Did the Saints still sin after their conversion?

[roseofshannon]

Did the saints continue to struggle with any serious sins after their initial conversion?

You know, kind of like the rest of us, struggle…fall…repent…learn…pray for grace…repeat…with a longer time in between until they eventually win the battle.

Or was it a done deal and no matter how much satan provoked or tempted them, they had the grace and strength to resist?

 

[Sarcelle]

I read in St. Faustina’s diary Jesus telling her that whenever she sinned not to lose a moment’s peace but immerse herself in the ocean of His mercy.

Sainthood is the calling of everyone, not a select few. It may be true that only a few may answer the call and persevere until the end but Sainthood is open to all of us.

 

[Catholic1954]

Only the Mother of God is sinless; the rest of us will commit sin until we die. Fortunately, our Merciful God has given us many resources to help overcome our faults.

 

[AnneElizabeth]

Did the saints continue to struggle with any serious sins after their initial conversion?

You know, kind of like the rest of us, struggle…fall…repent…learn…pray for grace…repeat…with a longer time in between until they eventually win the battle.

Or was it a done deal and no matter how much satan provoked or tempted them, they had the grace and strength to resist?

I’m not so sure that conversion is always a “lightning bolt” moment. Sometimes, its seems, it is an eventual thing that could take many years… I’m thinking about St. Augustine’s noted utterance… “Lord make me pure, but not yet”. I heard St. Jerome had a temper and a sharp tongue towards others (personally, i don’t find that so sinful as even Jesus spoke harshly to some who needed that reprimand. ) This was all during a time when he was attributed with saintly actions, so… yeah.

I believe conversion is a life long thing. They don’t call it the ‘faith walk’ for nothing. Only God protects a person from Satan. "There but for the grace of God go I. " We need Jesus.

 

[ChibiViolet]

Conversion is supposed to be a life-long process…as for struggling with mortal sins, it really shouldn’t be a struggle for those who love God and don’t want to leave Him…but it is…at least for some of us…

 

[dmftx]

We can hope and work to live sinless but to sin is not going to exclude us from God’s grace or love. This is a journey.

 

[Simca]

I think of Saint Paul’s words,
"Oh wretched man that I am! The good that I long to do, I do not do, but that which I do not want to do, I do. Who will rescue me from this? Thanks be to God for his mercy through Jesus Christ’’

(paraphrased)

If it weren’t for God’s mercy, we’d all be in a hopeless state.

 

[dmftx]

Did the saints continue to struggle with any serious sins after their initial conversion?

You know, kind of like the rest of us, struggle…fall…repent…learn…pray for grace…repeat…with a longer time in between until they eventually win the battle.

Or was it a done deal and no matter how much satan provoked or tempted them, they had the grace and strength to resist?

I think that DAILY perseverance is the key for all of us.

 

[TarkanAttila]

Did the saints continue to struggle with any serious sins after their initial conversion?

You know, kind of like the rest of us, struggle…fall…repent…learn…pray for grace…repeat…with a longer time in between until they eventually win the battle.

Or was it a done deal and no matter how much satan provoked or tempted them, they had the grace and strength to resist?

When would they have become “saints” and stopped being tempted?

There is a reason we only start the cause for canonisation after a people are dead. There is no assurance of Heaven or Hell until you are dead. (With one or two exceptions, chief among them the Blessed Virgin. But those are very rare circumstances, of course.)

 

[mh2007]

Venial sins, of course. The human condition is flawed, fundamentally. Saints and others live examined lives in order to stay on track and live good lives. The ego has a way of battling the soul.