Fourth Friday in Lent.
CONDITIONS THAT DIMINISH GUILT.
1. We have seen that in order that sin may be deadly, it must have been committed with knowledge of what was proposed, in the exercise of liberty to act or not to act, and with deliberate determination of the will.
Now it is obvious that the same act may be very much less guilty in one man than in another according as these faculties exist in more or less activity.
We will now consider some of the more simple extenuating causes that may make a sin really to be—to the soul of him who has committed it—a fault only.
(a)Excusable ignorance.As has been pointed out, a man is only guilty of mortal sin, when he is ignorant that the act is forbidden. S. Paul says, “As many as have sinned without law, shall also perish without law; and as many as have sinned in the law, shall be judged by the law.” And our Lord Himself, "That servant which knew his Lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes; but he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required;and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more." (Luke xiii. 47, 48.) But the ignorance must be excusable, that is to say, he who is in ignorance must not be inwilfulignorance.
(b)Fear.In certain circumstances the mind may be in such a state of alarm and disturbance that its power of judgment is paralyzed, and the will is overborne by the fear which has become dominant. It is said of those who are out of their minds that they are not accountable for their actions, and there are cases in which terror is so acute, and so overmastering, that a man or woman ceases to be morally responsible for what he or she does.
(c)Compulsion.As already shewn, liberty is essential to qualify an act as either culpable or not culpable to the person who is the agent. An act may be in itself wrong, but the guilt entailed on the soul of him who does it depends on whether he be a free agent or not. For instance, it often happened that a martyr was forced to offer incense to idols. The grains were thrust into his hand, and the hand was extended by violence over the fire of the altar. But as the soul of the martyr never yielded consent, no guilt of apostasy attached to it.
(d)Inadvertence, or excusable want of attention. It does often happen that a wrong act is done before we really know what we are about. It is done without premeditation. We are of course bound to be ever on our guard against temptation; but that sin into which we have fallenunintentionallydoes not carry with it the same guilt to the soul as if it had been done with deliberation. “Be not high-minded, but fear,” says the Apostle. The Evil One is ever on the watch to entrap us whenunprepared into sin. And though a sin committed inadvertently may not be mortally sinful, yet it may, and probably will, carry with it the temporal consequences just the same as if it had been committed deliberately. “Watch and pray lest ye enter into temptation.” S. Peter denied his Master partly through fear, partly through inadvertence, he was caught off his guard. We stand often without any sight of or suspicion of the temptation on the brink of which we are, and with a touch we are over. As we are repeatedly warned to caution and watchfulness, such inadvertence does not wholly excuse us. We areboundto be ever prepared, nevertheless the nature of man is weak and frail.
2. Let no man seek to excuse himself for his sins. The remarks made are calculated to comfort the distressed and agonized soul that finds itself fallen into sin, which it hates, and is not intended to encourage a comfortable assurance of peace when there is no peace, and to engage to lack of watchfulness, and want of contrition.
Simple Maltese Cross