Mortal Sins.

[Being_Brave]

When Christ Jesus was on the cross, he took the entire weight of his body onto the nail in his foot to raise himself just enough to take a painful breath. He did this without hesitation in order to tell a convicted felon,"…today you will be with me in paradise."

The theif didn’t take his last opportunity to confess his sins, he took the opportunity to ask Jesus to remember him. I don’t know if it was because the theif had realized he had done wrong or that he was truely remorseful, but Jesus still forgave him.

God knows our sins. It is our duty to live on Earth as He commanded and to partake in the sacraments (including confession), but it’s always important to understand that at any given moment He already knows our hearts and our sins.

 

[LilyM]

Yes, one unrepentant mortal sin can and will cause a person to go to Hell, regardless of all their good works during life.

Put it this way - the fact that you live a perfectly healthy life free of all illness and injury for 50, 80 or 100 years won’t prevent a bullet or poison from killing you if you have a ‘moment of weakness’ and decide to take your own life.

Mortal sins are just like that - bullets or poison that kill your soul stone dead. And choosing to sin mortally is the spiritual equivalent of suicide.