Choose a topic from Part 3a:
1. No sin is forgiven without repentance or penance. Yet amore perfect penance is required for the forgiving of mortal sin;each mortal sin is to be detested and rejected. A more generalgrief or sorrow is sufficient in the case of venial sins.
2. Mortal sin is removed by penance (virtue and sacrament)when grace is infused into the soul to drive out and replace sin.Venial sin does not drive out grace, and hence, in one who has nomortal sin on his soul, venial sins can be forgiven without theinfusion of new grace by a movement of grace or charity already inthe soul. Also whenever grace is newly infused, venial sins areforgiven.
3. The pious use of holy water and the exercise ofdevotional acts can suffice to take away venial sins. Such pioususes and practices always tend to remove sin, because theycan be a true movement of grace in the soul arousing love of Godand detestation of what offends him.
4. A man who has both mortal and venial sins, cannot getrid of his venial sins while the mortal sins remain. For by mortalsin a man is turned completely from God, and no sanctifying graceis in him to move for the cancellation of venial sins.
"Obedience is a short cut to perfection."
St Philip Neri
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"The Lord has always revealed to mortals the treasures of his wisdom and his spirit, but now that the face of evil bares itself more and more, so does the Lord bare his treasures more."
St John of the Cross, OCD - Doctor of the Church
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"Every man naturally desires knowledge; but what good is knowledge without fear of God? Indeed a humble rustic who serves God is better than a proud intellectual who neglects his soul to study the course of the stars."
Thomas á Kempis
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