CatholicTheology.info

Choose a topic from Part 2A:

• Man's Last End
• Human Acts
• The Passions
• Habits in General
• Virtues
• Vices and Sins
  • 71. Vice and Sin
  • 72. The Distinction of Sin
  • 73. The Standing of Sins Toward One Another
  • 74. The Subject of Sin
  • 75. The Cause of Sin
  • 76. Ignorance as a Cause of Sin
  • 77. The Sensitive Appetites as the Cause of Sin
  • 78. Malice as the Cause of Sin
  • 79. External Causes of Sin
  • 80. The Devil as the Cause of Sin
  • 81. Human Beings as the Cause of Sin
  • 82. The Essence of Original Sin
  • 83. The Subject of Original Sin
  • 84. One Sin as the Cause of Another
  • 85. The Effects of Sin
  • 86. The Stain of Sin
  • 87. The Debt of Punishment for Sin
  • 88. Venial and Mortal Sin
  • 89. Venial Sin
• Law
• Grace

83. The Subject of Original Sin

1. Sin is in the soul, not the body; hence original sin isin the soul. The defects, weaknesses, and tendencies of the fleshwhich come from original sin are punishments, not guilt. Whenactual sin occurs because of bodily tendencies, it is reallycommitted by man through his will. The flesh of itself does notsin, nor has it the guilt of sin.

2. Original sin primarily affects the very nature of man.It is in the essence of the soul rather than in the powers of thesoul.

3. Through the soul's essence original sin infects thesoul's powers. It strikes first at the will. The will is theseat of appetency, and it is the source of man's firstinclination to sin.

4. In the subordinate powers, the infection of originalsin is most apparent in the generative power, the appetites, andthe sense of touch.

"Obedience is a short cut to perfection."
St Philip Neri

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"If, devout soul, it is your will to please God and live a life of serenity in this world, unite yourself always and in all things to the divine will. Reflect that all the sins of your past wicked life happened because you wandered from the path of God's will. For the future, embrace God's good pleasure and say to him in every happening: "Yea, Father, for so it hath seemed good in thy sight." "
St Alphonsus de Liguori

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"Try to turn your heart from the love of things visible and bring yourself to things invisible. For they who follow their own evil passions stain their consciences and lose the grace of God. "
Thomas á Kempis

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