We Are Made For God

Brothers and Sisters,

It's been nearly a year since my last posting. I hope you are well, active in the faith, and full of love for each other. I've been taking this past year to reflect my personal situation in life concerning my relationship with God, family, and others. I've also taken a self inventory of virtue versus vice. I've taken a beating in my faith over past year. Over this time I've come to doubt nearly all our Church teaches us to be true, good, and worth dying for. I've failed the Lord in so many ways, that as the prodigal son, I've realized no material good in this world can satisfy my hunger for joy and happiness. As the great scholars and saints have pointed out, it is man's desire to find the joy only God can provide. We are made for God. As St. Augustine said, "Our hearts are restless until they rest in you, oh Lord". Friends, I've been restless. I've been a terrible sinner. I've been a terrible father, husband, friend, son, Christian, steward, and human. I have had my fill of wondering through the desert in search of the next pleasurable thing to feed a temporary need. Only God gives us what we need and it's ever-lasting.
My next step is to go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation. I've longed for the Eucharist over the past year. It's now time to receive Him again.

Peace,
IB

Is a sin just a sin?

Many non-Catholic Christians like to say in God's eyes there is no distinction between one sin from another. They say "all sin is sin", meaning all sin is equal in offense to God. While it's true that all or any sin offends God, the Bible shows us that there is such a thing as mortal or deadly sin, and venial or not-deadly sin. Lets see what Scripture says on the matter:

NAB 1st John 5:16-17

16 If anyone sees his brother sinning, if the sin is not deadly, he should pray to God and he will give him life. This is only for those whose sin is not deadly. There is such a thing as deadly sin, about which I do not say that you should pray.

17All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that is not deadly.

Praying for a person is not beneficent for their soul because they need to repent and turn to God in the Sacrament of Confession. How does one commit a mortal sin? Three conditions must be met. 

The conditions required are: 

1.) the sin must be grave matter. 

2.) Full consent of the will. 

3.) The sinner must know what he is doing is indeed a sin.

A sin that is mortal is made by the Christian with their full consent and knowledge. Since we believe in free-will and free-love, a decision to sin that is mortal removes us from God's friendship and thus from spending eternity with Him in the beatific vision in Heaven. 

You don't believe in mortal sin? 

Think of a relationship you have with a loved one. Say you deliberately did something to this person that was just plain awful. Pick any circumstance or situation that involves hurting another person, either physically, emotionally, spiritually. Would your relationship be the same with them after you did this action? Would the damage done just injure or would it sever the ties you had? We are in a similar relationship with God. We can either be a friend or an enemy, even if at one point we were in His friendship. Sacramental Confession for a Catholic and Orthodox Christian is the only way this tear can be repaired, bringing us back into God's good graces. Don't let this awesome opportunity to enter into God's fold escape you before your hour glass expires. Get to your priest and confess with a contrite heart!