Is it exceeding difficult for a good or nominal Catholic to commit mortal sin?

[AnonymousPrayer]

have you ever heard of the seven leagues of heaven…

“you will be as happy as you deserve to be”

 

[Athanasiy]

Every one of us is like Kain , who had a sin at the door , but Kain should be the ruler not the sin.
No body has assurance from the commit the sin , we just need God’s Mercy not to fall in it.

 

[Genesis315]

I found a good answer to this question in the writings of St. Robert Bellarmine:

Similarly those who sin in the malice of their hearts may always plead their ignorance, which is nevertheless not an excuse for their sin since it does not precede it but accompanies it. Wherefore the Wise Man says, " They err who work iniquity."[16] The Philosopher likewise with truth proclaims every evil-doer to be ignorant of what he does, and consequently it may ingeniously be said of sinners in general, “They know not what they do.” For no one can desire that which is wicked on the ground of its wickedness, because the will of man does not tend to what is bad as well as what is good, but solely to what is good, and for this reason those who make choice of what is bad do so because the object is presented to them under the aspect of something good, and may thus be chosen. This results from the disquietude of the inferior part of the soul which blinds the reason and renders it incapable of distinguishing anything but what is good in the object it seeks. Thus the man who commits adultery or is guilty of a theft perpetrates these crimes because he looks only to the pleasure or the gain which may result, and he would not perpetrate them if his passions had not blinded him to the shameful infamy of the one and the injustice of the other. Hence a sinner is like to a man who wishes to throw himself from an eminence into a river; he first shuts his eyes and then casts himself headlong; so he who does an evil act hates the light, and labours under a voluntary ignorance which does not exculpate him, because it is voluntary.

1. Prov. iv. 22
   cfpeople.org/Books/7Words/7Wordsp2.htm#T2

 

[setter]

I found a good answer to this question in the writings of St. Robert Bellarmine:

Similarly those who sin in the malice of their hearts may always plead their ignorance, which is nevertheless not an excuse for their sin since it does not precede it but accompanies it. Wherefore the Wise Man says, " They err who work iniquity."[16] The Philosopher likewise with truth proclaims every evil-doer to be ignorant of what he does, and consequently it may ingeniously be said of sinners in general, “They know not what they do.” For no one can desire that which is wicked on the ground of its wickedness, because the will of man does not tend to what is bad as well as what is good, but solely to what is good, and for this reason those who make choice of what is bad do so because the object is presented to them under the aspect of something good, and may thus be chosen. This results from the disquietude of the inferior part of the soul which blinds the reason and renders it incapable of distinguishing anything but what is good in the object it seeks. Thus the man who commits adultery or is guilty of a theft perpetrates these crimes because he looks only to the pleasure or the gain which may result, and he would not perpetrate them if his passions had not blinded him to the shameful infamy of the one and the injustice of the other. Hence a sinner is like to a man who wishes to throw himself from an eminence into a river; he first shuts his eyes and then casts himself headlong; so he who does an evil act hates the light, and labours under a voluntary ignorance which does not exculpate him, because it is voluntary.

1. Prov. iv. 22
   cfpeople.org/Books/7Words/7Wordsp2.htm#T2

Thanks for this useful and relevent excerpt. I agree, that many folks simply turn a blind eye to the consequences of sin or are too captivated by the immediate pleasures of sin.

I find it an interesting and revealing corrolary that now adays when the possibility of sending one’s self to hell through unrepentent sin choices is pointed out, that many folks attempt to coach you in the love and mercy of God to the exclusion of His justice, as if mercy trumps justice.These same folks most often also snide you for holding such an archaic conception of a condemning God keeping a score card in heaven. I believe that many Catholics are in need of maturing in their faith, not become more sophisticated or current.

 

[otjm]

Thanks for this useful and relevent excerpt. I agree, that many folks simply turn a blind eye to the consequences of sin or are too captivated by the immediate pleasures of sin.

I find it an interesting and revealing corrolary that now adays when the possibility of sending one’s self to hell through unrepentent sin choices is pointed out, that many folks attempt to coach you in the love and mercy of God to the exclusion of His justice, as if mercy trumps justice.These same folks most often also snide you for holding such an archaic conception of a condemning God keeping a score card in heaven. I believe that many Catholics are in need of maturing in their faith, not become more sophisticated or current.

I agree that too many people have taken “Mercy trumps Justice” too far. However, the scene of the Good Thief on the cross certainly lends credit to the the issue. The question seems to be, what is mercy and how is it applied; not that it doesn’t trump justice, but how it does.

The popular misconception is that it simply over-rules all justice. The Good Thief scene appears to say that true repentance is the vehicle through which Mercy is applied. It would appear that those of whom you are speaking don’t understand the connection.