Motivation in avoiding sin

[bpaynter]

The old traditional act of contrition says ‘I am sorry for my sins, because they merit your punishment, because they have crucified Jesus, but above all because they have offended against your infinite goodness.’
The Jesuit father who instructed and received me way back in 1953 explained to me that these reasons were in ascending order of selflessness.

What however is the significance of avoiding a sin through embarrassment at having to confess it? Is this some sort of catering to human respect?

 

[Langdell]

I’ve never thought about this before, but it seems to me that avoiding sin because it’s embarrassing to have to confess it would be less selfless than those listed in the act of contrition. My reasoning is that a desire to avoid embarrassment is an earthly concern, as opposed to the eternal concerns reflected in a desire for Heaven and a fear of Hell.

But that doesn’t mean it’s a bad reason for avoiding sin!

.

 

[bilop]

The old traditional act of contrition says ‘I am sorry for my sins, because they merit your punishment, because they have crucified Jesus, but above all because they have offended against your infinite goodness.’
The Jesuit father who instructed and received me way back in 1953 explained to me that these reasons were in ascending order of selflessness.

What however is the significance of avoiding a sin through embarrassment at having to confess it? Is this some sort of catering to human respect?

Those are reasons for repenting. Embarassment would be a reason to avoid sinning in the first place. Very different things.

There really is no bad reason to avoid sin, as long as you avoid it.

God Bless

 

[camerong]

I actually disagree with the above posts. C.S. Lewis talks about how pride will cause young men to avoid sins because they see such sins as “beneath them.” He talks about how the devil will happily replace one sin with another. When we are embarrassed about our sins, this reflects (to some extent) that we see these sins as beneath us. This is prideful.

The ideal would be to avoid sins not because we think ourselves such good people that sins offend our nature. Instead, we ought to recognize that sin IS our nature, acknowledge that we are decidedly NOT above this, and in that humility, resolve to allow Christ to raise us above them.

That said, I think we can identify something else that is similar but better. One could resolve to avoid a certain sin so that he or she would not have to confess it ever again, with it in mind that by doing so, he would avoid disappointing the priest (and God).

 

[bpaynter]

I actually disagree with the above posts. C.S. Lewis talks about how pride will cause young men to avoid sins because they see such sins as “beneath them.” He talks about how the devil will happily replace one sin with another. When we are embarrassed about our sins, this reflects (to some extent) that we see these sins as beneath us. This is prideful.

The ideal would be to avoid sins not because we think ourselves such good people that sins offend our nature. Instead, we ought to recognize that sin IS our nature, acknowledge that we are decidedly NOT above this, and in that humility, resolve to allow Christ to raise us above them.

That said, I think we can identify something else that is similar but better. One could resolve to avoid a certain sin so that he or she would not have to confess it ever again, with it in mind that by doing so, he would avoid disappointing the priest (and God).

Thank you, Camerong. I think something along these lines was what prompted my post.

 

[po18guy]

These are escalating levels of contrition. And, it is contrition that brings about the grace of forgiveness. None is given where there is a total lack of contrition, and this is spoken of in cases where a Priest did not absolve one of sin. Imperfect contrition remains contrition, but is akin to partial understanding or partial faith. It remains incomplete. Perfect contrition considers only the offense to God and His perfect Goodness, since it denies the self (embarrassment and/or punishment) and focuses strictly on the harm done to the Lord God.