Deliberate consent?

[4EverHis]

I have a question about mortal sin… I read that “mortal sin is committed with deliberate consent of the sinner. This means that mortal sin cannot be done ‘accidently’. A person who commits a mortal sin is one who knows that their sin is wrong, but still deliberately commits the sin anyway.”

Today at Mass, I sometimes felt distracted (even though the Mass was great, I was distracted in my thoughts) and I was trying to fight that. But at one moment, I suddenly had this really evil though (about God ) go through my mind. I didn’t “deliberately consent” to it… but afterwards I began really fearing that somehow I did, because I let it happen, and didn’t fight it… however I think that’s because I didn’t have time, it was so sudden. I’m kind of confused…

I asked God for forgiveness and decided that it’s a venial sin, and took Communion… but now I keep on second guessing myself, and I really can’t decide. I feel like whenever I’m in a state of grace, the devil tends to attack me more with all kinds of horrible thoughts etc.

It’s strange that I have all these worries because otherwise I felt so much peace after the Eucharist.

I was planning on going to daily Mass several times this week - and was really looking forward to that… but now I’m sort of afraid, what if what happened was a mortal sin?

Can someone clarify the Church teaching on this for me please? Thanks!!

 

[Bailey2]

I had the same thing happen. I told our parish priest in confession. He said, “You should see what goes through MY head!.” In other words, things pop in and out of our head all the time, good and bad. I think the trick is when it comes in if you shrug your shoulders and move on like you would a 2 yr old’s bids for attention, it goes away easier.

 

[PhilotheaZ]

To me it sounds as though there was no sin involved, or at most a venial sin, because you did not deliberately consent to the thoughts.

Do you suffer from scrupulosity? If so, do you have a priest-confessor who is helping you deal with this?

The devil loves to keep us living in fear, so that we are afraid to receive the Eucharist. Unless you deliberately sinned, do not fall for Satan’s attempts to keep you from receiving Communion.

 

[Lief_Erikson]

This was NOT a mortal sin, 4EverHis! Don’t let these worries, or the enemy, convince you it was and disrupt your lovely week plans! I doubt that it was even any kind of sin, since you didn’t consent to it and it just popped in, and you fought it as soon as it appeared. It was not your will. Sin is always an act of the will, a freely chosen thought or act rather than something that happens to us involuntarily. So don’t worry. This was most decidedly NOT a mortal sin.

Have a fun week of Eucharists.

By the way, you know how this will end . You’ve faced the same kinds of doubts and worries many times over and come through them on the other side and seen them for what they were. Exactly the same thing will happen this time. Just trust in God and His Church’s teachings whatever your feelings are telling you, and everything will be all right, just as it has every other time you’ve gone through these kinds of trials.

Keep asking questions every time you have questions though, by all means! I think you did the right thing in asking about this. But distrust the worries, for God doesn’t operate that way, and believe the Church. God is on your side, and I’m sure He is more than thrilled to have you with Him each day you wish to go to Mass next week .

 

[4EverHis]

Thank you! I think that you are right… I will pray more about this… God bless