.

 

[anjelica]

Thank you anhelyna!!!

He is a benedictine monk priest and is in his 60s.

He knows certain personal details about my life which I do not need to share here.

Pray for me, please.

I will pray for you Riley.

 

[MikeK]

ALSO I suffer from severe anxiety, depression, PTSD, OCD, and autistic traits. If that makes a difference in regards to my culpability.

Yes it does, and nobody with a passing familiarity with Catholicism would suggest otherwise to you. We will all be judged but we will not all be judged the same - our unique abilities, weaknesses, conditions and knowledge will be taken into account. Your Confessor sounds very aware of this.

 

[MikeK]

I dont see how i made any unkind words towards your confessor.

I don't think you did, but other posters here were remarkably uncharitable to this Holy servant of God.

 

[Stabat Mater dolorosa]

Yes it does, and nobody with a passing familiarity with Catholicism would suggest otherwise to you. We will all be judged but we will not all be judged the same - our unique abilities, weaknesses, conditions and knowledge will be taken into account. Your Confessor sounds very aware of this.

^^this^^

 

[Stabat Mater dolorosa]

I don't think you did, but other posters here were remarkably uncharitable to this Holy servant of God.

I'm sorry if I did...
It may have come across like it, but it's based past experiences with liberal priests myself.
Some of them are quite horrible.

It sounds like Riley 's priest is a decent shepherd though and thank God that you got a solid and wise confessor God knows we need them.

 

[RileyG]

I dont see how i made any unkind words towards your confessor.

Lord have mercy!

I was not referring to you, WA. Thank you for your kind words.

God Bless

 

[RileyG]

Yes it does, and nobody with a passing familiarity with Catholicism would suggest otherwise to you. We will all be judged but we will not all be judged the same - our unique abilities, weaknesses, conditions and knowledge will be taken into account. Your Confessor sounds very aware of this.

Well said.

 

[pdudgeon]

Well said.

Ah! so now we have it!
all you wanted from us was affirmation.
got it.
Just for the record, in the history of the world there have been few people whom God judged to be righteous, and they were saints.
But even they committed ordinary sins.
Mary, the mother of Jesus was one of less than a handful of people
who did not sin.
So if you're striving to live a life like hers then you will always have an excellent role model to follow.

 

[MikeK]

Ah! so now we have it!
all you wanted from us was affirmation.
got it.

Why are you badgering this poster who has clearly been suffering? The teaching of the Church is unambiguous regarding culpability for sins.