My post basically poses the question: If we have perform an act including grave matter, and are properly catechized, does that always equal mortal sin? We know that sin only is imputed when the will makes a "free choice", so I am exploring what that is. Free choice.
These are e-mails that I sent to a seminarian friend of mine, please excuse the format.
Mortal Sin:
Grave matter: object that is forbidden and is of
high consequence.
Full knowledge: You are fully aware that this is
grave matter that is
forbidden.
Deliberate consent:______________
a: you choose to perform the act/object that is
forbidden in spite of it
being against God's will.
b: you choose to go against God's Will for the sake
of the desire of the
object.
Do you see the big difference that I do?
In a, you look so hard with longing at a sinful
object that you forget God,
and choose to do it, even though your intellect owns
the knowledge that you
should not do it. In b, you look God in the face,
and then turn your back
on Him for the sake of this object that you choose
over being in the State
of Grace.
In "a" you ignore your knowledge of God's will and act
as a nonbeliever doing
what your passions urge, forgetting the damage it
will do to you, and your
relationship with God.
In "b" you apostasize for the sake of a temporal
finite object or action.
While you are a believer, you become a "non-carer".
This is a difference that , to me, is of perhaps the
greatest consequence to
the Faithful.
THE SECOND PART
I basically am proposing this, in its most basic form. To truly commit a "mortal" sin, you have to look God in the face, and choose something else, as opposed to God. You have to weigh the loss of Sanctifying Grace as on of the deciding factors of performing this grave deed. As opposed to get so wrapped up in your passions, your human-ness that you consent to these deeds, forgetting (not actually being ignorant, just not calling it to mind) God's face. In this case, you don't weight loss of Grace, you are blinded by passion, and prudence gets turned off. I propose that this is a quasi-mortal, or even venial sin even if it has grave matter.
I am not proposing feigned ignorance as a cop-out. I am saying that this type of mortal sin is more about giving in to passions than it is "knowingly cutting yourself for the sake of pleasure".
Leave God for the sake of pleasure, vs, accept pleasure in spite of your knowledge and Love of God. Your will is compromised as it is getting bad, and overpowering info from the passions, and insufficient info from the intellect. In the definition of Mortal Sin (CCC 1859) it deals only with 2 of the 3 faculities: intellect and Will, passions are never mentioned. When passions are included into the mix (CCC 1860), it is said to reduce grave matter performed by the properly Catechized to a venial status i.e. confession-worthy, but not sufficient to keep you from the Eucharist, nor do you loose Sanctifying Grace over it)
more:
The catechism says in paragraph 1860 that "The promptings of feelings and passions can also diminish the voluntary and free character of the offense, as can external pressures or pathological disorders." Paragraph 1859 says "[Mortal sin] also implies a consent sufficiently deliberate to be a personal choice." Paragraph 1862 says "One commits venial sin when...he disobeys the moral law in a grave matter, but without full knowledge or without complete consent."
If I am right, the difference will relieve a great number of the Faithful plagued by scrupulosity and doubt and send them more frequently to the table of our Lord to receive the Grace that will empower, and perfect their faculties, making these occurrences ever more less and less giving them more and more confidence to approach Him in Prayer, and in the world and return to him, never truly worthy, but more properly disposed, to receive grave, and become its messenger, resting in Him until the final beatitude.
If I am wrong, I fear a great many to various degrees, myself included (Lord, help me and have mercy), are in a near constant state of serious sin, and will not ultimately be able to pass the level (some of them) of the greatest part of their spiritual life is examining their conscience and trying to make a good confession. Ultimately, if this pattern were to continue, they would soon fear that they aren't even contrite anymore, as they have to keep returning, so they must not have a firm purpose of amendment, so they are truly unworthy servants.
This isn't about excusing actions. This isn't about are these actions "confession worthy". Our whole lives are confession worthy! I just fear that tricking a devout Catholic into thinking they are in "mortal sin" when they are not really is one of the Enemy's greatest schemes. What better way to bench them? They will take themselves out of the game on their own. Even if they have objectively performed a "grave act", I propose that Satan's trickery is strong enough,our intellects are suppressible enough, our passions are weak enough, and doubtful of knowledge, our wills only able to do the best with what they see, that even in those times we can "not know what we are doing". Most of these people would never trade God's Grace for a candy bar, or an illicit movie, but they take the candy bar, they watch the movie, and I propose that that doesn't really always mean they traded eternal for temporal as an act of the will, even though the performed the act.
Again, if I am right, that only actively choosing things vs. God, explicitly, is a mortal sin, than we need to strengthen out brethren, and encourage them to "cross themselves and continue", to be strengthened by Him so that some day, even these will stop, and we will find our world neck-deep in Saints who's wills are unshakable.
If I am wrong, and grave matter performed by those that are properly catechized always means every time that their will chose the matter over Grace, and thus they are worthy of the flame until they repent, and go to confession...then I think we really do have our work cut out for us, as men, as Catholics, as priests, as teachers, as Children. God Help us!
What do y'all think?
These are e-mails that I sent to a seminarian friend of mine, please excuse the format.
Mortal Sin:
Grave matter: object that is forbidden and is of
high consequence.
Full knowledge: You are fully aware that this is
grave matter that is
forbidden.
Deliberate consent:______________
a: you choose to perform the act/object that is
forbidden in spite of it
being against God's will.
b: you choose to go against God's Will for the sake
of the desire of the
object.
Do you see the big difference that I do?
In a, you look so hard with longing at a sinful
object that you forget God,
and choose to do it, even though your intellect owns
the knowledge that you
should not do it. In b, you look God in the face,
and then turn your back
on Him for the sake of this object that you choose
over being in the State
of Grace.
In "a" you ignore your knowledge of God's will and act
as a nonbeliever doing
what your passions urge, forgetting the damage it
will do to you, and your
relationship with God.
In "b" you apostasize for the sake of a temporal
finite object or action.
While you are a believer, you become a "non-carer".
This is a difference that , to me, is of perhaps the
greatest consequence to
the Faithful.
THE SECOND PART
I basically am proposing this, in its most basic form. To truly commit a "mortal" sin, you have to look God in the face, and choose something else, as opposed to God. You have to weigh the loss of Sanctifying Grace as on of the deciding factors of performing this grave deed. As opposed to get so wrapped up in your passions, your human-ness that you consent to these deeds, forgetting (not actually being ignorant, just not calling it to mind) God's face. In this case, you don't weight loss of Grace, you are blinded by passion, and prudence gets turned off. I propose that this is a quasi-mortal, or even venial sin even if it has grave matter.
I am not proposing feigned ignorance as a cop-out. I am saying that this type of mortal sin is more about giving in to passions than it is "knowingly cutting yourself for the sake of pleasure".
Leave God for the sake of pleasure, vs, accept pleasure in spite of your knowledge and Love of God. Your will is compromised as it is getting bad, and overpowering info from the passions, and insufficient info from the intellect. In the definition of Mortal Sin (CCC 1859) it deals only with 2 of the 3 faculities: intellect and Will, passions are never mentioned. When passions are included into the mix (CCC 1860), it is said to reduce grave matter performed by the properly Catechized to a venial status i.e. confession-worthy, but not sufficient to keep you from the Eucharist, nor do you loose Sanctifying Grace over it)
more:
The catechism says in paragraph 1860 that "The promptings of feelings and passions can also diminish the voluntary and free character of the offense, as can external pressures or pathological disorders." Paragraph 1859 says "[Mortal sin] also implies a consent sufficiently deliberate to be a personal choice." Paragraph 1862 says "One commits venial sin when...he disobeys the moral law in a grave matter, but without full knowledge or without complete consent."
If I am right, the difference will relieve a great number of the Faithful plagued by scrupulosity and doubt and send them more frequently to the table of our Lord to receive the Grace that will empower, and perfect their faculties, making these occurrences ever more less and less giving them more and more confidence to approach Him in Prayer, and in the world and return to him, never truly worthy, but more properly disposed, to receive grave, and become its messenger, resting in Him until the final beatitude.
If I am wrong, I fear a great many to various degrees, myself included (Lord, help me and have mercy), are in a near constant state of serious sin, and will not ultimately be able to pass the level (some of them) of the greatest part of their spiritual life is examining their conscience and trying to make a good confession. Ultimately, if this pattern were to continue, they would soon fear that they aren't even contrite anymore, as they have to keep returning, so they must not have a firm purpose of amendment, so they are truly unworthy servants.
This isn't about excusing actions. This isn't about are these actions "confession worthy". Our whole lives are confession worthy! I just fear that tricking a devout Catholic into thinking they are in "mortal sin" when they are not really is one of the Enemy's greatest schemes. What better way to bench them? They will take themselves out of the game on their own. Even if they have objectively performed a "grave act", I propose that Satan's trickery is strong enough,our intellects are suppressible enough, our passions are weak enough, and doubtful of knowledge, our wills only able to do the best with what they see, that even in those times we can "not know what we are doing". Most of these people would never trade God's Grace for a candy bar, or an illicit movie, but they take the candy bar, they watch the movie, and I propose that that doesn't really always mean they traded eternal for temporal as an act of the will, even though the performed the act.
Again, if I am right, that only actively choosing things vs. God, explicitly, is a mortal sin, than we need to strengthen out brethren, and encourage them to "cross themselves and continue", to be strengthened by Him so that some day, even these will stop, and we will find our world neck-deep in Saints who's wills are unshakable.
If I am wrong, and grave matter performed by those that are properly catechized always means every time that their will chose the matter over Grace, and thus they are worthy of the flame until they repent, and go to confession...then I think we really do have our work cut out for us, as men, as Catholics, as priests, as teachers, as Children. God Help us!
What do y'all think?
