Mortal sin?

[Kathrin]

I live upstairs from my parents and we got some new windows a while ago and today my Mom came upstairs with window cleaner and we wanted to clean some together so she could put the curtains up.
I was very unmotivated right then and just let her start and my stomach ached and I lay down on the bed and said I just needed to lie down a bit I’d be right up. I just didn’t feel too energetic. So for a while I let her work herself.
I was aware I wasn’t acting too nicely but I lacked the energy. Then I got up and motivated myself and told her I’d do the one on the guestroom because she had done the one in my bedroom. I felt guilty.

Was this a mortal sin, something like not respecting my parents? Because for a few minutes I lay there and let her clean my window?

How do I know something is a mortal sin, or grave matter?

Kathrin

(One main reason I’m asking is that if I want to make it to confession before mass tonight I amy have to cut some other positive/charitative activities short).

 

[w_stewart]

I live upstairs from my parents and we got some new windows a while ago and today my Mom came upstairs with window cleaner and we wanted to clean some together so she could put the curtains up.
I was very unmotivated right then and just let her start and my stomach ached and I lay down on the bed and said I just needed to lie down a bit I’d be right up. I just didn’t feel too energetic. So for a while I let her work herself.
I was aware I wasn’t acting too nicely but I lacked the energy. Then I got up and motivated myself and told her I’d do the one on the guestroom because she had done the one in my bedroom. I felt guilty.

Was this a mortal sin, something like not respecting my parents? Because for a few minutes I lay there and let her clean my window?

How do I know something is a mortal sin, or grave matter?

Kathrin

(One main reason I’m asking is that if I want to make it to confession before mass tonight I amy have to cut some other positive/charitative activities short).

CCC states:

1857 For a sin to be mortal, three conditions must together be met: "Mortal sin is sin whose object is grave matter and which is also committed with full knowledge and deliberate consent."131

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.

1859 Mortal sin requires full knowledge and complete consent. It presupposes knowledge of the sinful character of the act, of its opposition to God’s law. It also implies a consent sufficiently deliberate to be a personal choice. Feigned ignorance and hardness of heart133 do not diminish, but rather increase, the voluntary character of a sin.

Since you do not know that the act you committed was a mortal sin, then the act you committed was not a mortal sin.

 

[Kathrin]

But I think I knew it was a sin in some way.
Ok I admit I tend to be scrupulous. But still, even objectively speaking, I think I should have acted differently.

Just not sure if it’s MORTAL or if it’s just venial, just me being human…

 

[w_stewart]

But I think I knew it was a sin in some way.
Ok I admit I tend to be scrupulous. But still, even objectively speaking, I think I should have acted differently.

Just not sure if it’s MORTAL or if it’s just venial, just me being human…

Your being unsure whether an act is a mortal sin makes your sin not mortal. Remember, in order for a sin to be mortal, 3 conditions must be met and one of these is FULL KNOWLEDGE that a sin is mortal.

 

[Kathrin]

Thanks!

What confused me is this:

“It presupposes knowledge of the sinful character of the act, of its opposition to God’s law.” (CCC)

It doesn’t say “of the mortally sinful character”.

I think my problem is also with knowing whether or not something is grave matter.
For example I asked my Mom afterwards and she said of COURSE it hadn’t been so bad. But then, her eyes are not God’s eyes, God sees how I was feeling.

 

[w_stewart]

Thanks!

What confused me is this:

“It presupposes knowledge of the sinful character of the act, of its opposition to God’s law.” (CCC)

It doesn’t say “of the mortally sinful character”.

I think my problem is also with knowing whether or not something is grave matter.
For example I asked my Mom afterwards and she said of COURSE it hadn’t been so bad. But then, her eyes are not God’s eyes, God sees how I was feeling.

CCC 1859 Mortal sin requires full knowledge and complete consent. It presupposes knowledge of the sinful character of the act, of its opposition to God’s law. It also implies a consent sufficiently deliberate to be a personal choice. Feigned ignorance and hardness of heart133 do not diminish, but rather increase, the voluntary character of a sin.

In context, the sin being referred to here is mortal sin, not just any sin.

 

[Trishie]

Kathrin, you felt unwell. Would you want your mother to clean a window if she had a stomach ache and felt a lack of energy? Would you consider it a sin if the situation was reversed like that! Of course not! You’d want her to rest. And I would be quite upset if my sons made themselves do something for me if they felt at all unwell.

If you stabbed your mother, if you treated her with absolute hate, if you disobeyed her in something serious, that would be serious sin.

Okay so maybe you could have forced yourself to help, but it’s not a mortal sin that you didn’t. Perhaps there was some degree of failure to offer a kindness, only you know that, but you did get up and help her after a little rest…and you made up for it anyway by cleaning the other window yourself. You are being far too hard on yourself.

I hope and pray that you are able to get your guilts into perspective.
Please take good care of yourself.

Warm regards, Trishie