In order to save our souls from Hell, we must bravely reject sin and overcome all of the obstacles that the enemies of our soul place in our path. We must live in sanctifying grace, keep the divine commandments and pray every day.
After original sin was committed by our first fathers, we must vigorously combat against sin. Not only is sin our greatest enemy but, in a sense, it is the only one that is right in front of us. In addition to sin, we must also fight against the world, the devil and the flesh; these friends and allies of sin never cease to place obstacles in our way. If the world (that is, men who ignore the laws of God), the devil and the flesh are so perilous and fearsome it is only because they stem from sin and lead to it.
We will never be sufficiently prepared to battle against this mortal enemy of our soul, given that it takes only one mortal sin to be eternally lost. Mortal sin is worse to the soul than having AIDS, cancer and leprosy combined are to the body.
Let us examine a bit further what mortal sin really is: its malice, the damages it causes us and which weapons and remedies we can use to fight against and conquer it.
What is mortal sin?
Mortal sin is a willful transgression of God’s law in a matter that is serious. It is a rebellion against God.
God in His infinite wisdom has been able to summarize His law into the Ten Commandments. The Church, with divine authority, has added a few others in order to help us fulfill the divine precepts with greater ease and perfection.
When a man is fully and completely aware that the deed he is about to perform is severely prohibited by the law of God or by the Church but chooses to do it anyway, he commits a mortal sin. This preference for a man to ultimately direct his attention onto created things (means) causes him to turn his back on God (ultimate end), thereby renouncing eternal salvation.
There are three conditions for a sin to be mortal:
1) The object is a grave matter forbidden by God.
2) It is committed with full knowledge/understanding.
3) It is done with deliberate consent.
The immediate effects caused by sin are:
1) Aversion to God. The sinner deliberately detaches himself from God by despising His Commandments. This constitutes the soul of sin.
2) Conversion to created things. By his illicit enjoyment of sin, the sinner converts to a created thing. This constitutes the body of sin.
Here are a few examples of mortal sins that lead to Hell. The apostle Saint Paul warns us: “But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not so much as be named among you, as becometh saints: Or obscenity, or foolish talking, or scurrility, which is to no purpose; but rather giving of thanks. For know you this and understand, that no fornicator, or unclean, or covetous person (which is a serving of idols), hath inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words. For because of these things cometh the anger of God upon the children of unbelief. Be ye not therefore partakers with them". (Ephesians 5:3-7). What sinners do or say is worthless. We must NOT take part or approve their insanities.
God Himself warns us in relation to grave sins: “Know you not that the unjust shall not possess the kingdom of God? Do not err: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, Nor the effeminate, nor liers with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor railers, nor extortioners, shall possess the kingdom of God.” (I Corinthians 6:9-10).
Malice of mortal sin
No created intelligence will ever be capable of perfectly realizing the terrible disorder involved in mortal sin. It is abominable for a man to knowingly reject God and instead choose a vile creature in which to place his supreme happiness and ultimate end. Indeed, so monstrous and perplexing is mortal sin, that it can, in some small way, be explained by the insanity and stupefaction seen in the sinner who lives in it. The story of the poor shepherdess with whom the King falls in love and marries, and the sudden departure of this new queen from the royal palace to commit adultery with a seducer is only a pale reflection of the incredible monstrosity of sin.
We know that by one single mortal sin God, who is infinitely good and merciful, who has the tenderness of a father towards all His creatures and that has told us in the Bible: “As I live, saith the Lord God, I desire not the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way, and live.”(Ezekiel 33:11):
a) Turned millions of angels into horrible demons for all eternity.
b) Threw our first parents away from early paradise, condemning them and all their descendants to suffer pain and bodily death and to the possibility of going to Hell eternally, even after the Redemption accomplished by Christ.
c) Demanded the death on the cross of “His beloved Son in whom He is well pleased” (Matthew 17:5) to redeem man.
d) Will maintain for all eternity the terrible sufferings and torments of Hell as a punishment for the obstinate sinner.
e) All the points mentioned above are facts of the Catholic faith and whoever denies one of them becomes a heretic.
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The effects caused by mortal sin
There is not a single catastrophe or public disaster that can be compared to the destruction and wreck that is caused to the soul by a single mortal sin. It is the only misfortune worthy of the word ‘catastrophe’ and is of such magnitude that it should never be committed, even if by committing it a terrible war threatening to obliterate all mankind could be avoided, or if all the souls in Hell and Purgatory could be released.
According to the Catholic doctrine, it is known that the supernatural wellbeing of a single individual is above and worth more than the natural sake of the whole universal creation, given that it belongs to an infinitely greater order: the one of grace and glory.
It would be a complete madness for a man to die in order to save the life of all the ants in the world, just the same way it would be madness for him to sacrifice his eternal and supernatural welfare to save the temporal and purely human welfare of mankind. There is no proportion between the two of them.
Man is obliged to preserve his supernatural life and to live in God’s grace at all costs even if the world collapses.
Here are the main effects that a single mortal sin intentionally perpetrated causes to the soul:
1) Loss of sanctifying grace, which turns the soul pure, saint, adoptive daughter of God and heiress of eternal life. Without it no one can be saved.
2) Loss of the infused virtues (charity, prudence, justice, fortitude, temperance) and of the gifts of the Holy Ghost, which constitute a divine treasure infinitely superior to all the material wealth of the creation.
3) Loss of the Holy Trinity’s loving presence in the soul, which then becomes a temple of Satan.
4) Loss of all the merits acquired (through good deeds) in previous life, regardless of how saintly it was.
5) Hideous stain in the soul that renders it dark and horrible in the eyes of God. St. John Chrysostom says: “Sin leaves the soul so stained and full of leprosy that there is not water enough to cleanse it”.
6) Slavery to Satan. He who is in the state of mortal sin is a slave to Satan, who in words of St. Augustine is “the prince of all sinners”.
7) Increase of the evil tendencies. The sinner is weakened and is unable to resist evil and finds it very hard to practice good.
8) Remorse and uneasiness of conscience. When living in a state of mortal sin it is impossible to experience peace of mind and soul nor peace in the family or work.
9) Worthy of eternal punishment. Mortal sin is a would-be Hell, this is to say that whoever is in a state of mortal sin can go to Hell for all eternity at any time.
As can be seen, mortal sin is an immediate collapse of our supernatural life and a suicide of the soul to the life of grace. And to think that so many sinners commit it with such ease and lightness, and not for preventing a catastrophe to the world but for an instant of bestial pleasure, for a small amount of money that will have to be left in this world, for a hatred or resentment that they do not wish to let go, and thousands of other infantile things.
Saint Alphonsus de Liguori was right when he said that the world seemed to him as a huge asylum in which poor sinners had completely lost their minds. And, with reason, the pious queen Blanche of Castile said to her son, Saint Louis, future king of France: “My son, I would rather see you dead than commit a single mortal sin.” The depiction that St. Teresa of Avila makes of the state of a soul that has committed a mortal sin is striking, too. (She saw it thanks to a miraculous vision granted by Our Lord).
How to Prevent Mortal Sin
If you want to ensure the eternal salvation of your soul you must avoid at all costs the catastrophe of mortal sin.
It would be a great temerity and lightness to continue sinning peacefully hoping to convert and return definitely to God later. Death can take a soul by surprise in the most unexpected moment and, in addition, the soul exposes to be punished by God through subtraction of the effectual grace of repentance. Without this grace, it will be absolutely impossible for him to come out of his terrible situation. If the sinner could realize the appalling risk at which he exposes himself, he would not be able to sleep anymore (unless he had lost his mind).
Down below there is a list of only a few of the most effective ways to come out of mortal sin and never to fall again into it:
1) Attend the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. “It obtains us the grace of repentance, it facilitates the forgiveness of sins. A great number of sinners have received the grace of repentance and inspiration for making a good lifelong confession by attending to the Holy Mass.” (R. Garrigou-Lagrange, Christ, the Saviour).
2) Frequent Confession and Communion, as often as necessary to maintain and increase the strength of the soul against the assaults of temptation. If our body were sick we would gladly take all the necessary remedies that the doctor would prescribe. The health of our soul is worth much more.
3) Reflect every day, for a little time, about the great interests of our soul and our eternal salvation. Meditative daily reading of the lives of the saints is of great help. (Some essential books: Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis of Sales, Preparation for Death and The Great Means of Prayer by St. Alphonsus de Liguori).
4) Prayer of petition: asking God that He keeps us by His side, holding our hand and not letting us stray. To properly pray and live the Our Father helps a lot, too.
5) Fly from occasions of sin. The sinner is lost if he does not do that. There is no purpose so firm or will so unbreakable that will not yield with ease before an alluring occasion. It is necessary to renounce without contemplation from immoral spectacles (in addition, one commits sin of scandal and cooperation in evil by supporting them financially), worldly and frivolous friendships, impure conversations, obscene magazines/photographs/movies/ tv shows and Internet, etc. It is impossible to remain standing if one does not renounce from all these things. The eternal and inexplicable joy that awaits us in Heaven is well worth the effort of renouncing from the things that we find so enticing now, especially when considering that for a momentary pleasure they would lead us to our eternal ruin.
6) A strong and affectionate devotion to the Virgin Mary, our Sweet Mother, intercessor and refuge of sinners. Ideally, one should pray the Holy Rosary every day, which is the most excellent Marian devotion and a great sign of predestination for those who say it regularly. At the very least, we must never forget to say three Hail Marys on waking and again before going to bed and whenever we experience a temptation, so that Our Lady help us to conquer sin.
7) Make the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius.
There is death, a judgment and an eternity whether happy or miserable for every soul. There is no dispute with sin. We must save our souls come what may.
Source of information: Blog CATOLICIDAD http://www.catolicidad.com/2009/05/el-pecado-mortal-sus-consecuencias-y.html. Translated from Spanish by: Fabiola Lozano.