Meditation on Venial Sin

Meditation during the Forenoon.

XIII.

Venial Sin.

“He that contemneth small things,
shall fall by little and little.”—Eccl. XIX. 1.

After mortal sin, venial sin is the greatest of all possible evils. “He is truly wise,” says St. Bernard, “who esteems things as they are.” St. Thomas says, “By venial sin the soul is disordered in adhering to some worldly good, but not so far as to turn from the last end.” Thus the vital principle of grace remains. We may say the soul becomes infirm, but does not die. An illustration will throw light on the subject. It often happens that some indisposition overtakes a man, such that persons skilled in medicine, when asked if it is dangerous, answer, “Not at present, but it may turn out very serious. There is nothing much amiss yet; at the same time, if it be not checked, and much more, if it be neglected, it will be serious.”

It is true, venial sin does not contemn God as mortal sin does; but it is also true that it does not hold Him in that just estimation which He deserves. It opposes itself to the divine will, but in a certain manner; as St. Thomas says, it acts beside the law rather than against it. It offends God by not observing the divine precept perfectly. If so, how can it be called trivial? To St. Bonaventure this saying appeared to be a blasphemy. In venial sin we have to consider not so much the slight transgression of the divine commandments, as the infinite Majesty of God, whose command is not executed with sufficient exactness.

If a man do not execute the divine will in a small thing, he commits a fault which has no excuse, since he could easily avoid the transgression. If to avoid it, he had to labor much, or to overcome a great repugnance, he might be pitied if he failed. But what strength is requisite to overcome in a slight thing? For this reason the fault is inexcusable.

Two things of great importance are to be considered in venial sin: 1) The person who is offended, namely God, our King, Redeemer, Father; 2) The person who offends, that is, a just soul, who, by sanctifying grace is the adopted child and spouse of God.

When there is question of a great personage, the least want of respect is a considerable slight. Shall venial sin, which offends the Majesty of God, be considered slight? “It is not so,” exclaims St. Bernard; “it is never trivial to contemn the Deity, even in the smallest degree.” The law of Almighty God should be kept as the apple of the eye, to which even a little straw causes pain and trouble. “Keep my commandments, and thou shalt live; and my law as the apple of thy eye.” (Prov. VII. 2.)

If we consider in God the title of Father, what a disloyal and ungrateful son would he be who should thus express himself, “I will not take away the life of my father, nor even wound him mortally. But I will displease him from morning until night, I will never do anything to please him; on the contrary, I will always prick and wound him slightly.” What an unworthy son would this be! — I am precisely that most ungrateful child to a God Who is to me so loving and beneficent a Father. I think nothing of continually displeasing Him; He might justly reprehend me, “If I be a Father, where is your love towards me?” I have become like to those Jews who did not crucify Jesus, but ridiculed, beat and scourged Him. Should such impiety appear to me as nothing?

If the person who commits venial sin be considered, how much the crime increases! It is committed by a just soul, who by sanctifying grace is the friend of God, His spouse and adopted child. Who is not aware that the slightest displeasure from a friend, and much more from a spouse or a child is always more keenly felt than even grievous offences from a stranger or an enemy? Our Divine Redeemer, at the treason of Judas, appeared more displeased with the ingratitude of the traitor, than with the treason itself. By the mouth of His prophet He made this complaint, “If my enemy had reviled me, I would verily have borne with it. And if he that hated me, had spoken great things against me: I would perhaps have hid myself from him. But thou, a man of one mind, my guide and my familiar.” (Ps. LIV. 13.—14.) Reflect here, how God has loved us, and how many benefits you received from Him: and we are so ungrateful as to displease Him frequently, when He has thus overwhelmed us with proofs of His love!

Notwithstanding all these considerations some will say that venial sin is certainly not a grievous fault. True, when we compare it to mortal sin. Nevertheless, a person who deliberately and frequently commits venial sins, may be led on to the commission of mortal sins — not because of the number and frequency of his venial faults, but of the laxity from which they proceed, the scandal and danger which they may occasion. Because of the laxity from which they proceed: St. Anselm says, “Every soul grows lukewarm by degrees, by passing slightly over and despising small faults.” — Because of the scandal which they may occasion: Others easily do what they see you do. Hence the saying of St. Bernard, “Frivolous jokes are jokes in the mouths of seculars, but in the mouths of religious they are blasphemies.” Because of the danger which may arise from them: St. Thomas teaches, “Venial sin, of itself, predisposes to mortal sin.” For, as St. Gregory says, “Never will a soul remain in the place where it falls, because he who falls once of his own accord, is driven lower by the sheer weight of his own iniquity; so that falling once into the depths, he will constantly sink lower.”

If, then, venial sin be light as a crime, who will say that it is light as an evil? And even should we suppose, what in reality is not the case, that venial sin is a slight thing in its criminal malice, we should reflect on the multitude of these faults committed from morning till night. St. Augustine says, “If you fear not the weight, tremble at least for the number.” If mortal sin is a thunderbolt which kills, so many venial sins are hailstones which ruin the vineyard of the soul. Mortal sin is a tempestuous sea which causes shipwreck, venial sins are like drops uniting together, and also causing shipwreck. The effect is the same at last, however different the cause. Whether this happens by a great sea which envelopes, or by many drops enclosed in the keel of the vessel, is of little matter when the ship sinks. Many venial sins dispose to mortal sin, and make the soul fall into it.

The evils which venial sin brings to the soul are all great, and worthy of consideration.

Consider, first, the stain it brings to the soul. If a stain of ink fall on a rich dress its value is so much lessened. A soul enriched with virtuous habits and supernatural gifts, with sanctifying grace, to be stained with a venial fault—is not this a serious evil?

Consider, secondly, although venial sin does not dispossess the soul of sanctifying grace, yet it prevents actual graces which Our Lord would bestow were the soul faultless. Actual graces are certain illuminations to know what is good, certain efficacious inspirations to embrace it; compunction, spiritual sweetness in prayer, alacrity to overcome reluctance in performing good works, great courage in resisting temptations.

A father displeased with his son for frequently disobeying him, does not show him the same marks of affection as if he had been obedient: so God, indignant for the ungrateful meanness of a man who merely contents himself with not offending Him mortally, and nothing more, deprives him, in punishment of his unworthiness, of his most special graces. Many lament and express surprise at not finding relish in prayer. They pray continually to God and to the saints, and are not heard. Why do they find themselves so weak and fragile at every temptation? Because they are continually displeasing God. How can they ever expect extraordinary graces, or that their petitions to heaven should be easily heard? — How is it possible for them to stand firm at the assaults of temptation, when they are abandoned by heavenly assistance on account of their venial sins? — They live in the grace of God; but they lead a life similar to consumptive persons, who are pale, languid and emaciated, in whom but little life remains.

The greatest damage venial sin brings to the soul is, that it disposes to mortal sin. According to St. Thomas, this occurs in two ways: First, indirectly; for God withdrawing the more powerful assistance of His grace, the soul remains weak, and easily falls into mortal sin. Secondly, directly: from the habit of committing slight faults, the soul is drawn by degrees into a great fault. And St. Thomas attests that venial sin differs from mortal sin as an imperfect thing in its kind differs from what is perfect—as a boy differs from a man.

No one would have near him long a young lion, lest the growth of his teeth and nails might endanger life. So every one should remove far from him venial sin, lest, resembling a young wild beast, it might afterwards become great and dangerous. The curiosity of Eve degenerated into great disobedience; too much affection for money led Judas to the betrayal of his divine Master; human respect caused Peter to deny Him. St. Augustine observes, that sinners multiplying venial sins dispose themselves to mortal sin, which draws them to perdition. A similitude is taken from ropes. A few threads twisted together form cords; these little cords twisted together form those cables which turn windlasses and move ships. The process is from the less to the greater, from disease to death. Venial sin is a disease in which the intellect is obscured, the reason clouded, the will weakened, and the whole man inclined to laxity, remissness and sensuality. The passions acquire new strength by every fresh concession, while a general torpor and insensibility to all that is good binds down the whole man. Thus helpless, thus diseased, the hour of temptation comes upon him when, without a struggle, and without a shock, he falls into the death of mortal sin, from which there is every reason to fear he will never revive. Such is the fatal consequence of indulging in the habit of venial sin—a mortal fall, followed by final impenitence here and by hell hereafter.

Punishment is like a shadow which follows the fault. From the size of the shadow we measure the body; so from the grievousness of the chastisements with which God punishes venial sin we may clearly conjecture what its malice is. God being infinitely just, He justly proportions His punishments; being infinitely wise, He well knows what that proportion is; being incapable of human weakness, He cannot punish more than He ought, through passion, or false apprehension, or from ill regulated motives, as sometimes occurs among men.

Venial sins, for which just souls did not penance in this life, are atoned for by the most severe pains of purgatory. If any one, while living, for a lie was to be thrown into a fiery furnace, what terror would it occasion? Yet he would feel but for a few moments the pain of fire, as he must soon die. What torment, then, for a soul in purgatory to be obliged to live for a long time in that fire, and in so active a fire, that in Scripture it is called spiritual and the quintessence of fire. (Isai. IV. 4.) St. Augustine calls it “a fire so tormenting, that it is the same as the fire of hell;” with the difference, that the fire for the damned is eternal, for the souls in purgatory it is not. It is immensely prolonged by the desire and hope of seeing God; and receives additional intensity because a soul suffering there has no earthly objects to divert its attention. It is entirely turned to God, and has no desire but to enjoy Him. This desire ungratified, it lives in a most tormenting martyrdom. God would wish to have the soul with Him in heaven, but He is obliged to cleanse it by fire. For what ?—For venial sins! Yet blind man dares call venial sins light and of little moment. O folly! The saints, enlightened by God, did not so esteem them.

If there is question of any bodily ailment, however small, it is held in great account, as if it were a great evil. On the contrary, if mention is made of the evil of the soul, it is held for nothing. If a man have symptoms of the slightest illness, physicians are immediately called in, medicines are taken, a rigorous diet is observed. Should any one say, There is no danger, why then use so many remedies? the answer is, The evil is small, but it may become dangerous if not speedily cured. — So much is said and done for the small evils of the body; and what is said and done for the slight faults of the soul? “It is not a mortal sin. For this we are not condemned to hell. It is a matter of little consequence.” — O deplorable blindness!

Add to these considerations the reflection that to us the way to heaven is not broader or more commodious than it was to those who have already arrived at that happy abode. By them venial sin was never deemed a slight evil. By them no care was thought superfluous for avoiding it, no austerity, no rigor too great for its punishment. And shall we say their notions were erroneous, the views which they took of their duty incorrect? — If they so studiously avoided venial sin, it was because they well knew that a slight ailment is often the cause of a mortal disease, and that the consumption which slowly and imperceptibly wastes the frame is in the end more inevitably fatal than the fever that seems to threaten it with immediate dissolution. Follow their truly wise example. Think nothing little which is an offence against God, nothing to be despised that may conduct to perdition. Remember that every action of your life, every word which you utter, and every thought which you conceive is instantly registered in the book of judgment; that the day is not far distant when it will be again reproduced, either for the increase of your reward, or for the augmentation of your eternal misery; and that it is only by fidelity to your minor duties that you can hope to hear on that day the cheering sentence of approbation, “Well done, good and faithful servant, because thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will place thee over many things, enter then into the joy of thy Lord.” (Matth. XXV. 23.)

PRAYER.

My Lord and Saviour! How have I been deceived and blinded, to esteem as nothing what was so grievous! I have despised the great evil of venial sin solely because it was not the greatest evil, such as mortal sin. But now, humble and contrite, I wish to weep for these sins most bitterly, and with tearful eyes I beg pardon for them. Lord, be merciful to me a sinner! Enlighten me to know the evil I have done, and render me fervent, that I may displease Thee no longer. “Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation: and strengthen me with a perfect spirit.” (Ps. L. 14.) Amen.