Actual sins

With regard to the sins that men actually commit, we must distinguish between mortal and venial sins.

1. To understand the nature of mortal sin, it is necessary to know that as the soul gives life to the body, so the grace of God gives life to the soul. Hence as the body without the soul is dead, and only fit for the grave, so by sin the soul dies to the grace of God and is doomed to be buried in hell. Hence grievous sin is called mortal because it kills the soul. The soul that sinneth, the same shall die (Ezech. xviii. 20). I said that the soul is doomed to hell. But what is this hell? It is a place to which all who die in mortal sin go to suffer eternal torments. These shall go into everlasting punishment (Matt. xxv. 46). And what pains shall they suffer in hell? Every conceivable pain. There the damned are immersed in a sea of fire, tortured by all sorts of torments, overwhelmed with despair, and abandoned for all eternity.

But is it reasonable, some one will say, that a soul should suffer an eternity of torments for a single mortal sin? He who speaks thus shows that he does not understand what a mortal sin is. Mortal sin is a turning of the back upon God. Thus it is defined by St. Thomas and St. Augustine, as a turning away from the unchangeable Good. Hence God says to the sinner, Thou hast forsaken me; thou hast gone backward (Jer. xv. 6). Mortal sin is an insult offered to God by sinners. I have brought up children and exalted them, but they have despised me (Is. i. 2). It is a dishonour done to the divine Majesty. By the transgression of the law thou dishonourest God (Rom. ii. 23). It is to say to God: I will not obey Thee! Thou hast broken my yoke,... and thou saidst, I will not serve (Jer. ii. 20). This is the essence of mortal sin; and for it one hell is not enough: a hundred or a thousand hells would not be sufficient to punish a single mortal sin. If a person unjustly injures a peasant he deserves to be punished. If he does it to a nobleman, a prince, or an emperor, he merits far greater chastisement. But what are all the kings of the earth and even all the Saints of Heaven in comparison with God? They are as nothing. All nations are before him as if they had no being at all (Is. xl. 17). Now, I ask, what chastisement is due to one who insults God, and a God Who has died for the love of us?

However, it must be observed that to make a sin mortal three things are required: full advertence, perfect consent, and grievous matter. If any of these three be wanting, the sin is not mortal. It can be only venial, or perhaps no sin at all.

2. Venial sin does not kill the soul, but it wounds it. Venial sin is not a grievous offence, but still it is an offence against God. It is not as great an evil as mortal sin; but it is a greater evil than all the evils that can happen to creatures. A lie, a venial curse, is a greater evil than if all men, all the Saints, and all the Angels were to be sent to hell.

Some venial sins are deliberate, others are indeliberate.

Indeliberate venial sins, or sins committed without full advertence or perfect consent, are less culpable. All men fall into such sins. The Blessed Virgin only had the privilege of being exempt from them.

Deliberate venial sins, which are committed with full advertence and consent, are more criminal, particularly when there is an affection for them; such as certain feelings of hatred, of ambition, certain rooted attachments, and the like. "Who," says St. Basil, "shall dare to call any sin light?" It is enough to understand that it offends God, to make us avoid it more than any other evil. The deformity of a venial sin was once shown to St. Catherine of Genoa; she afterwards felt surprised that she did not die of horror at the sight of it. And let him who thinks lightly of venial sin remember, that if he does not amend, he will soon be on the brink of some mortal sin. The more venial sins the soul commits, the weaker she becomes, the greater the power which the devil acquires over her, and the fewer the graces that God bestows upon her. He that contemneth small things shall fall by little and little (Ecclus. xix. 1).

Let us, then, be careful to avoid sin, which alone can make us unhappy in this life and in the next; and let us continually thank the goodness of God for not having already sent us to hell for our sins. Let us henceforth attend to the salvation of our souls, and let us consider how little is all we do for our salvation; how little is all we do for eternal life.

But, to make sure of our eternal salvation, it is not enough to begin: it is necessary to persevere; and in order to persevere, it is necessary to be humble, always distrusting our own strength, confiding only in God, and continually asking His help to persevere. Woe to the man who trusts in himself and glories in his own good works.