Mortal Sin: Does It Really Occur That Often?

[geocajun]

I guess what I'm getting at -- is that if someone is going to confession all the time to confess mortal sin, then there's a serious problem. I would think that a devoted Christian would rarely have to confess mortal sin, because to me, I have a hard time thinking that I would commit something that is "grave". Finally, maybe that's why some Catholics don't go to confession as much -- because they haven't committed mortal sin...

If that holds true for you BA, then thats great. Sadly, I have been able to reason myself into commiting quite a few mortal sins in my time.
With the help of God I hope to be able to avoid all future sin.

I doubt that our pope commits many mortal sins, but I understand he goes to confession every week. I doubt that Catholics not going to confesson is a result of lack of sin, but rather lack of contrition.

Maybe a clearer definition of "grave" is needed...dunno.

grave = serious

 

[Cosmic Charlie]

BA:

Personally, I think that while their may be a large number of mortal sins being committed, (may be - I'll not at all convinced that there are), I do think it is impossible for a person with any grace in soul to commit a mortal sin and be unconscious of it.

Mortal sin cuts you off from God's grace, this will soon lead to external feelings and actions of which a person should be conginzant: alienation, irreverence, destruction of personality, etc. ( I've always thought Steve Van Sant's character, Sil Dante, on "The Soperano's" was a textbook example of a person in mortal sin. Seemingly affable and easy going, but so bent in pain and harrassed in conscious he can hardly communicate with even his closest associates.)

The conditions under which it is possible to commit a mortal sins are highly subjective and perhaps only God can know for sure whether you are in a state of mortal sins. All I know is this: If I long for the Eurcharist, how can I say for sure that that longing is not God Grace working in me ? If God's Grace in working in me, I can't be in a state of mortal sin, can I ?

I've had priest's tell me I shouldn't go the Eurchist without going to confession to ensure I wasn't in mortal sins and orther who've told me to go if I am moved to do so because I would not be moved to with God's Grace, and, after all, Christ died for use sinner and will save us all if given the opportunity.

I only worry about it when I actually feel alienated, irrevent and isolated from those I love. But that could be the bi-polar disorder so, really, who knows ?

No help at all, am I ?

 

[nyj]

I do think it is impossible for a person with any grace in soul to commit a mortal sin and be unconscious of it.

Mark it down Charlie, this is two things we agree on.

By it's very definition, we do know when we commit mortal sins because our conscience pricks us prior to committing the offense. That is where the knowledge part of "mortal sin" comes into play. You know something is a grave offense but you do it anyway.

 

[BornCath]

I was thinking today, before I went to confession, about mortal sin and how we must confess of our mortal sins and encouraged to confess our venial.

God knows I have a lot of venial sins...

And after reading the other thread here about a priest committing mortal, I was thinking to myself, how could a person, who calls him or herself a Christian actually commit mortal sin that often?

Do you think that mortal sin really happens that much in the life of a devoted Catholic?

I mean, I'm not trying to come off like I'm Mr. Holy or something, but...to be quite honest, from what I understand, it takes a lot to commit a mortal sin. And I think that's where many Protestants will scoff when they hear that, "you sin every day", because to them, a sin is a mortal sin. And they would rarely commit a mortal sin...

But they wouldn't call it mortal per se, rather, they'd just call it a sin.

Does that make sense? Am I totally out of it tonight? Metal? Contemporary? Punk?

Huh?

Thoughts, as always, are appreciated.

With true repentance mortal sins are forgiven upon confession. Venial sins need not be confessed but if encouraged to include in one's confession, it benefits the penitents knowing that both sins were forgiven. Venial sins are actually forgiven when we go to mass & say "Lord I am not worthy to receive You but only say the word and I shall be healed."

Jesus said 'If you so look at a woman with lust in your mind, you've already committed adultery' and 'if you're angry at your brother, you've already committed murder.' So it is really easy for some to commit a mortal sin.

Jesus also said 'My Church is like a fish net that catches good and bad fish'.
Bad fish whether a laity or a priest would find it easy to sin but not a good one.

If there is a degree of happiness in heaven as the interpretation of what Jesus said 'My Father has many mansions', then there must be a degree of
sin like if you make me sinned, you also sinned & your sin is greater than mine because if not for you I would be in heaven. Even in civil law there's what we
know as capital punishment & imprisonment. Imprisonment being of lesser degree of punishment than death. Civil law has it's foundation in the
natural law which is also from God if not directly from the law of God specified in the Bible. I guess the protestants have not realized it.

 

[BAChristian]

By it's very definition, we do know when we commit mortal sins because our conscience pricks us prior to committing the offense. That is where the knowledge part of "mortal sin" comes into play. You know something is a grave offense but you do it anyway.

Yeah, this is what I think I was looking for -- this is how I see mortal sin...if my conscience is saying, "Now Woody, bro, you know you're not supposed to do that -- you know that's wrong...", and I do it anyway, I'm committed a mortal sin against God. I know I've offended Him...

In essence, I've seperated myself from His loving care...and I've done it out of my own free will knowing that what I've done would offend Him greatly and cause me to fall from His grace.

This is what I think is the major seperator between venial and mortal -- you can feel it when you've done something that you know has hurt you spiritually.

I guess we could go a bit further with this -- how do we not know that when we're impatient with that guy on the road and we're like, "C'mon now, hurry up", that that doesn't offend God just as much as, say, fornication (which would be mortal)?

Thoughts? I thought I had Scripture somewhere that indicated that smaller, venial sins don't offend God as much and put our soul into a mortal, sinful state, compared to mortal sins, that highly offend God and seperate us from Him. Anyone be able to add to this?

Good responses everyone.

 

[Benedicta00]

Yeah, this is what I think I was looking for -- this is how I see mortal sin...if my conscience is saying, "Now Woody, bro, you know you're not supposed to do that -- you know that's wrong...", and I do it anyway, I'm committed a mortal sin against God. I know I've offended Him...

Good responses everyone.

Yes, but it always don’t work out that way. We have our flesh fighting against what we know is right and there is the world telling us we are fools for seeking blessings in the after life and then there is Satan exploiting your weakest moments. He watches you and knows just when to strike.

Some sins a clear that you know are wrong. There are many factors that can effect how a person sees sin. If you are a reasonable person with a good upbringing certain sins are not even thought of but if you were raised in a enviroment that you were taught a lifestyle of sin and then you slowly were lead by grace to come to know they are wrong, sin and inordinate passions still can cloud your judgement sometimes and when the devil tempts you, you fall for it.

Another thing to consider is how our brains work as well. Once we subject ourselves to sinful things the brain creates a pathway and we actually will seek out that stimuli again. So when dealing with habitual sin, bad habits, vices ect there is many things to consider why you do it again and again, This is precisely why we need the priest to help us and should go to the same confessor regularly and be as honest as we can.

I think it is dangerous to feel that you will never commit a grave sin again. The bible says don’t boast you stand least you fall. We are to work out salvation with fear.

What we do when we convert is form our conscious to what the Church teaches and when we are being tempted this is our conviction speaking to us but if you came from a lifetime of committing the same sin with out ever feeling convicted it may not be so easy to just stop the sin cold turkey and Satan kows you used to like this sin and he is not letting go of you that easy. You can be weak even though you know it is wrong and still fall.

The CCC does say something about passion and habit effecting the gravity of the sin but again, that’s another dangerous game to play because we can’t just write everything off as we can’t help it. We need a spiritual direction to help us discern.

 

[nyj]

I guess we could go a bit further with this -- how do we not know that when we're impatient with that guy on the road and we're like, "C'mon now, hurry up", that that doesn't offend God just as much as, say, fornication (which would be mortal)?

Because John in one of his Epistles says there are mortal sins and there are sins that are not mortal. That means God does consider some sins more offensive than others. Since the Bible does not expound on this however, we need to turn to the Church to see what God considers mortal and what He does not. Afterall, Jesus did give His apostles the power to bind and loose sin.

 

[ProCommunioneFacior]

Yes, but it always don’t work out that way. We have our flesh fighting against what we know is right and there is the world telling us we are fools for seeking blessings in the after life and then there is Satan exploiting your weakest moments. He watches you and knows just when to strike.

Some sins a clear that you know are wrong. There are many factors that can effect how a person sees sin. If you are a reasonable person with a good upbringing certain sins are not even thought of but if you were raised in a enviroment that you were taught a lifestyle of sin and then you slowly were lead by grace to come to know they are wrong, sin and inordinate passions still can cloud your judgement sometimes and when the devil tempts you, you fall for it.

Another thing to consider is how our brains work as well. Once we subject ourselves to sinful things the brain creates a pathway and we actually will seek out that stimuli again. So when dealing with habitual sin, bad habits, vices ect there is many things to consider why you do it again and again, This is precisely why we need the priest to help us and should go to the same confessor regularly and be as honest as we can.

I think it is dangerous to feel that you will never commit a grave sin again. The bible says don’t boast you stand least you fall. We are to work out salvation with fear.

What we do when we convert is form our conscious to what the Church teaches and when we are being tempted this is our conviction speaking to us but if you came from a lifetime of committing the same sin with out ever feeling convicted it may not be so easy to just stop the sin cold turkey and Satan kows you used to like this sin and he is not letting go of you that easy. You can be weak even though you know it is wrong and still fall.

The CCC does say something about passion and habit effecting the gravity of the sin but again, that’s another dangerous game to play because we can’t just write everything off as we can’t help it. We need a spiritual direction to help us discern.

Very well said.

 

[BAChristian]

Please pray for me. My "scrupilous" feelings have intensified...they particularly have gotten bad today.

At one point, I felt as though my entire confirmation was for nought. That I didn't do a good enough confession. I instantly told Satan to "get behind me", and the feeling went away.

I don't believe this -- and I know that the master of confusion is Satan.

Just pray for me please.

 

[BAChristian]

Hope these insights have helped.

Always -- thank you.

 

[ProCommunioneFacior]

Please pray for me. My "scrupilous" feelings have intensified...they particularly have gotten bad today.

At one point, I felt as though my entire confirmation was for nought. That I didn't do a good enough confession. I instantly told Satan to "get behind me", and the feeling went away.

I don't believe this -- and I know that the master of confusion is Satan.

Just pray for me please.

Mary, Mother of God look after your son BA. St. Michael the Archangel defend him. Lord bless BA with peace.

 

[MariaRegina]

O Lord Jesus Christ, through the prayers of the Most Pure Mother of God, have mercy on us and save us.

 

[Benedicta00]

Please pray for me. My "scrupilous" feelings have intensified...they particularly have gotten bad today.

At one point, I felt as though my entire confirmation was for nought. That I didn't do a good enough confession. I instantly told Satan to "get behind me", and the feeling went away.

I don't believe this -- and I know that the master of confusion is Satan.

Just pray for me please.

If it is any consolation I am going to say that is "normal." I believe the enemy does attack after something like this, coming into the Church. I remember after I came fully into the Church, I had receive all the sacraments at the vigil Mass, including matrimony and the next day I found out that I was pregnant and a few days later I went into a light depression for about the next 5 months. I thought it was because of the hormones and it could have very well have been but what I felt was that I lost faith, not in God or the Church but I had no motivation to practice faith at all. I didn’t want to go to Mass; I didn’t want to pray, I didn’t want to do anything spiritual, it was hard and I figure God was testing me.

If I can encourage you to read St. Theresa's bio. Story of a Soul. It is a great devotional teaching us how ordinary people who aren't super saints how to live a holy life, her main struggles were scruples. One thing that helped me greatly, in her book she says that a soul when in a state or grace has nothing to fear, the enemy can harass you but he can not touch you unless you give him consent of course. Use the sacramentals, holy water and pray the rosary and you will send the enemy to flight.

 

[Dominus Fidelis]

"The Rosary is the weapon."

 

[Aaron-Aggie]

Great discussion, I would like to add a diffrent tangent to it. We must rember both parts of this line from mass
"By what I have done and what I have failed to do"