Who is committing sin, turns away from God and wounds the Church
Who is sinning, he tries to justify his sins in some way. Some say, that that, what they do, is not a sin, because nobody gets hurt or that nobody knows about it. Others explain themselves, that everyone does it. And how is it really ? What is sin ? What do you think ?
Every human harm is a sin against God
God has given people such good, how's life, health. He entrusted the land to them, that they may subject it to themselves and that all people may use its goods. God also decided, that a person grows and develops in the family. He wanted, that there is unity among people, consent and mutual kindness. This is God's will, that is, God's creative plan for mankind, whose goal is the good of every person and all people together. God's will is kept by the commandments that He instituted.
Any harm done to other people, how unfriendly, harm to health, breaking up the family, destroying the good opinion of others, violates God's will, therefore it is a sin.
Everything is sin, which destroys the communion of life with God
God also wishes, that there would be unity between Him and people. He revealed himself to the people, he called them to coexist with each other, he gave them his life.
Who is at risk of losing faith, he neglects his prayers, he does not give the honor due to God, it destroys this unity, he commits a sin.
Sin inflicts a wound on the Church
You belong to the Church. They are the People of the New Covenant united with God. Its task is to worship God and lead all people to union with God. Therefore, the Church is holy and should be holy in all her members. “For Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, to sanctify it, after cleansing by washing with water " (Ef 5, 25-26). Christian, who commits a sin, it diminishes the holiness of the Church and, as it were, injures the Church. Even if it is a hidden sin, The Church in itself is less holy.
Moreover, the wound, what sin inflicts on the Church, makes it difficult for him to unite people with God. So every sin is a harm to the Church.
Sin is the greatest evil
Each of us condemns the wrong. You got it, that every harm is sin. You want to live in union with God. Sin violates this unity. You are proud to belong to the Church, and this sin wounds the Church. There are times, however, and the temptation is so great, that the man tells himself : sin is not that bad again.
What the evil of sin really is, only then can we understand, when we look at sin in the light of the passion and death of Jesus Christ. On Good Friday, when we remember the passion and death of our Savior, God addresses the words of Isaiah the prophet to us :
“He was pierced for our sins, crushed for our sins.
A flogging that is redeeming for us has fallen, and in his wounds is our health.
We all went astray like sheep, each of us has turned to his own way;
and the Lord blamed us all on him.
He was tormented, but he let himself be oppressed, he didn't even open his mouth.
Like a lamb led to the slaughter, like a sheep, she is mute in front of her shearers,
so he did not open his mouth!
After the torment and judgment, he was removed; and who cares about his fate ?
So! He was cut off from the land of the living ; for the sins of my people he was beaten to death " (From 53, 5-8).
The "wages" for man's sin is the passion and death of the Son of God.
Deadly and venial sins
We distinguish between mortal sins, that is heavy, and everyday, i.e. the so-called. light. Is the evil of sin, you understood, it pertains to all sins ? Did Christ suffer for all sins ? Can any of them be neglected? ?
Who makes great evil by deed, in a word, they think, and even neglect, completely consciously and voluntarily, he commits a mortal sin. Thus, he departs completely from God and deprives himself of his participation in His kingdom. It kills God's life within itself. He ceases to be a saint, a friend of God. If he still believes, remains in the bosom of the Church, but only ,,body "and not" heart ", is a dead part of it (KK 14). Due to mortal sin, he excludes himself from the living community and therefore, without committing sacrilege, he cannot fully participate in the Eucharist., receiving the body of the Lord. She is like that dry branch, which should be cut off.
Not all sins kill God's life in man. Some of them weaken man's communion with God, as it were, they hurt God's life. These are the sins we call venial (light). Contrary to grave sin, we could call them hurtful.
The wounding sin commits this one, who wants to follow God's will, but it happens to him, that he is doing some minor harm or neglect in his relationship with God. Sometimes a person does great evil, but is not fully aware of it or does not do it entirely voluntarily. Then he only commits a wounding sin.
As you can see, hurting sins also harm people and turn away from God. Christ suffered for them too. The Eucharist heals a weakened friendship with God and strengthens a Christian in love for God and for people. So he takes away sins that hurt, that is, everyday.
How the wound can be bigger or smaller, it can even lead to death, so also in every wounding sin, that is, everyday, there may be different evil. Therefore, always research, what harm you caused, how much wrong you have done. And I don't think you'll ever explain yourself, that “this is only a venial sin, light".
How will I answer God ?
Maybe you understood better, how much evil is every human sin. Don't you take your sins lightly ? What are you doing, to avoid all sin ? This requires God's help. What are you doing, to get to know God's will better and to act according to it ? Do you try to fully participate in Holy Mass every Sunday and holiday?. ?
Ponder the words in the psalm 118 : "Blessed are, whose way is undefiled, who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are, who keep his admonitions, They seek him with all their heart, who do no unrighteousness, but they walk in his ways. You have given your commandments for this, to be diligently obeyed. May my ways be unfailing in keeping Your statutes ".
■ Think:
1. Why is every evil done to my neighbor a sin? ?
2. What sins violate the ties that unite people directly with God ?
3. What is the wound inflicted on the Church by sin? ?
4. How the Passion of Christ has shown us the evil of sin ?
5. What is the evil of mortal sin ?
6. What is the evil of wounding sin, that is, everyday ?
■ Remember:
59. Why We Should Avoid All Sin ?
We should avoid every sin, because sin goes against God's creative plan, wounds the Church and hinders her mission in the world.
60. What We Call Mortal Sin ? We call such a word a mortal sin, deed or thought, and even neglect, by which man consciously and voluntarily opposes the will of God in an important way and thus kills the divine life within himself.
■ Task :
1. Explain, why venial sins can also be called wounding sins.
2. Write down the sentences about it from the "Way of the Cross" service and from the "Bitter regrets", that the cause of Christ's passion and death are our sins.