What do I do?

[Veronica97]

Today my 19-year-old son and I were visiting my mother in the hospital. My mom was eating a banana and I said, “Mom, remember the little boy you went to school with who was so hungry you gave him banana peels?” And she said, “Yes, all the kids gave him food and he wanted our fruit peels too.” Then she laughed and told about how she would beat him up every recess b/c he teased her. Then my son said (to me), “How come you got so upset when I got in trouble for hitting kids at school?” And I just said, “Well, it was a different time back then.” Well, it’s true that kids didn’t get into as much trouble for fighting on the playground back in the '40s-50s like they do now. Now it’s grounds for assault. I didn’t think much before I said, “It was a different time back then.” to my son. I didn’t think I had mortally sinned and I went to communion tonight. But I keep thinking back to it. My son is not a practicing Catholic. He had his First Holy Communion, but after that I failed miserably to teach him the Faith (for that matter I failed miserably to learn it myself). He was a very difficult child and was in a lot of fights in elementary and middle school. I worry that he may be in mortal sin all the way back to that time. Should I say something to him about my comment today? Should I say anything to my mom? She is Protestant but hasn’t been to church in many years. I worry about her salvation. Three questions here I guess: Did I commit a mortal sin? What do I say (if anything) to my son? What do I say (if anything) to my mom? My mom almost died following cardiac arrest this week, and I was trying to humour her and didn’t really think about what I was saying.

 

[Aloysium]

not sure I can answer your questions
but it brought back some memories
i was probably six
i think the nun gave us the strap,
and i pretended not to cry

anyway, they were building an addition to the school
i remember material being out in the yard
and figuring that we could build a catapult like the Romans
so we got a long plank of wood and placed it on a cider block or something
and putting a brick on the part of the beam that was touching the ground
then I or maybe two of us, jumped on the elevated side
i think the rock went flying and likely bonked some kid
yeah, it was a different time

 

[St_Francis]

Today my 19-year-old son and I were visiting my mother in the hospital. My mom was eating a banana and I said, “Mom, remember the little boy you went to school with who was so hungry you gave him banana peels?” And she said, “Yes, all the kids gave him food and he wanted our fruit peels too.” Then she laughed and told about how she would beat him up every recess b/c he teased her. Then my son said (to me), “How come you got so upset when I got in trouble for hitting kids at school?” And I just said, “Well, it was a different time back then.” Well, it’s true that kids didn’t get into as much trouble for fighting on the playground back in the '40s-50s like they do now. Now it’s grounds for assault. I didn’t think much before I said, “It was a different time back then.” to my son. I didn’t think I had mortally sinned and I went to communion tonight. But I keep thinking back to it. My son is not a practicing Catholic. He had his First Holy Communion, but after that I failed miserably to teach him the Faith (for that matter I failed miserably to learn it myself). He was a very difficult child and was in a lot of fights in elementary and middle school. I worry that he may be in mortal sin all the way back to that time. Should I say something to him about my comment today? Should I say anything to my mom? She is Protestant but hasn’t been to church in many years. I worry about her salvation. Three questions here I guess: Did I commit a mortal sin? What do I say (if anything) to my son? What do I say (if anything) to my mom? My mom almost died following cardiac arrest this week, and I was trying to humour her and didn’t really think about what I was saying.

Do you think you lied to your son? I don’t–there was no need for an extended conversation about it and what you said was not untrue. Perhaps way back then everyone would have said your son was all boy and perhaps if your mother had been born later she would have been in as much trouble as your son… maybe your son and your mother share some traits!

So I wouldn’t worry about that.

You could ask your mother if she wants to see a minister of any sort.

As to your son, pray for him. Ask St Monica for help–she prayed for her son for 17 years and he converted… and is now known as St Augustine

 

[Veronica97]

Do you think you lied to your son? I don’t–there was no need for an extended conversation about it and what you said was not untrue. Perhaps way back then everyone would have said your son was all boy and perhaps if your mother had been born later she would have been in as much trouble as your son… maybe your son and your mother share some traits!

So I wouldn’t worry about that.

You could ask your mother if she wants to see a minister of any sort.

As to your son, pray for him. Ask St Monica for help–she prayed for her son for 17 years and he converted… and is now known as St Augustine

No, I don’t think I lied to my son. What I said is true. BUT intentionally hurting someone is grave matter, and perhaps he might think I don’t think it’s a sin b/c “It was a different time” is all I said. I wonder if I should say something to my son so that he might know that purposely hitting someone in order to hurt them (even as a child) is grave matter. I do pray for both my mom and my son. I pray to St. Monica, to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and to the Sacred Heart of Jesus for my son everyday.