Mortal sin?

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pgnat1

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I should probably be asking my confessor this, but he is on retreat and cannot respond for the week. I was watching Rick’s Restoration on History Channel, and decided to close my eyes. During this period of closing my eyes, I was still conscious and listening to the show, just not watching it. At the end of the episode, I heard Rick’s wife or girlfriend’s (not sure which it is) voice. I decided to look at the show because I heard her voice, and I guess I was trying to see if she was attractive or not? I don’t believe I had intent of lusting over her, just looking at her… Can someone help me discern if I committed a mortal sin, specifically the sin of lust?
 
Also, I should make it known I have been scrupulous towards topics regarding lust and things of that nature. My confessor and I constantly talk about attractiveness and admiring beauty vs. lust. He has given me good (name removed by moderator)ut and explanations, just I am not sure about this one, and he is not available for the week.
 
Not a sin to just look at someone. You see people all day, every day and do you think you have the sin of lust by that? Seeing someone isn’t lusting after them.
 
Pop quiz: What three conditions must together be met for a sin to be mortal?

Let me look that up for you in the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
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.”
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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.” 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.
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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 heart do not diminish, but rather increase, the voluntary character of a sin.
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From what you wrote, I doubt this was grave. In particular, it is not clear that there was lust. Also I doubt there was deliberate consent. When an idea just pops into your mind, at first it is not deliberate. If you develop the thought for a while, perhaps deliberate consent comes into play. In my opinion, you did not commit a sin on this occasion, and certainly not a mortal sin. If you are not convinced, discuss it with your confessor when you next have the opportunity. pgnat1, be at peace!
 
Taken from a very reputable book from the 19th century called *The Way of Interior Peace *by Fr. Eduard Lehen, pg. 99:

“To a mortal sin belong three points: 1st. Weighty matter; – a jesting lie, for example or a vain, self-conceited thought, is not sufficient for a mortal sin. 2d. Full knowledge of the evil; that is, the deliberate consciousness that what one does is a mortal sin. This excludes all cases in which the sin proceeds from surprise, or in which the soul is not full master of her powers; as, for example, in half-slumber, and the like. 3d. Full consent of the will to that which the understanding knows to be mortal sin. As long as the consent remains imperfect, or we are conscious of a certain hesitancy, a deferring, or a reproach of conscience in consequence of our neglect in combating the temptation, the sin is only venial.”

I hope this helps.
 
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