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Mortal Sin And Prayer


Fidei Defensor

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Fidei Defensor

If i'm stained with mortal sin and have been cut off from God, does he even hear my prayers anymore?

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Credo in Deum

If i'm stained with mortal sin and have been cut off from God, does he even hear my prayers anymore?


Not only does He hear you but He is constantly calling you back to Himself. Your prayers are never useless since they are calling down actual graces which help us return to Him after a serious fall and seek His forgiveness in the sacrament of confession.
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If i'm stained with mortal sin and have been cut off from God, does he even hear my prayers anymore?

 

Yes, he does.  Although a person in mortal sin has lost sanctifying grace God always tries to get us to draw back to him. He does this through actual grace, such as that impulse to pray and that inner voice that calls us to turn back to him and go to confession

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Why would you be praying in the first place if you were not guided by the Holy Spirit? If you were totally in mortal sin why would you care about God?? Why would you want to pray?? I believe you wouldn't, so your prayers are heard. 

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Why would you be praying in the first place if you were not guided by the Holy Spirit? If you were totally in mortal sin why would you care about God?? Why would you want to pray?? I believe you wouldn't, so your prayers are heard. 

 

I find this confusing, could you elaborate please? I know I've committed mortal sins and then prayed later because I knew what I did was wrong.  Did praying later mean It wasn't really a mortal sin in the first place? :think2: If actual grace persists, even when sanctifying grace is lost through mortal sin (even if only for a short time), then feeling the need to pray isn't such a surprise is it? This seems to imply that if a person was in mortal sin they'd never be able to find a way back and God wouldn't hear their prayers. If Catholics believe they have committed a mortal sin, pray about it and go to confession your reasoning seems to imply they were never likely in that state in the first place :idontknow:  Anyone else lost or is this just me? At moments like this I sort of understand why so many catholics feel confused or give up :dunce:

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Nihil Obstat

Catholics have to be careful to avoid that whole fundamental option theology. We are in dangerous territory if we try to identify mortal sin based on subsequent behavior. Just imo...

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PhuturePriest

There is no mortal sin that cannot be forgiven, and we urge all of those who are in mortal sin to confess as quickly as possible. However, I don't think we should lessen the gravity of it. Father John Hardon said "A person who is in the state of mortal sin is an agent of Satan." Mortal sin isn't something to treat lightly, and we should all strive to stay in the state of sanctifying grace at all costs. I can't remember his name, but one Saint said "Death, but not sin." This should be our motto as faithful Catholics. We will of course screw up, and God is always willing to forgive us, but as a person who spent much of my early teens in a constant state of mortal sin, I can tell you it's something to avoid at all costs.

Edited by FetusPriest387
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I can't remember his name, but one Saint said "Death, but not sin." This should be our motto as faithful Catholics.

 

St. Dominic Savio!  My confirmation saint. 

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Not A Mallard

"A person who is in the state of mortal sin is an agent of Satan."

Great.  Now I'm going to be in a constant state of scruple attacks.

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Fidei Defensor

I find this confusing, could you elaborate please? I know I've committed mortal sins and then prayed later because I knew what I did was wrong.  Did praying later mean It wasn't really a mortal sin in the first place? :think2: If actual grace persists, even when sanctifying grace is lost through mortal sin (even if only for a short time), then feeling the need to pray isn't such a surprise is it? This seems to imply that if a person was in mortal sin they'd never be able to find a way back and God wouldn't hear their prayers. If Catholics believe they have committed a mortal sin, pray about it and go to confession your reasoning seems to imply they were never likely in that state in the first place :idontknow:  Anyone else lost or is this just me? At moments like this I sort of understand why so many catholics feel confused or give up :dunce:

I think he meant that being in mortal sin should not bring despair—the fact that we still care to pray and seek forgiveness means that all is not lost, even when we sin.

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Not The Philosopher

The last time I committed a mortal sin, I felt unsure if I was truly contrite. But I was basically like, "you know what, I can't do it myself, God.  I trust in you to provide the graces necessary for my repentance." And then I got my arse to confession.

 

There is, I think, a slight danger in overthinking things here, if it can give rise to a despairing frame of mind.

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There is, I think, a slight danger in overthinking things here, if it can give rise to a despairing frame of mind.

 

More than a slight danger, but it's always good to clarify

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how does one get not "totally" in mortal sin and is it similar to getting not "totally" pregnant.

M.Divs and OBGYNs please advise. 

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