Help with what is "grave" matter

[AnneTeresa]

can’t figure out what grave matter is by what the catechism says…

1858 Grave matter is specified by the Ten Commandments, corresponding to the answer of Jesus to the rich young man: "Do not kill, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and your mother."132 The gravity of sins is more or less great: murder is graver than theft. One must also take into account who is wronged: violence against parents is in itself graver than violence against a stranger.

The thing that confuses me is that the commandment might say “do not kill” or “do not commit adultery” but there are lots of other sins that fall in each category that aren’t really killing or adultery. For example, “do not kill,” does that mean that getting really angry and wanting revenge is included and is therefore mortal (if the other conditions are met)?

Likewise for “do not commit adultery,” does that mean that if you sin sexually with yourself or with pornography that it is mortal (if the other conditions are met? Same for all the commandments.

If we go by the Sermon on the Mount and how the new law makes the commandments even harder to follow than the old law (i.e., thinking lustful thoughts is adultery according to Jesus), does that mean then that thinking lustful thoughts is a mortal sin if the other conditions are met? Same for sins under all the other commandments. Why this matters is that I sometimes need to know if I am in a state of mortal sin or if it’s ok to receive the Eucharist.

I would really appreciate any help in understanding this!

 

[Bookcat]

can’t figure out what grave matter is by what the catechism says…

1858 Grave matter is specified by the Ten Commandments, corresponding to the answer of Jesus to the rich young man: "Do not kill, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and your mother."132 The gravity of sins is more or less great: murder is graver than theft. One must also take into account who is wronged: violence against parents is in itself graver than violence against a stranger.

The thing that confuses me is that the commandment might say “do not kill” or “do not commit adultery” but there are lots of other sins that fall in each category that aren’t really killing or adultery. For example, “do not kill,” does that mean that getting really angry and wanting revenge is included and is therefore mortal (if the other conditions are met)?

Yes…anger can be a grave matter.…it can gravely go against charity and justice…like for example if one desires to seriously hurt someone…or kill them…

or it can be venial…like one get angry with ones husband a little cause he did not take out the trash like he said he would (many things can be venial…)

Likewise for “do not commit adultery,” does that mean that if you sin sexually with yourself or with pornography that it is mortal (if the other conditions are met? Same for all the commandments.

yes…such is grave matter. Or lustful thoughts…etc

yes all the commandments have grave matter …there can often be venial matter too though

If we go by the Sermon on the Mount and how the new law makes the commandments even harder to follow than the old law (i.e., thinking lustful thoughts is adultery according to Jesus), does that mean then that thinking lustful thoughts is a mortal sin if the other conditions are met? Same for sins under all the other commandments. Why this matters is that I sometimes need to know if I am in a state of mortal sin or if it’s ok to receive the Eucharist.

I would really appreciate any help in understanding this!

yes.

and yes…if one thinks thoughts of murder (not the customary "I am going to kill him! expression)…such is grave matter.

Jesus yes…took things deeper…showed the depths of reality etc…but he also gave us the Holy Spirit…by whom we can live the commandments!..we are in Christ by baptism …a new creation! Children of God …we have the grace to follow Christ and to love.

yes if one commits a sin that is grave matter…and does so with full knowledge and deliberate consent…such is a mortal sin…and one would need to go to confession…before Communion…

 

[Bookcat]

Some examples from the Catechism:

2303 Deliberate hatred is contrary to charity. Hatred of the neighbor is a sin when one deliberately wishes him evil. Hatred of the neighbor is a grave sin when one deliberately desires him grave harm. “But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.”

2302 By recalling the commandment, “You shall not kill,” our Lord asked for peace of heart and denounced murderous anger and hatred as immoral.

Anger is a desire for revenge. “To desire vengeance in order to do evil to someone who should be punished is illicit,” but it is praiseworthy to impose restitution “to correct vices and maintain justice.” If anger reaches the point of a deliberate desire to kill or seriously wound a neighbor, it is gravely against charity; it is a mortal sin. The Lord says, “Everyone who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment.”

CCC 2181 “…the faithful are obligated to participate in the Eucharist on days of obligation, unless excused for a serious reason…Those who deliberately fail in this obligation commit a grave sin.”

by the way “grave sin” “serious sin” and “mortal sin” are used interchangably.

 

[Bookcat]

Catechism:

III. The Different Kinds of Sins

1852 There are a great many kinds of sins. Scripture provides several lists of them. the Letter to the Galatians contrasts the works of the flesh with the fruit of the Spirit: "Now the works of the flesh are plain: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God."127

1853 Sins can be distinguished according to their objects, as can every human act; or according to the virtues they oppose, by excess or defect; or according to the commandments they violate. They can also be classed according to whether they concern God, neighbor, or oneself; they can be divided into spiritual and carnal sins, or again as sins in thought, word, deed, or omission. the root of sin is in the heart of man, in his free will, according to the teaching of the Lord: "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a man."128 But in the heart also resides charity, the source of the good and pure works, which sin wounds.

 

[Bookcat]

Compendium of the Catechism (issued by Pope Benedict XVI)

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.

 

[Bookcat]

Of course it is important to avoid mortal sins…and deliberate venial sins…but it si of course important to remember too the why and that it is not just of course about folliowing rules…that our focus is on Christ…following him…living with him living Charity…to grow in holiness…virtue…in the interior life…in love with God etc

(not to say that you are not focused well…but just thought to add this for all readers)

"In his first public interview after having been elected Pope, the Holy Father summarized his deepest wish both for young people and for the entire world: “I want them to understand that it is beautiful to be a Christian! The generally prevailing idea is that Christians have to observe an immense number of commandments, prohibitions, precepts, and other such restrictions, so that Christianity is a heavy and oppressive way of living, and it would therefore be more liberating to live without all these burdens. But I would like to make it clear that to be sustained by this great Love and God’s sublime revelation is not a burden, but rather a set of wings—that it is truly beautiful to be a Christian. It is an experience that gives us room to breathe and move, but most of all, it places us within a community since, as Christians, we are never alone: first of all, there is God, who is always with us; secondly, we are always forming a great community among ourselves: a community of people together on a journey, a community with a project for the future. All of this means that we are empowered to live a life worth living. This is the joy of being a Christian: that it is beautiful and right to believe!”[19] vatican.va/roman_curia/secretariat_state/card-bertone/2007/documents/rc_seg-st_20070808_125-cav-colombo_en.html

and

and vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/homilies/2007/documents/hf_ben-xvi_hom_20070908_mariazell_en.html