Potentially a mortal sin?

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Aqma

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Hi.

I ate something which I knew at the time, were someone elses at our parents house. I felt bad and gave the person money to make up for just taking it. Is that a potentially mortal sin even though I made up for it?
 
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Unless you ate something very precious (for instance, the top of a wedding cake that was reserved for their first anniversary), or you ate food that could not be replaced (special, one of a kind, export, etc.) I cannot imaging eating food as a grave sin.

Speak to your priest.
 
So you don’t think that it’s sort of like stealing something?
 
Aqma said:
So you don’t think that it’s sort of like stealing something?
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If it was regular food it does not seem like grave matter, even if it was the wrong thing to do. This is something best discussed with a priest. If you have these types of worries often, let him know that.
 
It was something that my mother bought for him.

I experience these types of worries quite a lot, and I think I should talk to the priest about it, but I feel like that would be so awkward, so therefore I try not to do so.
 
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Aqma said:
It was something that my mother bought for him.

I experience these types of worries quite a lot, and I think I should talk to the priest about it, but I feel like that would be so awkward, so therefore I try not to do so.
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We use the term scrupulosity for feeling too much anxiety about sin. Certainly we should be mindful of ourselves, but we shouldn’t be feeling doubts and anxieties about everything we do. If you find yourself frequently asking “Is this a sin?” about situations like this, and feeling stressed and anxious often because of it, and unable to resolve your doubts, you may be dealing with scrupulosity. I’d ask a priest about it. He should have some advice on dealing with it.
 
Also, asking about sin on the internet for someone who is dealing with scrupulosity often just makes things worse. It’s like having a headache, then googling the cause of a headache, and finding all sorts of articles about super serious medical conditions when, really, you just need to take a tylenol and not worry. It feeds the anxiety.
 
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But do you think I can recieve the Holy Communion? I’m attending mass together with my family tomorrow.
 
Aqma said:
But do you think I can recieve the Holy Communion? I’m attending mass together with my family tomorrow.
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This is the first time I’ve seen you have a question like this. In my unqualified opinion, this sounds venial at most and this would not cause you to be in mortal sin. So, if you’re otherwise okay, I think you’re good to receive communion and let your conscience be at ease.

If you start asking this a lot in the future, though, I just have to say, I’m not trained to be your conscience. I can’t and shouldn’t be giving you my opinion if you are scrupulous. That would tend to make things more difficult for you. In the future, if you have a pattern of asking, I’ll decline to answer and say you really need to discuss this with a priest.
 
How expensive was the thing you ate? If it wasn’t very expensive then it’s not a grave matter, therefore not a mortal sin.

Anyone who says “All theft is a mortal sin! People go to hell for stealing $0.10 pencil caps!” is wrong. Not only wrong, but probably a liar to since professional theologians near-universally say otherwise. Here’s what New Advent has to say about it:
Still, as happens with regard to other delinquencies, its guilt may often be venial. This is particularly true when the value of what is filched is inconsiderable, or as the theologians say, is not grave matter.
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It was like 8 dollars and I gave him money back so I suppose you are right.
 
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For something to be Mortal sin is has to fall under three categories all at the same time:

  1. It has to be a grave matter.
  2. You had to have full knowledge at the time that it was a grave matter
  3. You gave your full consent.
If you did not known it was a grave matter at the time it’s probably venial. It’s all about intent. Was your intention to steal? If so, was it a grave matter or a matter in which you can apologize for and ask for God to forgive you without having to do penance?
 
Unless your friend is in such a dire strait that $8 is a matter of life or death, I don’t think it was a grave matter. In any case you did the right thing by giving it back.
 
It’s worth mentioning in confession.

But based on the fact you are asking about it, it sounds like you don’t have the “full knowledge” that what you were doing is grave sin (which it probably isn’t anyway). Full knowledge is one of the requirements for sin to be mortal.
 
I had knowledge, but I believed if I paid him back, then it would not be mortal.
 
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Aqma said:
I had knowledge, but I believed if I paid him back, then it would not be mortal.
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So then even if it was grave, you didn’t have knowledge that it was. 🙂

You’re fine.

I agree with the others that said you should ask a priest for advice with these kinds of worries.
 
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Let’s suppose this was the last piece of a lasagna. Not a big deal, worth about $8.

What if that lasagna was the last thing cooked by grandma before she died, then it becomes priceless.

Or what if this was lasagna for my brother and I really hate him and don’t want him to have any supper? I ate it so he would have no supper.

The bottom line, even if not a grave sin it is rude. Talk to your priest.
 
I am not so sure that the sin you should worry about most is eating the food itself that was purchased for someone else. It seems that you should be worried about the underlying reason why you ate that food. If you had feelings of envy or hatred towards your brother, then that might be the bigger sin to confess. Or, were you trying to cause some psychological injury to your brother and your grandmother?

Giving him $8 or even replacing the item may not be enough. You may need to apologize to your brother and your grandmother.
 
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