Introduction to the Devout Life: First Part--Chapter 22

Welcome back, Catholic Pilgrims. We have a more indepth reading lined up for today. It's going to be on venial sins. Growing up Protestant, I was taught that all sins are equal. A sin is a sin is a sin. While it is true that all sin offends God, we know instinctively that some sins are worse than others. Of course, murder is worse than stealing a candy bar and we punish these sins–or crimes–differently because we understand the vast difference in offense between the two crimes. Justice demands we treat the two differently and since we are not more just than God, it only makes sense that God treats mortal sins and venial sins differently. That isn't to say that He treats venial sins lightly, they still offend Him, but it is to say they don't carry the same weight. It's good to reflect, though, on our venial sins and work to remove them, as habitual venial sins can lead us to mortal sins, which we absolutely do not want. So, let's open our books to Chapter 22 of the first part.