Not all temptations come from the devil. Many temptations come from the world around us and from the forces within us called passions. Passions are inclinations towards rebelling against God’s will. We can conquer temptation, if we want to do so. We gain merit in God’s eyes by conquering temptation, and we grow in holiness. We must, however, have God’s …
Venial sin is a minor violation of the law of God. It does not take away God’s life from the soul or break God’s friendship, but it weakens our love for God. It also harms us and other people.
To commit a mortal sin the Christian must: (1) have committed a grave sin; (2) have known its gravity; and (3) have been free to avoid offending God. 1. The offense in itself must be serious or grave, that is, something that has been forbidden by God under pain of losing His friendship. 2. The person who commits the sin …
An act is right when it corresponds to the truth of the moral order—God’s law. In other words, it is something God wants us to do. An act is wrong if it breaks God’s law and, therefore, is not something God wants us to do. Freedom makes us responsible for our voluntary actions. We sin not only by freely choosing …
We know God’s will through our reason, through the Bible, through Sacred Tradition, and through the teaching office or Magisterium of the Church, which is God’s living voice.
Yes, if we are truly sorry, acknowledging our sins and seeking His pardon, God will forgive them because He is all merciful. By the power of His grace, God offers Salvation to all men. We especially encounter God’s merciful forgiveness in the Sacrament of Penance. Jesus, our Savior, was sent by the Father to suffer, die, and rise from the …
The power of God’s graces draws the sinner to Salvation. In the Sacrament of Penance or Reconciliation, through the priest, Christ meets the sinner, forgives his sins, and gives him again the peace which belongs to God’s children. He also gives the sinner the added power of grace to overcome sin in the future and the strength to be faithful …
Venial sins are forgiven by God even without the Sacrament of Reconciliation. A sincere act of contrition and the will to amend our lives is enough to obtain forgiveness. Nonetheless, the Church encourages us to frequently confess even our venial sins in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, since it is of such great benefit to the soul, especially with respect to …
Every personal sin can be traced to one of seven human weaknesses. These personal sins are called Capital Sins. Capital Sins do not necessarily refer to grave sins, but rather to those sins which are the source of all others.
The Capital Sins are pride, avarice, envy, anger, lust, gluttony, and sloth. Pride is seeking after one’s own honor. Self-seeking and vanity are examples of pride. Avarice is seeking after wealth by stealing, fraud, injustice, and stinginess. Envy is a certain sadness of the mind. It leads to hatred and resentment of others. We are envious when we resent the …