Distinction between mortal and venial sin. How to make a good confession
To receive the Eucharist one must be in God's grace, that is, not having committed serious sins after the last well-made confession. Therefore, if one is in the grace of God, one can receive communion without confessing before the Eucharist. The confession of venial faults can be made frequently. Normally the good Christian confesses every week, as advised s. Alfonso.
1458 Although not strictly necessary, the confession of daily sins (venial sins) is nevertheless strongly recommended by the Church.54 In fact, regular confession of venial sins helps us to form our conscience, to fight against bad inclinations, to leave us heal from Christ, to progress in the life of the Spirit. By receiving more frequently, through this sacrament, the gift of the Father's mercy, we are pushed to be merciful like him: 55
What are serious / deadly sins? (list)
First let's see what sin is
II. The definition of sin
1849 Sin is a lack against reason, truth, right conscience; it is a transgression in order to true love, towards God and neighbor, due to a perverse attachment to certain goods. It hurts the nature of man and pays attention to human solidarity. It has been defined as "a word, an act or a desire contrary to the eternal law" [Saint Augustine, Contra Faustum manichaeum, 22: PL 42, 418; St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa theologiae, I-II, 71, 6].
1850 Sin is an offense to God: “Against you, against you alone I have sinned. What is bad in your eyes, I have done it "(Ps 51,6: 3,5). Sin rises against God's love for us and turns our hearts away from it. Like the first sin, it is disobedience, a rebellion against God, because of the will to become "like God" (Gen 14), knowing and determining good and evil. Sin is therefore "self-love to the point of contempt for God" [Saint Augustine, De civitate Dei, 28, 2,6]. Because of this proud self-exaltation, sin is diametrically opposed to the obedience of Jesus, who achieves salvation [Cf Phil 9-XNUMX].
1851 It is precisely in the Passion, in which Christ's mercy will conquer him, that sin manifests its violence and its multiplicity in the highest degree: unbelief, murderous hatred, refusal and ridicule by the leaders and the people, Pilate's cowardice and cruelty of the soldiers, Judas' betrayal so heavy for Jesus, Peter's denial, abandonment of the disciples. However, just in the hour of darkness and of the Prince of this world, [Cf Jn 14,30] the sacrifice of Christ secretly becomes the source from which the forgiveness of our sins will inexhaustibly flow.
Then a brief distinction drawn from the Compendium about mortal sin and venial sin.
395. When is a mortal sin committed?
1855-1861; 1874
Mortal sin is committed when there is at the same time serious matter, full awareness and deliberate consent. This sin destroys charity in us, deprives us of sanctifying grace, leads us to the eternal death of hell if we do not repent. He is ordinarily forgiven through the sacraments of Baptism and Penance or Reconciliation.
396. When is venial sin committed?
1862-1864; 1875
Venial sin, which essentially differs from mortal sin, is committed when there is light matter, or even serious matter, but without full awareness or total consent. It does not break the covenant with God, but weakens charity; manifests disordered affection for created goods; hinders the progress of the soul in the exercise of virtues and in the practice of moral good; deserves temporal cleansing penalties.
deepen
From the CCC
IV. The seriousness of sin: mortal and venial sin
1854 It is appropriate to evaluate sins on the basis of their seriousness. The distinction between mortal sin and venial sin, already overshadowed in Scripture, [Cf 1Gv 5,16-17] was imposed in the Tradition of the Church. The experience of men validates it.
1855 Mortal sin destroys charity in the heart of man because of a serious violation of the law of God; it diverts man from God, who is his ultimate goal and his beatitude, preferring an inferior good to him.
Venial sin allows charity to exist, although it offends and hurts it.
1856 Mortal sin, insofar as it affects in us the vital principle which is charity, requires a new initiative of the mercy of God and a conversion of the heart, which normally takes place in the sacrament of Reconciliation:
When the will turns towards something that is in itself contrary to charity, from which we are ordained for the ultimate purpose, sin, by its very object, has something to be mortal ... so much if it is against the love of God, like blasphemy, perjury, etc., as if it is against love of neighbor, such as murder, adultery, etc ... Instead, when the will of the sinner turns to something that has within itself a disorder, but nevertheless it goes against the love of God and neighbor, it is the case of idle words, of inappropriate laughter, etc., such sins are venial [Saint Thomas Aquinas, Summa Thomas Aquinas, Summa theologiae, I-II, 88 , 2].
1857 In order for a sin to be mortal, three conditions are required: "It is a mortal sin that concerns a serious matter and which, moreover, is committed with full awareness and deliberate consent" [John Paul II, Exhort. ap. Reconciliatio et paenitentia, 17].
1858 The serious matter is specified in the Ten Commandments, according to Jesus' response to the rich young man: "Do not kill, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not say false testimony, do not defraud, honor the father and the mother" (Mk 10,19:XNUMX ). The seriousness of sins is more or less great: a murder is more serious than a theft. The quality of the injured persons must also be taken into account: the violence exercised against the parents is in itself more serious than that done to a stranger.
1859 For sin to be mortal it must also be committed with full awareness and total consent. It presupposes knowledge of the sinful character of the act, of its opposition to the Law of God. It also implies a sufficiently free consent for it to be a personal choice. Simulated ignorance and hardness of heart [Cf Mk 3,5-6; Lk 16,19: 31-XNUMX] do not diminish the voluntary character of sin but, on the contrary, increase it.
1860 Involuntary ignorance can lessen if not annul the imputability of a serious fault. However, it is assumed that nobody ignores the principles of the moral law which are inscribed in the conscience of every man. The impulses of sensitivity and passions can equally attenuate the voluntary and free character of guilt; as well as external pressures or pathological disturbances. The sin committed with malice, for a deliberate choice of evil, is the most serious.
1861 Mortal sin is a radical possibility of human freedom, like love itself. It results in the loss of charity and the deprivation of sanctifying grace, that is, of the state of grace. If it is not redeemed by God's repentance and forgiveness, it causes exclusion from the Kingdom of Christ and the eternal death of hell; in fact our freedom has the power to make definitive, irreversible choices. However, even if we can judge that an act is in itself a serious fault, we must nevertheless leave the judgment on people to the justice and mercy of God.
1862 A venial sin is committed when, being light matter, the measure prescribed by the moral law is not observed, or when one disobeys the moral law in serious matters, but without full awareness and without total consent.
1863 Venial sin weakens charity; manifests disordered affection for created goods; hinders the progress of the soul in the exercise of virtues and in the practice of moral good; deserves temporal penalties. Deliberate venial sin that has remained without repentance, gradually prepares us to commit mortal sin. However venial sin does not break the Covenant with God. It is humanly repairable with the grace of God. "Not without sanctifying grace, friendship with God, charity, nor therefore eternal bliss" [John Paul II, Esort . ap. Reconciliatio et paenitentia, 17].
Man cannot fail to have at least slight sins, as long as he remains in the body. However, you must not give little weight to these sins, which are defined as mild. You don't care when you weigh them, but what a scare when you number them! Many light things, put together, form a heavy one: many drops fill a river and so many grains make a pile. What hope then remains? First of all make confession. . [Saint Augustine, In epistulam Johannis ad Parthos tractatus, 1, 6].
1864 "Any sin or blasphemy will be forgiven to men, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven" (Mt 12,31:46). God's mercy knows no limits, but those who deliberately refuse to accept it through repentance, reject the forgiveness of their sins and the salvation offered by the Holy Spirit [Cf John Paul II, Enc. Lett. Dominum et Vivificantem, XNUMX]. Such hardening can lead to final impenitence and eternal ruin.