The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1907-08-31
little Sins, "

Little sins-how we ought to hate
! them and avoid them, if we really love
Jesus Christ! A mortal sin is one
| thing, and it stands in its own cate
CORY to be detested. Stunned, repent
ed in tears and blood, needing a sacra-
ment of its own to pardon it. That,
let US put aside for its own severe
reckoning; and let US consider today
a so-called little SIM" "venial fault. -
What should we think of a soldier
who only tried to avoid coUrtmartial =?
What of a sworn knight who only
sought to avoid distinct disgrace?
What do all men say of eye-service
and lip-service, the service of fear and
of niggardly or cowardly heart? The
personal service and the personal love
of man for Jesus Christ teaches him
higher things than this mean service
of the hireling. A true Christian avoids
a venial sin because God dislikes a
venial sin; because it is a flaw in the
gift he offers God, it is weak spot
in his armor as a Christian; it is a
something that he ought not to do.
Such man says-not, L am guilt
less" but he says, Il wish to serve
God wholly" He says, Il will do my
duty, little or great" Such a man
ranks as a faithful servant, who would
distain to make one penny unjustly,
whether his business is to take our
fares on a trolley car, or whether he
is cashier of bank. Such a mans
soul revolts at the words "a petty
theft" "a white lie" "a bit of mere
gossip" These things are beneath
him--but not for pride's sake. but be-
cause he loves Jesus Christ beyond
honor or dishonor. good or evil repute.
Oh, the glory of such a man before
the angels, he who thus does angels
service, true and thorough and unfal-
tering, all his days! We ought to
Danish from us forever all thought of
littleness and barter in our daily liv-
ing, we who serve no less a Master
than St. Paul served, that apostle VINO
counted all things loss so he might
win Christ.
1t ought to be the desire of every
Catholic man and woman among us,
each in his or her station, that all
men should say of US: There. goes one
to be trusted always and everywhere,
to whom cheating under any form is
hateful and whose soul is the soul of
honor in every thought, word or act.'
Does graft come in a moment? Does
any great evil come in moment? Or
is ii the little sins" that lead on to
it, as the subtle sands fill in the dyke?
Without fear and without reproach"
is the motto for US, as for Bayard II
would rather see you dead today than
to know you had committed a mortal
sin" cried Blanche of CASTLE to st.
Louis TX. Il had rather have leprosy
than commit a mortal sim said st.
Louis to himself. But it is the little
sins" that too often lead to the mortal
sins; and against these little sins let
I
against them, fight against them, hate
and despise them. Jesus Christ is
worthy of our stainless armor and of
our answering service. Where duty
calls, there let our feet press forward.
Just one little lie-one little theft
one little idle foolish word-one little
wrong story read''-how can these
things comport with the service of
Him who is given us for our perfect
pattern, and who in all things pleased
God?
In all things to please God-here,
then, is the secret: so to have God be-
fore u.s. our royal Leader, the One most
loved of all loves-that our constant
high endeavor shall be to please Him.
When the temptation to small sins
comes, even to one little evil word,
one idle word, one unkind jest-let us
quell it because Of our call to the
highest and the noblest; for the high
est and noblest are duty and right and
love. Il will not do this, for it is not
what pleases God" may we learn al
ways so to speak, no matter what the |
scott or the jeer of the world may be- |
And for this grace we must pray to |
the Sacred Heart, that our hearts may
be like to His. For this grace we must |
beg the Immaculate Mother of God to |
intercede for us. God is worthy. not |
only that His mother should be STAIN
less, but that every one whom He |
made, and loved. and died for should |
seek to be His loyal and brave SOL |
der, found faithful in the least things. |
as in the greatest, for the love of Him! |
Heart Review.