Corpus Christi Blog

Overcoming Sin: Part Four

02-19-2017Weekly Reflection

St. Francis de Sales' most notable work is Introduction to the Devout Life — a guide to holiness written for lay people in 1609. Ralph Martin's book, Fulfillment of All Desire, gives excerpt s from Francis and other Saints to inspire us to grow in the Spiritual life. Today's bulletin letter is the fourth part of a series about "Overcoming Sin" from Fulfillment of All Desire. Next week's bulletin will feature the fifth and final excerpt.

The Second Purgation: The Affection for Sin (part B)

Francis knows that as long as we're alive in this body the wounds of original sin and our past actual sins will cause affection for sin to spring up again and again. But it's our response to this bent of our nature towards sin that is determinative of the progress we make on the spiritual journey. We need to grow in our hatred for sin so we can resist it when it makes its appeals. Catherine of Siena talks of the two-edged sword with which we fight the spiritual battle: one side is hatred for sin, the other is love for virtue. Bernard speaks of how miserable it is to turn back to the slavery of our disordered passions once having tasted the grace of God. Such a person is doomed to continual frustration, as the things of the world simply can't satisfy our hunger and "ravenous curiosity"since the forms of this world are passing away. He bemoans the fate of the soul "who once fed so delicately now lies groveling on the dunghill (Lam. 4: 5)."

The vigorous effort that the saints urge us to make in the struggle against sin is firmly grounded in the Scriptures. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you men of double mind...Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you. (Jas. 4: 7–10) We need to determine, with the help of God's grace, never to freely choose to offend Him.

Francis makes clear that such purification of the affection for sin must extend to venial sins also.

Venial Sin (Part A)

Teresa, Bernard, and Francis all acknowledge that there will probably always be some inadvertent venial sins that we commit, without full reflection or choice. As Bernard puts it: Which of us can live uprightly and perfectly even for one hour, an hour free from fruitless talk and careless work? They all also teach, though, very clearly and strongly, that in so far as it lies in our power, we need to resolve never to freely choose to offend God, even in a small matter, if we are to make progress in the spiritual life. Both Francis and Teresa point out that to fall into the same involuntary lie, out of embarrassment, for example, is one thing; but to maintain an affection for tellinglittle lies, or to freely choose to do so, is a significant obstacle to making progress, and truly offensive to the Lord.

Affection for venial sin, just as affection for mortal sin, needs to progressively disappear from our lives as we make progress on the spiritual journey. We can never be completely free of venial sins, at least so as to continue for long in such purity, yet we can avoid all affection for venial sins...We must not voluntarily nourish a desire to continue and persevere in venial sin of any kind. It would be an extremely base thing to wish deliberately to retain in our heart anything so displeasing to God as a will to offend him. No matter how small it is, a venial sinoffends God.

Living in the close quarters of a community of monks, Bernard is particularly sensitive to how unkindness in speech and attitude can damage relationships and wound souls. It is not enough, I say, to guard one's tongue from these and similar kinds of nastiness [public insult and abuse, venomous slander in secret]; even slight offenses must be avoided, if anything may be termed slight that is directed against a brother for the purpose of hurtinghim, since merely to be angry with one's brother makes one liable to the judgment of God.

Bernard also counsels us to be careful how we respond when a wrong has been done to us. So when an offense is committed against you, a thing hard to avoid at times in communities like ours, do not immediately rush, as a worldly person may do, to retaliate dishonorably against your brother; nor, under the guise of administering correction, should you dare to pierce with sharp and searing words one for whom Christ was pleased to be crucified; nor make grunting, resentful noises at him, nor mutter and murmur complaints, nor adopt a sneering air, nor indulge the loud laugh of contempt, nor knit the brow in menacing anger. Let your passion die within, where it was born; a carrier of death, it must be allowed no exit or it will cause destruction, and then you can say with the Prophet: "Iwas troubled and I spoke not."

BACK TO LIST