Skip to main content


Denying our Sins - Part One


By Barbara Kralis

©Barbara Kralis 2005
Catholic Online
www.catholic.org

An ancient tradition tells us that Our Lord appeared to St. Jerome, priest and doctor of the Church, asking,

"Jerome, what have you to offer me?"

The Saint replied, "I can offer you my writings, Lord."

Christ indicated that this was not enough. Jerome asked,

"What can I offer you then…my life of mortification and penance?"

"No, that is not enough either."

St. Jerome finally asked straight out,

"Lord, what then is left for me to offer you?"

Christ’s immediate answer was,

"You can offer me your sins, Jerome."[1]

It has become increasingly more difficult for us to recognize our own sins, let alone offer them to God. What has caused this loss of the sense of sin by mankind?

Why, when we try to recognize our sins, society, as well as some Church leaders, wrongly tells us that we are far too critical of ourselves and we should not appear to others as being scrupulous. The professional esteem builders in our workplaces, schools and universities encourage us to deny our sins because, they say, there is no longer any sin.

The reason for our denying our sins might be summed up in this way: there is a great loss in the belief of sin upon the immortal soul, and unreasonable concerns for what others think of us [human respect].

When man has lost belief in sin [and he has], he therefore no longer believes in ‘The Last Four Things:’ death, judgment, heaven, and hell.[2]

When men no longer believe in sin, their thinking and their laws become worldly and man-centered, seeking human respect and a false peace. The examples of this humanism are hundredfold.

"Do you know what the first temptation the devil presents to someone who has begun to serve God better?" asks St. Jean-Baptise-Marie Vianney, the Curé d’Ars.[3]

"It is human respect."[4]

One useful illustration of this confusion is the bad model some Church hierarchy gives to the faithful laity. What is most excruciating are Catholic bishops allowing the reception of Holy Communion by persons persistently, obstinately and manifestly living in mortal sin. Sacrilegious reception of Holy Communion under the guise of ‘keeping peace among humans,’ albeit a false peace, leads the confused and scandalized laity to question the Church’s Divine Laws, asking,

"Why should we acknowledge and confess our sins when evil legislators are allowed to receive the Eucharist each Sunday, even at the bishops’ own Cathedrals? Does this mean God isn’t offended by sin anymore?"

St. Paul exhorted St. Timothy, bishop of Ephesus, to remain firm in his priestly vocation, to preach the truth without being inhibited by human respect:

"I am reminding you to fan into a flame the gift that God gave you when I laid my hands on you. God’s gift was not a spirit of timidity, but the Spirit of power, and love, and self-control." [5]

To add to the confusion, many of our clergy speak to us only of a loving, forgiving Jesus and not of the ‘just’ Jesus who will be our Adjudicator at our ‘dies irae’ – our Day of Judgment [or wrath].

If there is no sin, there is no need for the Sacrament of Confession. If there is no need for Confession, then, as the modernists teach, there is no hell and everyone goes merrily to heaven.

Nothing is distorted and twisted more today than the teaching of ‘universalism.’[6] In many places, we hear that everyone is saved, that everyone who dies goes to heaven. This is the result of our denying our sins and it is very difficult to resist this tempting flattery.

How many Funerals Masses have we attended wherein the celebrating priest wrongly allows members to eulogize the deceased into heaven. In addition, the priest, in his homily, subtly conveys the false theology that everyone goes to heaven. Is there no one left who will pray the poor soul out of purgatory, just when he needs us, the Church Militant, the most?

We often hear ‘universalists’ canonize their loved ones as someone we now ‘can pray to,’ not pray for. The pious practice of requesting a set of ‘Gregorian Masses’ ...

1 | 2 | 3 | 4  Next Page

Rate This Article

Very Helpful Somewhat Helpful Not Helpful at All

Yes, I am Interested No, I am not Interested

Rate Article

1 - 3 of 3 Comments

  1. Jones-inc
    3 years ago

    the only way one can seem to read the whole article is by pressing the "Printer Friendly" link at the top which displays the whole article. can it please be fixed? thanks

  2. Val
    3 years ago

    The subsequent pages 2,3, etc. are not available for viewing. This is a good article so far.

  3. Therese Bundalian
    3 years ago

    it is more a concern~i cant read the 2nd page of this article by archbishop sheen

Leave a Comment

Comments submitted must be civil, remain on-topic and not violate any laws including copyright. We reserve the right to delete any comments which are abusive, inappropriate or not constructive to the discussion.

Though we invite robust discussion, we reserve the right to not publish any comment which denigrates the human person, undermines marriage and the family, or advocates for positions which openly oppose the teaching of the Catholic Church.

This is a supervised forum and the Editors of Catholic Online retain the right to direct it.

We also reserve the right to block any commenter for repeated violations. Your email address is required to post, but it will not be published on the site.

We ask that you NOT post your comment more than once. Catholic Online is growing and our ability to review all comments sometimes results in a delay in their publication.

Send me important information from Catholic Online and it's partners. See Sample

Post Comment


Newsletter Sign Up

Daily Readings

Reading 1, Sirach 17:1-15
The Lord fashioned human beings from the earth, to consign them ... Read More

Psalm, Psalms 103:13-14, 15-16, 17-18
As tenderly as a father treats his children, so Yahweh treats ... Read More

Gospel, Mark 10:13-16
People were bringing little children to him, for him to touch ... Read More

Saint of the Day

May 25 Saint of the Day

St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi
May 25: It would be easy to concentrate on the mystical experiences God ... Read More




Marketplace

Click Here

Heaven Speaks to Those Who Do Not Know Jesus Read More


Click Here

Catholic Study Bibles
Your largest selection of Catholic Study Bibles can be found at ... Read More