Chapter XXVI: Confession a Remedy for Sin

THE Sacrament of Confession was instituted by our Lord for the forgiveness of sin. Nothing can be more important for us than this sacrament, if we have fallen into sin. It is sin that bars the gates of heaven. With mortal or grievous sin on the conscience, we are, as Scripture says, already condemned; and the sentence is only removed when the sin is forgiven. Sin is the thing to be feared above all else. Great or grievous sins kill the soul outright. If they are not destroyed by penance and forgiven, we must suffer the pains of hell for them. Every kind of sin, whether small or great, is exceedingly to be feared. A venial sin, particularly such as is deliberately committed — that is, committed with the knowledge and consciousness that it is a sin — helps to destroy the soul. It may seem to be a small matter, but it weakens the love of God in the soul, and if persevered in paves the way for greater ones, until, little by little, one falls entirely.

I wish I could impress this upon your minds so that you might never forget it. Our Blessed Saviour was always urging this point; always declaring that the sin must be abandoned if we expect to please God or be saved. “Fear not those that kill the body,” He says, “and cannot kill the soul: but rather fear Him that can destroy both soul and body in hell.” What is that for which God will destroy the soul? It is sin. And sin alone can.

The Pharisees are described as making long prayers, and going through all the observances of the Law with the utmost exactness, expecting in this way to satisfy God, though they kept on committing sin. Just see how our Lord denounces them.

“Woe to you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you are like to whited sepulchres, which outwardly appear to men beautiful: but within are full of dead men’s bones and all filthiness. So you also outwardly, indeed, appear to men just: but within you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.”

“Woe to you Scribes and Pharisees, because you devour the houses of widows, making long prayers; therefore you shall receive the greater judgment.” “You serpents, generation of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of hell?” (St. Matt. xxiii. 14, 27, 28, 33).

I am afraid this description will apply to some Catholics. I am afraid there are some girls who have an idea that if they have some outward devotion, if they go to church and pray there, and go to the sacraments now and then, they need not be so particular to avoid sin.

Sometimes you hear an employer say: “There is my girl; she is on her knees praying a great deal, but in five minutes after flies into such a rage that you would think her possessed of the devil. She goes to her confession, but the next day you will hear words out of her mouth that would disgrace a heathen.”

Another says: “Mary attends church and says her prayers, but she pilfers and takes things that do not belong to her: she wastes a great deal of time, and does her work in the most careless and slovenly manner. She does not seem to understand that the first principle of religion requires her to be honest and fulfil her duty to her employers.”

Now, what kind of religion is that? Such girls grossly deceive themselves, but they do not and cannot deceive the Almighty. “If ye love me, keep my commandments”; that is, do not sin. Do not think that anything else can be put in the place of really and truly keeping the commandments of God. Remember the words of the Holy Ghost: “Flee from sin as from the face of a serpent” (Ecclus. xxi. 2). Flee from sin: hate sin; have a horror and dread of sin; and make it the study of your life to avoid every sin, and every appearance of sin.