How far does intent get you?

[BrooklynBoy200]

I’m sure this has been discussed before, so forgive me for bringing it up again, but it’s quite hard to find the old threads sometimes.

I feel a bit stupid for asking this, as it seems like it would be basic knowledge for any Catholic. I’m wondering how far intent actually counts toward sin. Obviously it’s very important, and i’m familiar with the three requirements of mortal sin. I’m just not informed as to whether the sin must actually be committed. If somebody intends to commit a sin that is grave matter, and he has full knowledge of this but still intends to do it, but then doesn’t (not because he resisted the temptation, but because the opportunity to commit the sin had past), is this a mortal sin?

 

[jrsmith]

It’ll get you to hell

 

[Mumbles140]

Remember that the action itself must be also sinful, so I’ve always believed that if you did not commit the action (whether through your own interference or due to external circumstances), then you could not have sinned since no action was done. I always looked at an interruption to prevent the action as a chance from God to turn away, and I don’t think sin could come out of that.

However, I agree with jrsmith that it will get you to Hell if you continue harboring those thoughts and plans inside of you. Let them go and open your heart to the Lord. If you continue to have them, pray to God for the relievement of temptation and malicious thoughts

 

[Joe_Kelley]

Matthew 5:28

But I say to you that every one who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

 

[Hlafdige]

Postponing action on a sinful desire until the opportunity for sin has passed is a legitimate way of dealing with temptation, if you can‘t muster the perfect charity that would drive out the desire to sin. I think this is what St. Therese meant when her sister Celine, who was a novice in the convent when Therese was mistress of novices, complained to her of a problem she was unable to overcome. Therese told her in essence: Overcoming hindrances is something the great can do, we little ones sometimes just have to sneak in underneath them by directing our attention away from them until they cease to be a problem.

There is a story in the Sayings of the Fathers about two monks who were tempted to break their monastic vows. They agreed in the winter, „Next summer we‘ll leave,“ and in the summer, „Let‘s just stick it out till winter.“ They did this for fifty years until the temptation to abandon their vocation left them.