Sin

[BarbTherese]

 Struggling Sinners Who Rise When They Fall

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(Ten Important Aspects of Saintliness

FR. ED BROOM, OMV)

Many have been deceived into an artificial, sugar-sweet, somewhat romantic vision of the saint as exempt from human weaknesses and moral failures. Nothing could be further from the truth! Saints are born sinners. However, a common characteristic of the saint is that upon falling, sinner though he is, he resiliently bounces back; he/she returns to the Lord through Confession, good will, and a firm purpose of amendment. Venerable Bruno Lanteri taught Nunc Coepi—meaning if we fall, then we must rise immediately and trust all the more in the grace and mercy of the loving Heart of Jesus! No surprise that in the Diary of Saint Faustina, Jesus reminds us that the greatest sinner can be the greatest saint if he trusts fully in the mercy of Jesus.

Venerable Fulton J. Sheen reminds us that the first canonized saint was a murderer, an insurrectionist, and a thief who hung on a cross next to Jesus on Calvary. “Jesus said: ‘Truly I tell you, this day you will be with me in Paradise.’” (Lk. 23:43) As Sheen points out: “And he died a thief because he stole heaven.” Read and meditate on the Parable of the Prodigal Son, that can also be termed the Parable of the Merciful Father. (Lk. 15:11-32)

 

 

[Didacus]

Was it not Mother Theresa who said "The greatest sinners are the saints."

[BarbTherese]

I don't know much at all about Mother Teresa.  Certainly, the greatest sinner has the Grace to be the greatest saint, after giving up a sinful life.  But then again, the greatest saint just could be the greatest sinner, if one considers Graces granted not to sin as another measure of sin, the seriousness of sin, or lack of it.

[BarbTherese]

We do tend to judge by outward appearances, but The Lord knows the truth of matters.  We simply do not have access to all information in order to judge in Justice, fairness, truth.

[Didacus]

What Mother Teresa was alluding to is that the more you love, the more the sin hurts.  No one loves the Lord more than the saints, so as the saints commit sin, their sins are the most painful.

Or something in that venu.