We are bound to take care of our bodies, if they are out of health, and to do our best to preserve life. To shorten one's existence by want of care, miserliness or weariness of life is a most grievous sin. If then it is so important to provide what is necessary for the body, it must be far more important to attend to the health of the soul. Sin exposes a soul to danger of death, by robbing it of sanctifying grace, and makes it God's enemy, bringing it into a state in which it can never enjoy the contemplation of God. It is therefore a most sacred duty, incumbent upon everyone, who has killed his soul by mortal sin, to revive it by the Sacrament of Penance, called, for that very reason, the Sacrament of the Dead.
This should be done as soon as possible, for otherwise there is danger of yielding to further temptation. "Every sin," says St. Gregory, "has the unhappy result of leading us on to further sin, unless it be immediately wiped out." A soul deprived by sin of God s grace is so weak as to yield to the slightest temptation, and the sinner is like a man on the brink of a precipice; he slips and falls, and soon has no power to save himself; he dashes headlong into the lowest depths.
If anyone, conscious of mortal sin, does not at once confess it, but waits a long time, perhaps a whole year, before doing so, he deprives himself of all merit even for good works performed during this period. His soul, dead in mortal sin, can gain no merit for eternal life. His prayers, works, almsgiving and other good works deserve no eternal reward, and are no more pleasing to God than Cain's sacrifice, which won him no merit, because his soul was already dead in the grievous sin of envy.
St. Arsenius once saw in a vision the pitiable state of souls, defiled with mortal sin that they are unwilling to remove by Confession. An angel appeared to him and said: "Come with me, I will show you how men busy themselves in the world." St. Arsenius was at once transported to a great forest, where there was a man trying to carry a great bundle of wood on his shoulders. The load being too heavy, he went to fetch some more logs, as if having a greater weight to carry he would be better able to lift it.
The angel then led Arsenius to a spring, where were some people engaged in drawing water and pouring it into a barrel full of holes. Whilst the saint gazed in wonder at this strange proceeding, the angel said: "Come with me; I will show you something still more surprising," and they walked on until they met two men, who were trying in vain to pass through a doorway. Each of them was holding the end of an iron bar, and as this was longer than the doorway was wide, the ends always struck the wall, and their efforts to enter were in vain. Arsenius could not help laughing. "Tell me," said he to the angel, "who these fools are and what they want to do." The angel looked grave, however, as he replied: "These men resemble all proud people, who fancy themselves irresistible; they may try very hard to enter heaven, but they will not humble themselves so as to pass through the narrow gate. The man with the bundle of wood is like a sinner who, instead of diminishing his load by Confession and Penance, adds to it by bad Confessions, until at last he is crushed under the ever-increasing burden. The people pouring water into the barrel full of holes are like those who do many good works, but also commit many sins ; and because they do not at once repent of their sins and confess them, all the merit of their good works, performed whilst they are in a state of mortal sin, is lost.
Someone may argue that all this does not concern him, for he never falls into very great sins, and therefore in his case Confession once in the year is sufficient. This argument is suggested by the evil one, and unhappily he succeeds in inducing many to act upon it; but if anyone wishes to lead a happy life, he must go to Confession several times in the year, even if he has not any great sin upon his conscience.
If we are conscious only of venial sins, we ought to go frequently to Confession;
(1) in order to keep our souls in a state of purity;
(2) in order to guard ourselves from falling into grievous sin;
(3) in order to confess our sins better.
Our souls are the dwelling-places of God. St. Paul says: "Know you not that you are the temple of God, and that the .Spirit of God dwelleth in you? But if any man violate the temple of God, him shall God destroy. For the temple of God is holy : which you are." (I. Cor. iii, 16, 17).
1. God dwells, sometimes personally, always by grace, in our souls, but mortal sin drives Him out and destroys the beauty of His dwelling. God cannot remain in a soul disfigured by impurity; but venial sin does not so utterly ruin its beauty, though it tarnishes and dims it. Nothing unclean can come to God, and therefore a soul, clouded by venial sin, cannot be admitted to His presence until it has been cleaned either by Penance or in purgatory. Venial sins are like dust in a room; they require to be cleared away frequently, for they accumulate day by day. We are told that even the just man sins seven times each day, and we are constantly committing small sins; we say our prayers carelessly, we eat and drink too much, we tell little lies, and indulge in vanity, in dress and foolish conversations.
Unless these things are confessed from time to time, at the end of a year they have accumulated until there seems no end to them. Whoever desires to keep his soul pure and clean in God's sight should go often to Confession, for thus its full beauty is maintained.
2. Frequent Confession guards us from falling into grievous sin. When St. Louis of France was on his deathbed, he gave much good advice to his son, and urged him to go often to Confession and to choose a prudent confessor. His great desire was for his son to live and die a good Christian, and he knew that the devil is sure to tempt those who abandon the practice of frequent Confession because they have no very great sins on their conscience.
As long as we are not in a state of mortal sin, we have the help of God s grace and our will is free, so that we can resist temptation; but each sin committed weakens our powers of resistance and renders the action of grace less effectual. Unless we go often to Confession, whence can we derive the courage, strength and resolution that are necessary to prevent our falling into sin.
If we are not to be overcome, we must not wait until we have actually fallen, but disclose the first attacks and suggestions of the evil one to an experienced confessor. Frequent Confession secures for us great graces, that strengthen us to resist all temptation. Our Lord revealed to St. Bridget that whoever desired to receive and retain the grace and the Holy Spirit, must often confess his sins and disclose even his smallest faults and omissions to the priest, in order to be cleaned from them.
3. Frequent Confession enables us to confess our sins better. What would be the state of a room that was put in order only once in the year? How long it would take to make it clean and neat again! Who finds it easier to pay his debts the man who pays what he owes every week? or the one who settles his accounts only once in the year?
By going often to Confession, we clear away the dirt as it comes, and do not allow great quantities to accumulate; we can be sure that we have confessed everything; whereas one who approaches the Sacrament very seldom finds it almost impossible to detect his sins, and is apt to complain that he can find nothing to say when he goes to Confession at Easter. St. Charles Borromeo, archbishop of Milan, and St. Francis of Sales, bishop of Geneva, used to make their Confession every week; Pope Clement VIII. every evening, and also St. Francis Xavier confessed every day with the greatest contrition and humility, if he had a priest at hand to hear him, and yet he was a great saint, whose whole life was devoted to the service of God and his neighbour.
Let us resolve to overcome our indolence and indifference at least to the extent of going to Confession once a fortnight or once a month, even if we have no grave sins to confess; and if we are so unhappy as to fall into mortal sin, let us hasten at once to confess it, lest delay prove our ruin.
Taken from:"SHORT SERMONS ON CATHOLIC DOCTRINE A PLAIN AND PRACTICAL EXPOSITION OF THE FAITH IN A SERIES OF BRIEF DISCOURSES FOR THE ECCLESIASTICAL YEAR" BY THE REV. P. HEHEL, SJ.
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