Is it a sin to not try for graces when you could get them?

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Is it a sin to not try for graces when you could get them?

That is, if you could get some grace, is it bad not to do so?
 
I have no idea what you mean and I don’t know how to get grace, except what I already have as a child of God, what would I do to get it.
 
fakename said:
Is it a sin to not try for graces when you could get them?

That is, if you could get some grace, is it bad not to do so?
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I’ve wondered that myself. (I’m assuming you mean indulgences, etc.?) I hope someone with knowledge will answer.
 
I’m not sure what you mean exactly. Do you mean not trying to get a plenary indulgence when you have the opportunity? Or do you mean not going to Sunday Mass? The first one is not a sin, the second one is a mortal sin but only when you miss it knowingly, willingly and without serious reason. For something to be mortally sinful, three conditions need to be met: it must be grave matter, you need to do it knowing full well that it is sinful, and you need to do it with full consent of the will.
 
We can all recieve graces or blessings everyday. We can also try to recieve indulgences. Not going to mass defiantely a sin. Not fasting so we can recieve the Eucharist when we go to mass, definately missing out on some graces.

We can get graces or blessings from praying the rosary, Divine Mercy Chaplet etc but not getting around to it is not a sin.
 
fakename said:
Is it a sin to not try for graces when you could get them?

That is, if you could get some grace, is it bad not to do so?
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Wow…you may not be culpable, but I am not a doctor. Grace is given.
 
That’s right grace is a gift.

Or Fakename do you mean skills etc?
 
I think I know what OP means. Let’s say I overeat as a way to comfort myself, is it wrong if I don’t ask God the specific grace to stop that specific behaviour because envisioning life without that compensation is not pleasant. Now I know what OP means, but I don’t have the foggiest idea if it’s a sin to do so. I think St. Augustine had the same kind of hesitation when it came to his sexual continence.
 
I’ve wondered that myself. (I’m assuming you mean indulgences, etc.?) I hope someone with knowledge will answer.
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Yes this is one thing I’m wondering about. But I also include things like not praying to avoid some thing that one needs to avoid, within the scope of the question.

To some extent it is perhaps not a sin since if it was, then it would be a sin not to constantly pray or it would be a sin not to become a monk if you could, or it would be a sin not to go to confession as much as possible.
 
Indulgences 101

The Church is a living thing. The nature of our life is that there are well intended attempts at doing the will of God which are found to be in error. The Councils of the Church address the specific errors of a specific time.

After the dark ages Kings began to form working societies. The Church had adopted confession of sins and had gone so far as listing specific penance for each sin. Thus for Murder you would wear sack cloth and ashes for one year. Also at about this time the Church began to formulate the teaching on purgatory for remission of sins for which the proscribed penance had not been completed.

The Church gave permission, as was very common, for penance to be done by someone other than the sinner. This developed into Kings paying the poor to perform penance for them. So, if I were a King and wanted to Murder my brother I could pay 365 people to wear sack cloth and ashes for one day and be forgiven. If the King can do it so can the subjects, so penance for the poor souls evolves.

If i can do penance for others, what if I do it and have no remaining penance for my sins and want to “save up” in case I die without benefit of confession? Bingo…indulgence.

This idea grew till we get the Selling of Indulgences so Bishops can get rich. Currently it is anathema to sell indulgence or the celebration of Sacraments. This was not always the case. (Trent)

Intention is the key. If you perform acts with the intention of “gaining favor” in the form of an indulgence, which you view as a “ticket” to heaven, that isn’t good. If, on the other hand, you act so as to conform your will to that of God and use the pious practices with indulgence attached then the indulgence is subordinate to the will of God and that would be OK.
 
any other answers now that I’ve specified what I’m asking?
 
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