Beware of venial sins: The silent soul destroyer

We are aware of mortal sin, but there is a silent snake in our lives which we must be constantly on guard against to protect our spiritual life and soul. We often gloss over or even joke about venial sins. The truth is that venial sins can pile up as garbage makes mountains out of valleys in a landfill. The damaging mountain in our spiritual life is venial sin.

The devil is clever at convincing us that we “have not done anything really bad” and do not need to go to Confession. The truth of sin is that we have all sinned and we all need forgiveness. We are all called to repentance.

“If we say, ‘we are without sin,’ we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing.” (I John 1:8-9)

“But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, though testified to by the law and the prophets, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction; all have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:21-23 emphasis mine)

We must remember that any sin, no matter the gravity, is a depravation from the grace and glory of the Lord because it is from the kingdom of darkness. It is from the pits of hell. There is no sin that is endorsed by the Lord or from Christ. He does not associate with sin and he urges us to flee from sin as well. However, we often ignore some venial sins and dismiss them as “not serious” or “not a big deal.”

Mortal sins have three requirements in order to meet the criteria of being “mortal” and, as a result, putting us in danger of hell. The sin has to be a grave sin, you have to know it is a grave and serious matter, and you must freely do it. You cannot accidentally commit a mortal sin. You can, however, accidentally fall into a lifestyle or trap of committing venial sins which also damage your relationship with the Lord.

Mortal sins must be confessed in the sacrament of reconciliation in order to be forgiven. Venial sins can be forgiven by a variety of ways, including: the sacrament of confession, worthy reception of the Eucharist, a sincere act of contrition, penance, fasting, and almsgiving. We all sin and many times we do not think our actions or venial sins. This is why we must be intently devoted during the Mass to seek God, pray to the Lord, and earnestly ask for forgiveness for those venial sins and for the Holy Spirit to reveal those sins to you so you can guard against them in the future. The most effective way to rid ourselves of sin is the worthy reception of the Eucharist. Jesus is the Almighty God and has power over sin. He has conquered sin and death. We should worthily receive Him at every Mass. It is the power of Christ in the Eucharist which helps preserve us from sin.

Father Walter Farrell, OP, wrote in A Companion to the Summa, about the dangers of sin and the lifegiving strength and substance of the Eucharist.

“As natural food builds up our strength and gives us resistance to diseases, so the Eucharist, as food of the soul, is also medicine of the soul. It builds up the strength by which we can throw off the attacks of sin; indeed, it goes further and assures a constant weakening of the attacks of sin,” writes Fr. Farrell. He continues in the same Companion by stating, “The attacks of sin are not going to be annihilated; there will always be some fighting, even though it be no more than annoying guerrilla warfare by insignificant detachments behind the lines.”

Venial sins can creep up in our daily life and we do not even recognize them. Imagine your wife comes out of the bedroom excited about a new dress she just purchased. It is the first time she has tried it on and she asks the ever dreaded question, “what do you think? Does this dress make me look fat?” Now, being the good (and smart) husband, you reply “of course not honey, you look great” while simultaneously thinking, “it really does make you look fat, but I am not going to dare to you that because I’ll starve. You won’t cook dinner for a month if I say you look fat. I’m not stupid.”  The simple lie to your wife about the dress is a venial sin. It is not done to harm anyone and, in fact, is more likely self-preservation. However, a lie is still a sin and it is venial because it is not done with knowledge that it is a sin.

The same goes for gossip at work. If you find yourself in a situation around co-workers and they are gossiping about a co-worker, then you commit a venial sin if you passively ignore it and do not speak up to stop it from damaging that person’s reputation. However, the gossip can turn to a mortal sin if you actively participate in that same gossip while knowing it is wrong and with the intent to harm that person’s reputation or just to “fit in.”

Sin can sometimes be a slippery slope and difficult to distinguish one from the other. This is why it is a great idea to confess every sin in the confessional as you become aware of it during your examination of conscious. It is also important for you to pray daily and include an act of contrition for the sins you are aware of as well as the ones you are not.

“Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil. For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens. Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and having done everything, to hold your ground.” (Ephesians 6:11-13)

Where you spend eternity depends on your willingness to search your heart, change your ways, and repent. What venial sins are you guilty of today that need repentance? Take a moment now to search your heart and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal anything you need to repent of and for which you need to seek the Lord’s forgiveness.