We Must Purify Ourselves of Affection for Venial Sin”


22: “We Must Purify Ourselves of Affection for Venial Sin”

                De Salles writes that “the inward light of the Holy Spirit brightens our conscience”, and as we let that light guides us, the “more clearly and distinctly we see [our] sins”. Sin disrupts relationship with Self, Other, Nature, and God, and as those relationships are disrupted, we stray from our True image and likeness. That is, as we sin, we look less and less like God who is perfect Loving relationship. We should detest the sins we commit because of the damage they cause, but De Salles recognizes that thought we may never be fully free from sin, we can practice to detest them. We cannot expect our students to be perfect and free from sin, but we can help them to see the damage that sin causes and to let go of any affection for those sins. That may be the beginning of a holy life.

Venial Sin tends to be a fixation of a material comfort, but if we limit ourselves to simple, material comfort, how can we climb to greater heights and see the glory of God's Majesty (photo. P. Smith)


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