Innocent Posted March 14, 2010 Share Posted March 14, 2010 (edited) Today I found this sermon by St. Alphonsus Liguori. [url="http://vanitasvanitatum94.blogspot.com/2009/08/on-number-of-sins-beyond-which-god.html"]On the Number of Sins Beyond Which God Pardons No More - by St. Alphonsus de Liguori[/url] (To read more sermons by St. Alphonsus, download this ebook: [url="http://www.archive.org/details/sermonsforallsun00liguuoft"]Sermons for all the Sundays in the year[/url]) The gist of this sermon is expressed in [url="http://paramedicgoldengirl.blogspot.com/2009/08/numbering-your-sins.html"]this blog post[/url]: [quote]According to Scripture and many of the saints, God has fixed for each of us the number of our days, the degrees of health and talent which will be given to us, and [b]so has He determined the number of sins He will pardon; when this number is completed, He will pardon no more.[/b] [/quote] This is the first time that I learn this. Is this the common consensus of Tradition or is it only St. Alphonsus Liguori who teaches this? Edited March 14, 2010 by Innocent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Didacus Posted March 14, 2010 Share Posted March 14, 2010 Excellent post - thanks! God bless, and God be merciful to us all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Innocent Posted March 14, 2010 Author Share Posted March 14, 2010 Could this be one of the reasons for the [url="http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/index.php?showtopic=103452"]chastisement of King Saul[/url] and the Prophet Samuel refusing him forgiveness? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nihil Obstat Posted March 14, 2010 Share Posted March 14, 2010 Tertullian was of the opinion during his semi-Montanist period (unless I misunderstand him) that a Christian should under no circumstances have to confess mortal sin more than once in his life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brother Adam Posted March 14, 2010 Share Posted March 14, 2010 God can no longer forgive sins when the penitent has stopped truly repenting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissyP89 Posted March 14, 2010 Share Posted March 14, 2010 [quote name='Brother Adam' date='14 March 2010 - 05:25 PM' timestamp='1268605546' post='2073140'] God can no longer forgive sins when the penitent has stopped truly repenting. [/quote] This is my understanding, as well. God's mercy is infinite as long as we seek it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vincent Vega Posted March 15, 2010 Share Posted March 15, 2010 [quote name='Brother Adam' date='14 March 2010 - 06:25 PM' timestamp='1268605546' post='2073140'] God can no longer forgive sins when the penitent has stopped truly repenting. [/quote] Can't or won't? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aalpha1989 Posted March 15, 2010 Share Posted March 15, 2010 (edited) Thank God for Confession and the grace of repentance. Meditating on the forgivable number of sins is only helpful if it instills a fear of Hell, and helps the sinner (i.e. anyone) down a spiritual path which will lead to more perfect contrition. Many Saints have spoken such (and it is classic Alphonsus), but personlly I tend to despair if I meditate too much on it. It is much more useful to me to meditate on God's great mercy, especially through the Paschal Mystery. Edited March 15, 2010 by aalpha1989 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sister Marie Posted March 16, 2010 Share Posted March 16, 2010 Alphonsus is a favorite of mine so I had to comment when I saw this. He is always very dramatic! I went to the link you provided and when I read the context around his comment I thought it was very typical of him. He desired so much that people love God with their whole hearts, grow in holiness through love, and know that they are never beyond the mercy and love of God. He was very much a pioneer of his time, when many of the clergy and religious in Naples and the surrounding areas bought into the very depressing idea that no one went to Heaven except the exceptionally holy, saintly, and well-off people. I think Brother Adam probably got to the heart of what Alphonsus was trying to say, that God forgives as many times as someone approaches with a contrite heart. Alphonsus also said that "the paradise of God is man's heart." He is such a romantic. Anyway, I'm glad he got some attention on here! God Bless! Sister Marie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nihil Obstat Posted March 16, 2010 Share Posted March 16, 2010 I'm starting to get a bit of an attachment to St. Alphonsus. His early life kind of speaks to me, somehow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ziggamafu Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 Sure there is a number beyond which God will pardon no more, and only God knows it. The number varies from person to person because it represents the very last sin you commit before you die. Whether venial or mortal, God will pardon no more sins for you beyond your last one. In other words, meditating on this number is to meditate on the God's control over the frailty of life and the mystery of death. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Hepburn Posted April 3, 2010 Share Posted April 3, 2010 [b]"...so has He determined the number of sins He will pardon; when this number is completed, He will pardon no more." [/b]I don't care if St. Alphonsus said this or any other saint. It's [i]preposterous[/i]. Please, show me where it says this in the Bible. I will be humbly surprised. Miss Hepburn Not starting out on the best foot here, am I! LOL, sorry, gotta be me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apotheoun Posted April 3, 2010 Share Posted April 3, 2010 [quote name='Miss Hepburn' date='02 April 2010 - 06:51 PM' timestamp='1270255894' post='2085777'] Not starting out on the best foot here, am I! LOL, sorry, gotta be me. [/quote] You're fine, because no one has to agree with St. Alphonsus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Innocent Posted April 3, 2010 Author Share Posted April 3, 2010 Welcome to Phatmass, Miss_Hepburn! [quote name='Apotheoun' date='03 April 2010 - 07:38 AM' timestamp='1270256889' post='2085786'] You're fine, because no one has to agree with St. Alphonsus. [/quote] Apotheoun, I'm glad you finally found this thread! If you have time, is there anything you could tell me regarding my original question? [quote name='Innocent' date='14 March 2010 - 09:27 PM' timestamp='1268578657' post='2072881'] This is the first time that I learn this. Is this the common consensus of Tradition or is it only St. Alphonsus Liguori who teaches this? [/quote] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldenchild17 Posted April 3, 2010 Share Posted April 3, 2010 [quote name='Miss Hepburn' date='02 April 2010 - 06:51 PM' timestamp='1270255894' post='2085777'] [b]"...so has He determined the number of sins He will pardon; when this number is completed, He will pardon no more." [/b]I don't care if St. Alphonsus said this or any other saint. It's [i]preposterous[/i]. Please, show me where it says this in the Bible. I will be humbly surprised. Miss Hepburn Not starting out on the best foot here, am I! LOL, sorry, gotta be me. [/quote] The Bible also doesn't call for a universal crusade/extermination of the bunchies. Yet we all know that this is God's will for mankind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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