Excommunicated

[ServusChristi]

Fashina86:

When you commit a mortal sin, you are cut completely off from God’s grace. This is why you need to frequent Confession. If you recieve the Blessed Sacrament in the state of mortal sin, you are commiting a sacralige and you are commiting another mortal sin… this is very bad… when in doubt go to Confession!

God Bless–JMJ
Laura

Laura,

That is not true. When someone commits mortal sin they are no longer in a state of grace but it does not completely cut them off from God’s grace. If that were so it would be impossible for one to be forgiven once they fall into sin.

Infact, if the mortal sinner was completely cut off from God’s grace it would be impossible for him to repent, since repentance is inspired by grace. Thus the sinner would be incapable of even seeking to confess their sins.

Pax tecum,
Ryan

 

[Fashina86]

Then, is just their sanctifying grace taken away? One teacher told me that when you commit a mortal sin, the grace you gained through works of mercy or the like, is taken away and your friendship with God is competely severed until receiving Confession. I am confused…

God Bless–JMJ
Laura

 

[Matt16_18]

Most Reverend Louis Lavoire Morrow, S.T.D.
Bishop of Krishnagar

My Catholic Faith, A Manual of Religion
"Catholics who have committed grave sins such as murder, arson, adultery, etc., are still members of the Catholic Church. As long as a Catholic *does not deny a doctrine * of the Catholic Faith, or is not excommunicated, he is a member of the Church.

Catholics guilty of mortal sin are deprived of sanctifying grace, the life of the soul. Nevertheless they remain members, and have the privilege of receiving the sacraments to wash away their sins."

 

[ServusChristi]

Fashina86:

Then, is just their sanctifying grace taken away? One teacher told me that when you commit a mortal sin, the grace you gained through works of mercy or the like, is taken away and your friendship with God is competely severed until receiving Confession. I am confused…

God Bless–JMJ
Laura

Sanctifying grace is lost through mortal sin. What I took issue with is when you said that one is completely cut off from God’s grace. According to Saint Thomas Aquinas in the* Summa*, one is not even capable of repenting unless it is through the grace of God. Therefore, if one was indeed completely cut off it would be impossible for anyone to escape from mortal sin once falling into it.

I hope that clears things up.

Pax tecum,
Ryan

 

[Matt16_18]

ServusChristi:

Sanctifying grace is lost through mortal sin. What I took issue with is when you said that one is completely cut off from God’s grace. According to Saint Thomas Aquinas in the* Summa*, one is not even capable of repenting unless it is through the grace of God. Therefore, if one was indeed completely cut off it would be impossible for anyone to escape from mortal sin once falling into it.

I hope that clears things up.

Pax tecum,
Ryan

It would help clear things up if you distinguished between actual grace and sanctifying grace.

Mortal sin does indeed cause the complete loss of all sanctifying grace within the soul. But God can still give a person in a state of mortal sin the actual grace that would convict the person of their sinfulness. Grace isn’t always a “warm fuzzy”, sometimes the guilt and discomfort that we feel is the action of actual grace. Grace can be quite painful, but that pain is good if it drives us to be reconciled to God.