Mortal Sin vs. God hearing prayers

[WhiteDove359]

I read in a book, purgatory by John Salza, and various other sources, that if someone is in Mortal sin, that God can not hear your prayers…now I need clarification. Does this mean that it is impossible for God to hear our prayers…or…God refuses to here our prayers…or…God doesent want to here our prayers?

also…So is it pointless to pray then if your in Mortal Sin? Like, what is the point in praying, if no one is around to listen (God). I just have a hard time beleaveing that God cant and refuses to here your prayers, or anser them, no matter what knid of sin your in. because if jesus was here on Earth, and he happens to go to…say a Bus stop. and he had to pic who to sit next to and speak with…the person in the state of grace, or the sinner…would God not pick the sinner? Doesent the Lord go out and try to rescue the 1 sheep who hasfallen away out of the 100?

I guess I kind of feel like its pointless to pray if your in mortal sin…and that the o nly way to God to here you, is if you go to confession…

does this also mean that when you pray the Rosary, that if your in mortal sin, that Mary also can not here you? I need clarification…I hope… I sincearly hope im wrong, because if Im wrong then…no offence to them or anything but that would be just awful.

 

[ljubim]

That would be awful!!

I don’t know, but I feel like when you’re in mortal sin, all God would do is point you to confession. I’ve experienced myself, and based on what I know today, there was zero divine inspirations during that time, just the ever repetitive need for confession every time I thought about God. But it sort of feels like He led me there… not so sure about hearing my prayers but it felt like He did (more like directed, purposeful thoughts - I really didn’t pray back then.)

 

[bnbkaine]

This is the second post about John Salza. I am now convinced that he is operating heavy machinery without a licence.

God can hear your prayers even when you don’t know you are praying them and they are never pointless. That being said, any *merit *you receive for the prayer is not given to you. So, for instance, you are in a state of mortal sin and you pray that your mom can find her car keys so she can get to work, God can answer the prayer, but the benefit that you receive from praying for someone else is put in “trust” until you amend yourself to God.

If you look in the Old Testament, there were plenty of times the Israelites were “doing what was evil in the sight of God”; however, God still spoke to them and answered their prayers.

God is not awful and if something sounds awful and it is attributed to God, then there is something fishy going on.

 

[Marc_Anthony]

God has to be able to hear our prayers even when we’re in a state of mortal sin because when we say a perfect (done out of love of God rather than fear of Hell) act of contrition, which is of course a prayer, God will forgive us of even our mortal sins provided our intention is to get to Reconciliation as soon as reasonably possible. This is important because if we die after having said a perfect act of contrition but before we can receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation we will still go to Heaven at least eventually (there’s still Purgatory to deal with). So yes, God does indeed listen to our prayers even when in mortal sin.

 

[prodigalson12]

This is the second post about John Salza. I am now convinced that he is operating heavy machinery without a licence.

Yeah, he’s way, way off the mark here, and being bold enough to publish a book under some supposed of Christian authority is far worse then simply stating an opinion. The devil will always tell you that you aren’t good enough for prayer, you aren’t holy enough to serve others, you aren’t this or that, God won’t hear you, God doesn’t care, etc., anything he can do to prevent you from maintaining your relationship with our Lord, and that statement is a classic example. When someone is perfect, let me know how their prayers go, till then, am grateful for the grace of prayer’s heard and answered to us no matter what state of being we are in.

 

[NeedImprovement]

…

I guess I kind of feel like its pointless to pray if your in mortal sin…and that the o nly way to God to here you, is if you go to confession…

does this also mean that when you pray the Rosary, that if your in mortal sin, that Mary also can not here you? I need clarification…I hope… I sincearly hope im wrong, because if Im wrong then…no offence to them or anything but that would be just awful.

Don’t let him fool you into having thoughts like that.

To continue with bnbkaine’s analogy…if it’s heavy machinery John Salza is operating, there are definitely some screws and bolts which aren’t torqued down to specifications.

St Augustine said God hears the cry of our hearts before we even repent; ergo way before we get to Confession. It would also mean that our own guardian Angel would stop praying for us each time we had mortally sinned - when it is all the more likely that during those moments he prays all the more intensely.

Some consoling food for thought can be found in Jesus’ words to St. Faustina of the Divine Mercy :

thedivinemercy.org/news/story.php?NID=3125

Jesus: My mercy is greater than your sins and those of the entire world. Who can measure the extent of my goodness? For you I descended from heaven to earth; for you I allowed myself to be nailed to the cross; for you I let my Sacred Heart be pierced with a lance, thus opening wide the source of mercy for you. Come, then…"

and

trustandmercy.com/divinemercy/jesusdesiresandpromises

“Say unceasingly the Chaplet that I have taught you. Whoever will recite it will receive great mercy at the hour of death. Priests will recommend it to sinners as their last hope of salvation. Even if there were a sinner most hardened, if he were to recite this chaplet only once, he would receive grace from My infinite mercy.” (Diary 687)

So considering that if the most hardened sinner prayed that chaplet only once, he would receive grace , how can God be deaf if He’s granting grace.

As for the Rosary, the answer is right there in the prayer: “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at…”

A practical example: A mother with children is living with another who is not her husband - imagine for ourselves whatever circumstances it takes to form a scenario that they are living in serious sin. Now if that mother sends her child off to school in the morning praying, “Please God, protect my little one from all who/that would harm her or him today.” Do we really think God wouldn’t hear that prayer while He also was watching the little one going to school ?

Here’s where John Salza’s machinery would seize up completely :

He says if someone is in mortal sin, God cannot hear their prayers. So then obviously if someone has committed some venial sins and or is in a state of grace, God can hear their prayers … bull !

This would mean that there has to be a defining line somewhere in between mortal and venial sin where God automatically becomes deaf. But there are big venial sins and there are less serious mortal sins. Mr. Salza would never be able to draw that actual line because there are also habitual sinners for whom there exists a mitigating character concerning imputation of guilt.

Jesus also told St. Faustina : “My Mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity.” It’s never a good idea for someone to try and impose limits on that Mercy.

 

[choy]

being in state of mortal sin, you are separated from God. but is it total separation? not until you are dead. as long as we are alive, we have an opportunity to make amends and God does hear our prayers, always

 

[yinekka]

I read in a book, purgatory by John Salza, and various other sources, that if someone is in Mortal sin, that God can not hear your prayers

Did Mr Salza give any sources for the opinion he expressed?
Did the various other sources give any sources for the opinions they expressed?

I had a look at Mr Salza’s website and it would appear that he has done alot of study but when it comes down to it he is giving what he thinks is the correct interpretation of Church teaching just as the rest of us give what we think is the correct interpretation of Church teaching. Mr Salza could be wrong.

bnbkaine said:

God can hear your prayers even when you don’t know you are praying them and they are never pointless. That being said, any merit you receive for the prayer is not given to you. So, for instance, you are in a state of mortal sin and you pray that your mom can find her car keys so she can get to work, God can answer the prayer, but the benefit that you receive from praying for someone else is put in “trust” until you amend yourself to God.

bnbkaine is correct in saying that God can hear our prayers even when we are in mortal sin but I am not sure that we can intercede for others if we are in the state of mortal sin. I think I read this in Apologetics and Catholic Doctrine but couldn’t find it when I did a quick search so don’t take my comment as if it was set in stone.

As Marc said an act of perfect contrition can remove even the stain of mortal sin; remembering that we must also resolve to go to confession as soon as possible, but we can’t be sure that we have made an act of perfect contrition so it is better to go along to sacramental confession.