Fr. Mark-Mary explains what NOT to do after you commit a mortal sin.
We’ve talked about what you should do after you commit a mortal sin, and that mainly is to get to confession as soon as you can. We are blessed to have the ability to confess our sins in confession, and God’s mercy is so abundant that he will forgive even the worst sins as soon as we ask him to.
There is, however, one common temptation that comes with committing mortal sin, and that’s to repeat the sin just because you have to go to confession anyway. This is exactly what we SHOULDN’T do after mortal sin. This act is known as the sin of presumption, which assumes God will grant you mercy for your sins and should be included in our confession.
Why is the sin of presumption so damaging? It’s because it does exactly what the devil wants us to do after mortal sin. Not only does it assume God will give us a gift that he already gives so generously, but it convinces us to do the same mortal sin again. In the sin of presumption, we take advantage of God because we know how good he is. The devil is always trying to mock the Lord, and the sin of presumption is the ultimate form of mockery against God’s mercy.
The effects of sin are very real, and if we repeat a certain sin over and over again, our passions will start to form an attraction towards this sin, and its temptation will become even stronger. The sin of presumption is one of the devil’s strongest weapons against us, but the sooner we get to confession and become immersed in the Lord’s mercy, the weaker the temptation will be.
Meet Fr. Mark-Mary
Father Mark-Mary was ordained as a Franciscan Friar of the Renewal (CFR) in 2018 and lives at a friary in the Bronx.
The mission of the CFRs is to wholeheartedly embrace Jesus through fidelity to the Church and her Sacraments. Paired with their commitment to prayer, contemplation, and study of Sacred Scripture, the CFRs serve those around them, especially the poor, in the footsteps of Christ.
Discover beautiful music from the CFRs and Fr. Mark-Mary’s book Habits for Holiness: Small Steps for Spiritual Progress, both available from Ascension.
