Ziggamafu Posted October 15, 2005 Share Posted October 15, 2005 These four people were created / born without original sin, right? So that leaves concupescence. My real question, I guess, is whether or not it was an active [i]struggle[/i] for them to resist sin, as it is for us. Did evil thoughts wift through their heads, that they had to let pass and resist? If not, (in the case of Adam and Eve) how could (or "whyt would") a mortal sin be committed in the first place? There would be no temptation, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laudate_Dominum Posted October 16, 2005 Share Posted October 16, 2005 Adam and Eve did not have what we call concupiscence prior to the original sin (this is part of what makes the original sin so grave). They were clearly not without temptation because the Genesis account reveals the serpent's presence in the garden specifically as for the purpose of tempting Eve (and through her, Adam). The Angels have no concupiscence and yet they have all been tempted / tested. Mary was conceived with the fullness of sanctifying grace and lived a life of perfect trust and fidelity to this grace unlike the first Eve who fell. As far as I know every creature with a transcendent destiny must face at least one temptation in their existence. Even Christ Himself was "tempted" in the desert during which time He both gave us an example of resisting temptation and effected a recapitulation which would ultimately be consummated on the cross. It is safe to say that Mary faced temptation in her life, but like Eve this would have been in a state free of concupiscence and whilst enjoying the fullness sanctifying grace within. Since concupiscence is compulsory by nature, a lack of it rather than diminishing the gravity of sin rather increases in an unimaginable degree. There are even those who speculate on Mary's experience of a kind of "dark night of the soul", which was far more intense than what has been described by saints and because of her sinlessness a rather different thing altogether. But I must admit this seems a rather speculative area to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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