Mental Prayer for October 27, Venial Sin: The Cost

Mental Prayer Meditation Helps

Presence of God

Grace I Ask: To see venial sin as offending you, the almighty, all-holy, all-loving God.

The Idea: Cardinal Newman: "The Church holds that it were better for the sun and moon to drop from heaven, for the earth to fail, and for all the many millions who are on it to die of starvation, in extremest agony... than that one soul... should commit one venial sin."

Fr. Chaignon: "That [venial sin] must be an exceedingly great evil which cannot be repaired by tbe tears of the whole world, by the torments of the martyrs... the mortifications of all the saints, nor by all the good works that have been performed by holy men from the beginning of the world until now, and that shall be performed from now to the end of time."

St. Catherine of Genoa: "If anyone of the angels or saints were marked with this stain [venial sin], he would instantly be removed from the presence... of God."

My Personal Application: Is my attitude: "Oh, it's only a venial sin"? When God judges me, will He thrust me away from Him until venial sin is burned out of my soul? Saints say that the only difference between hell and purgatory is that purgatory eventually comes to an end. Do I realize that the all-loving God created the agoniz­ing pains of purgatory to punish venial sin? That's God's view of venial sin. Is my view anything like His?

I Speak to God: Dear Lord, I have been careless in my attitude toward venial sin. When I see that only your sufferings could repair for it, I weep to think of my carelessness. Give me a loathing for venial sin and the strength and cour­age to fight against my bad habits.

Thought for Today: The overwhelming evil of venial sin!
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Adapted from Mental Prayer, Challenge to the Lay Apostle
by The Queen's Work,(© 1958)