Did I mortally sin?

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steph222

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I’m a new Catholic and so I would like help knowing whether I committed a mortal sin last night. It was an hour and a half after I went to bed and I started getting frustrated with my husband. If it hadn’t been super late, this wouldn’t have happened but we started having a stupid argument (nothing important, can’t even remember what it was about). I got frustrated and said the inappropriate version of Gosh darnit. I thought before I said it “I shouldn’t say this” but I did and then stormed out of the room. I think I committed a mortal sin since I knew that it was wrong before I did it.

I was received into the Church a month ago and since then have been to confession almost every week. I want to make sure that I am not going too often and/or being scrupulous. What do you think?

I am not asking because I don’t want to confess. It will be in my next confession regardless. I am just asking because I did not receive communion today and I am not planning to take communion tomorrow but of course I would like to if I’m not seeing this clearly…

Thanks in advance.
 
If this happened to me I would examine my conscience about my part in the fight and also saying the word … depending on how badly I’d hurt my spouse’s feelings and how much I felt I had deliberately disrespected God’s name by saying that word, I’d probably really want to go to confession soon to ask for forgiveness. I’d feel really guilty, but my instinct would not be that it was hands down a mortal sin - humans who live together are going to fight, and we say things in the heat of the moment. I don’t think it’s tantamount to rejecting God from your soul. But a person can never judge for another person what is mortal or not.

And if you are new to confession it takes a long time to get a feel for the venial/mortal distinction - just do your best and God will lead to the wisdom to know the difference.
 
steph222 said:
I’m a new Catholic and so I would like help knowing whether I committed a mortal sin last night. It was an hour and a half after I went to bed and I started getting frustrated with my husband. If it hadn’t been super late, this wouldn’t have happened but we started having a stupid argument (nothing important, can’t even remember what it was about). I got frustrated and said the inappropriate version of Gosh darnit. I thought before I said it “I shouldn’t say this” but I did and then stormed out of the room. I think I committed a mortal sin since I knew that it was wrong before I did it.

I was received into the Church a month ago and since then have been to confession almost every week. I want to make sure that I am not going too often and/or being scrupulous. What do you think?

I am not asking because I don’t want to confess. It will be in my next confession regardless. I am just asking because I did not receive communion today and I am not planning to take communion tomorrow but of course I would like to if I’m not seeing this clearly…

Thanks in advance.
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Much has been said here on the topic of mortal sin…

Lets just look for a moment at the ‘full knowledge’ and full consent…

Did you think at the time that “this would be” a mortal sin (think it was grave matter…not necessarily the words per se ) and then seeing this go ahead and do it? give full consent?

For a mortal sin one needs all three aspects.
 
I asked it this way because I want to speak in general like i did in the last post --not so much about the thing itself --but how to ask your self the right questions and examine things in general …

There is a difference in “knowing something is a sin” and knowing or even thinking something can be a mortal sin…etc

Even if one has a grave matter…say one lied in court under oath…

You have to ask what did you know at the time and did you give full consent?
From the Compendium of the Catechism:
  1. How are sins distinguished according to their gravity?
1854

A distinction is made between mortal and venial sin.
  1. When does one commit a mortal sin?
1855-1861
1874

One commits a mortal sin when there are simultaneously present: grave matter, full knowledge, and deliberate consent. This sin destroys charity in us, deprives us of sanctifying grace, and, if unrepented, leads us to the eternal death of hell. It can be forgiven in the ordinary way by means of the sacraments of Baptism and of Penance or Reconciliation.
  1. When does one commit a venial sin?
1862-1864
1875

One commits a venial sin, which is essentially different from a mortal sin, when the matter involved is less serious or, even if it is grave, when full knowledge or complete consent are absent. Venial sin does not break the covenant with God but it weakens charity and manifests a disordered affection for created goods. It impedes the progress of a soul in the exercise of the virtues and in the practice of moral good. It merits temporal punishment which purifies.

…

and touching on the anger…

anger can happen pretty quick and one can just say stupid things…

Since you are new… perhaps show up at Mass at the end tomorrow (you can make an act of contrition out of love of God tonight intending to confess when reseasonablely possible) and ask the priest to hear your confession …he can help you form your conscience …but make sure you say you are not sure it was mortal …for if we are doubtful we need to say so…and we…and if you doubt it was a sin at all…make sure you include something that was a sin for sure. He can help you determine the gravity of your sins too

this sin and others. That way you can also ask questions and continue forming your conscience as to what is grave matter…what is venial matter and what is no sin at all.

of course our focus should be on following Christ…and walking in love…etc.
 
Now regarding Holy Communion. usccb.org/liturgy/current/intercom.shtml

One may not receive if one is “conscious” of an unconfessed “mortal sin”.

So one must make a judgment of conscience in light of course of the Church’s teaching …and informed by it --in this regards. See what I posted from the Compendium and also read the Catechism.

Venial sin does not prevent one …or even doubtful sins actually (by definition).
 
Saying simply his name, in the wrong context is a sin, even if it’s light hearted. It’s about showing clear reverence to him, not even going to the point of even joking around with it, can be taken into context with this venial sin. So, if you are saying just God, without the superfulative, it’s still the same as adding it. That’s the nature of this particular sin, and it’s often misinterpreted scripturally.

The commandment stands though, though shalt not take his name in vain. The problem is, we have slurred it into being taken in vain with almost no thought about it at all, it’s done all of the time through all of our media, so being so saturated with it, we naturally listening to it, pick up upon it and say it, without knowing the full implications of what we are doing, which in turn makes it no longer a mortal sin. Those muslims that were torching Coptic churches and attacking Christian’s in Egypt recently, for example, were using his name very much in vain as well by chanting it while they were performing those evil acts, those were clear mortal sins, and that’s the more dead center, direct interpretation of that particular commandment, scriptural wise.

I’m going to create a thread along this and profanity, I feel it’s kind of needed right now.

Peace, hope this helps.
 
Thank you so much everyone! These answers really helped.

God bless you all.
 
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