Understanding Sin
Big Sins
Some sins hurt more than others. Some are so serious that they cut us off from God’s love and grace (such as murdering someone). The Church calls these grave or mortal sins.
When a person commits a sin this serious, they must not receive communion until they confess the sin to a priest and are forgiven through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Otherwise, these sins could keep us separated from God forever. We should receive this sacrament at least once a year if we have serious sins to confess.
Getting Ready for Glory
God loves us and wants us to be close to him now and forever in heaven. But God doesn’t force us to love him. We have to be ready and willing to accept God’s love and salvation forever.
The first step is to receive grace through Baptism, but God can save people in other ways, too. Some people never get to know the Church, but still live good lives, seeking God. Some children or adults die before they can be baptized. We pray that God will save them through his mercy.
God loves us and wants us to be close to him now and forever in heaven. But God doesn’t force us to love him. We have to be ready and willing to accept God’s love and salvation forever.
Our Sin Affects Us
There are two kinds of consequences to the sins we commit. First, they get in the way of God’s love because we are turning away from him (God never turns away from us!). Second, our sins can confuse and hurt us, giving us extra work to do so we can get back to being the loving person God made us to be.
There are multiple ways to deal with these consequences:
- The Sacrament of Reconciliation helps with both.
- We can do “extra credit” to reduce the effects of our sins with indulgences. That’s a fancy name for performing good deeds, prayer, and penance. We can even use these actions to help others who are in Purgatory, preparing for heaven.
- Christ’s sacrifice in the Eucharist is offered in a similar way for both the living and the dead.