A Question About Mortal Sin

[SubCulture]

Hi, before I begin, I just like to remind everyone that I’m here to learn about the faith, not to discredit it. Also, I’m sorry is this is the wrong forum.

I’ve been involved with the Catholic Church all my life, and this is the first time I’ve heard about mortal sin. Really, I didn’t even know that my church HAD confessions until I looked it up.

Anyway, I have one thing that I don’t understand about mortal sin. In my understanding, the act of committing a mortal sin turns someone away from God, and breaks the relationship between you and God. He will be no longer in your heart until you go to confession.

My question is, would someone notice that? If someone is devout, an then commits a mortal sin (Say, missing mass for no good reason.) Would their faith be broken? Would they notice that God is no longer in their life? Would they chalk this up to the mortal sin, or would they just claim they lost their faith and leave the church? Is the relationship between you and God only mended when you confess? Are you unable to feel God’s presence until you go to confession?

Please help me understand this.

 

[Bookcat]

There are various degrees of sensitivity regarding such. And it may not involve “feelings” necessarily. Grace per se is not a matter of feelings. Though if one commits a mortal sin – through ones knowledge of what one has done one can experience sorrow etc in the feelings.

A person who is seeking to live as a Christian - to follow Christ can be more aware of and realize more profoundly what he did --then say a person who has been somewhat brought up a Christian but who is more influenced by the surrounding culture …

Also note that one does not “loose Faith” per se with all mortal sins…

One loses the state of Grace.

(but yes if one gets into mortal sin as a way of ‘living’ (a misnomer here for it is not life) -that brings about more and more moving away from God -though God loves them and desires they come back…)

(a person who is seeking to follow Christ -a devout person as you say - will more quickly repent from a fall…)

Hopefully in any case they will repent quickly. For Jesus the Good Shepherd loves us and wants us to have life -and have it abundantly.

In Jesus of Nazareth is true life.

 

[SubCulture]

So you only lose salvation when you commit mortal sin? So you still have God in your life, but you would not go to Heaven when you die?

I have another question. How come you reject God when committing a mortal sin? By missing a Sunday at church because you want to sleep in that one day, you’re not directly kicking God out of your life. Why are the consequences so much bigger than the actions?

 

[Bookcat]

By choosing to do something that is a grave matter - with full knowledge and deliberate consent one commits a mortal sin - has that effect of turning away from God.

As the Compendium put it mortal sin “destroys charity in us, deprives us of sanctifying grace”.

They may by the grace of God repent - and be restored to that true life (normally via the Sacrament of confession -though also even before that by the grace of perfect contrition).

As to Sunday – Catholics yes have a serious obligation to attend Sunday Mass - due to the importance of the Lords Day. It is Lords Day. scborromeo.org/ccc/p3s2c1a3.htm#II

Indeed as some early Christian Martyrs who where Martyred for attending the Eucharist (the Mass) said to their judges – “without the Lords Day we cannot live”…

 

[AnonConfession]

In my understanding, the act of committing a mortal sin turns someone away from God, and breaks the relationship between you and God. He will be no longer in your heart until you go to confession.

If that were true, I would never have gone back to Confession after staying away for 15 years because I couldn’t give up my mortal sins.

My question is, would someone notice that? If someone is devout, an then commits a mortal sin (Say, missing mass for no good reason.) Would their faith be broken? Would they notice that God is no longer in their life? Would they chalk this up to the mortal sin, or would they just claim they lost their faith and leave the church? Is the relationship between you and God only mended when you confess? Are you unable to feel God’s presence until you go to confession?

Mortal sin deprives our souls of the sanctifying grace that we need to avoid Hell, but God is always working on our salvation, moving our souls with actual grace until we repent.

Here’s an article that explains it really well: Grace: What it is and what it does.