Sacraments, Graces, and Mortal Sin

[RockoftheAges]

Hi, I was asked this question by a friend and couldn’t think of a straight answer…

If someone is in the state of mortal sin, can they receive any graces by participating in other sacraments?

Obviously, Confession and Baptism absolve/wash away these mortal sins. And I know that receiving Communion in the state of mortal sin is another grave offense against the Lord, but are there any other sacraments besides Baptism and Confession that somebody with mortal sin on their souls can participate in?

Also, if someone is in mortal sin, will their soul receive graces from going to Mass without receiving the Eucharist?

Thanks

ROTA

 

[guanophore]

Hi, I was asked this question by a friend and couldn’t think of a straight answer…

If someone is in the state of mortal sin, can they receive any graces by participating in other sacraments?

Obviously, Confession and Baptism absolve/wash away these mortal sins. And I know that receiving Communion in the state of mortal sin is another grave offense against the Lord, but are there any other sacraments besides Baptism and Confession that somebody with mortal sin on their souls can participate in?

Also, if someone is in mortal sin, will their soul receive graces from going to Mass without receiving the Eucharist?

Thanks

ROTA

Sin blocks access to grace. Yes, everyone who attends Mass will receive graces from it, though the effects of that grace are limited by the state of the participant.

 

[PhilotheaZ]

If someone is in the state of mortal sin, can they receive any graces by participating in other sacraments?

… are there any other sacraments besides Baptism and Confession that somebody with mortal sin on their souls can participate in?

No, someone in the state of mortal sin does not receive any graces by participating in other sacraments (e.g., Communion, Confirmation, Matrimony).

Sanctifying grace is the life of God in our souls. God will not enter into a soul that is stained by mortal sin, i.e., that is devoid of sanctifying grace. In fact, it is a sin of sacrilege to approach any of the other sacraments (except Reconciliation) when one has commited a serious sin that has not been forgiven in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

If (God forbid!) someone were to receive a sacrament unworthily, commiting the additional sin of sacrilege, the graces of the sacrament would not flow at that time.

This is why it is so extremely important to go to Confession before receiving other sacraments. Young people about to be confirmed should go to Confession shortly before Confirmation (this should be part of Confirmation retreats). Catholics about to be married should go to Confession before marriage (especially if they are aware of any serious sin, such as cohabiting or using birth control before marriage). Nobody should enter into marriage in a state of mortal sin, thus depriving themselves of the much-needed graces that will help their marriage succeed.

However, if later on they make a good confession of all their serious sins, they will then receive the graces of the sacrament they had received unworthily.

I made a much-needed general confession about seventeen years after my wedding. What an amazing difference it made in my marriage! Finally I had the graces I needed to love my spouse in a more Christ-like fashion. It may have saved my marriage. (Not that everything is perfect now — I’m still far from perfect — but it is so much better!)

 

[SarahR]

Adding to the previous poster—to answer “will their soul receive graces…” the desire itself to confess/repent/be reconciled by God is a grace, I believe. But when in mortal sin, there isn’t sanctifying grace in the soul. Don’t know the mechanics of how that all works—maybe it’s like hearing Christ knocking at the door but we have to choose to let Him back in through a good confession.

 

[PhilotheaZ]

Adding to the previous poster—to answer “will their soul receive graces…” the desire itself to confess/repent/be reconciled by God is a grace, I believe. But when in mortal sin, there isn’t sanctifying grace in the soul. Don’t know the mechanics of how that all works—maybe it’s like hearing Christ knocking at the door but we have to choose to let Him back in through a good confession.

Yes, SarahR makes an important distinction between sanctifying grace and actual graces.

Sanctifying grace is a permanent state of our soul as long as we have the life of God in our soul (i.e., we have been baptized and have not lost the state of grace by mortal sin).

Actual graces are special interventions God gives us on an as-needed basis, for example, when he prompts us to repent of sin and return to the state of sanctifying grace. From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

2000 Sanctifying grace is an habitual gift, a stable and supernatural disposition that perfects the soul itself to enable it to live with God, to act by his love. Habitual grace, the permanent disposition to live and act in keeping with God’s call, is distinguished from actual graces which refer to God’s interventions, whether at the beginning of conversion or in the course of the work of sanctification.

2001 The preparation of man for the reception of grace is already a work of grace …

You can read more about grace in paragraphs 1987–2029 of the Catechism (if you don’t have the book, read it here: vatican.va/archive/catechism/p3s1c3a2.htm ).