Sin and Sacraments ~ Mary Reed Newland

Sin and Sacraments by Mary Reed Newland, The Year and Our Children

When we teach our children about sin, and about the difference between mortal and venial sin, it is easy to leave them with the impression that as long as it is not mortal sin, they are safe: venial sin doesn’t really count.

This is a grave mistake. Each venial sin is a surrender of some of the soul’s vitality, an impairment of its splendor, for the soul, like the body, has the faculty of forming habits. Continual venial sin unresisted prepares the way for mortal sin.

Every sin is a rebellion, a choice of my will instead of God’s, a repetition of Adam’s fault in the garden; and it is important that children (as well as their elders!) understand this. These choices between my way and God’s way are forming habits in me.

It is not so easy to get my way this time; next time let God have His way. Having my way this time means that next time it will be even more difficult for me to give God His way.

This calls for constant checking of impatience on the part of parents when they are chastising and punishing, so that they may include in their correction of children a reminder of the effect on the soul of even venial sin; how important it is to be truly sorry for sin, to do penance sincerely.

 Correction must be gentle and earnest, even affectionate if possible, or a child will not be able to calm his rebellion, anger, fear – whatever it is – to listen or take it seriously. Then the punishment that follows seems far more just and has a salutary purpose.

I admit that this is sometimes terribly difficult because parents are not without their own weaknesses, and become involved emotionally when there has been repeated rebellion; but it is easier if we keep our gaze focused on the forming of our children’s souls first, and only secondly their bodies.

Happily we have renewal in the sacraments after we have sinned – sacraments Christ gave His Church as a bridegroom gives wedding jewels to his bride. These are splendid refreshment for His members, fountains gushing from the opened side of the Man who is God and our Brother.

Lent is our time to ponder these things, from the very beginning in sin to our renewal in Baptism. The Church says to us, “Look – you are dust. See what it has cost Him to love you!”

Until a few years ago, we did not know that it was proper, if the family could not get to church on Ash Wednesday, to burn the previous year’s blessed palms at home, read the blessing of the ashes, sprinkle them with holy water, and use them as a sacramental. This is not the same as having a priest bless them, but it is an acceptable substitute.

The Blessing of the Ashes (in the daily missal) has a number of parts that are very beautiful, but one that is especially interesting to our children is the Fourth Prayer of the blessing, with reference to the Ninivites: Almighty and eternal God, who didst grant the remedy of Thy pardon to the Ninivites doing penance in ashes and sackcloth, mercifully grant that we may so imitate them in our attitude that like them we may obtain forgiveness. Through our Lord. Amen.

We have a soft spot for the Ninivites because they were Gentiles, and Jonah refused to warn them of God’s anger over their sins because of his scorn for Gentiles. The purpose of God’s command, which Jonah disobeyed, with dire consequences, was to teach that the Jews, even though they were the Chosen Ones, were not to despise Gentiles.

The Ninivites are a type of ourselves, and this prayer of the blessing asks that we may be given the grace to imitate in our customs the spirit of their forty days’ fast in sackcloth cloth and ashes, which is a type of our Lent. We have a special Jonah activity for Holy Week that is fun and teaches well.

The first reminder of it with this reference to Ninivites on Ash Wednesday helps the children to span with their minds the whole of Lent, rather than seeing it merely as endless day following endless day. We must try always to give them a sense of the whole, the great pattern: the Fall, the Promise, the Redemption.

After reading the Blessing of the Ashes, the family kneels and the father or oldest grown-up present follows the example of the priest when he signs the forehead of each with a cross of ashes, saying: “Remember, man, that you are dust and to dust you will return.” And the mother may mark the forehead of the kneeling father.

It is an odd smell, the smell of burning ashes. It fills the house with a faint acrid smoke. No other day do you smell it. It seems to be particularly fitting for the first day of Lent. The Lesson for Ash Wednesday tells who is to observe these forty days: Blow a trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather together the people, sanctify the Church, assemble the ancients, gather together the little ones and them that suck at the breast: let the bridegroom go forth from his bed and the bride out of her bridechamber….” °

No one is left out, not even the babies, because the terrible price paid on Good Friday was to buy freedom from exile for all, and each one is more precious to the Son of God than all the wealth of the earth.

 “Do you know, dear, that if there had been no one but you, He would have done it all the same? That is how He loves you. That is how much He wants you. You are His beloved, and He would have given His life for you alone.” This is unbelievable, but it is true; so they must be told.

Having a happy home is crucial to the spreading of our faith. To whom do we want to spread our faith? First of all, to our children. They need to see the deep and lasting beauty of our faith shining forth in our everyday lives, making our home beautiful and happy. Our faith should be an unspoken reality, the undercurrent in the everyday bubbling brook, that flows into every facet of our lives.. ~Finer Femininity

“So I think that the whole fundamental measure of youth comes down to this: How alert is your mind? How responsive is your soul? How quick are your reactions? How many interests have you? Is the world wonderful to you, or is it a bore? Do you find most things delightful or annoying? Are you fond of new acquaintances and devoted to old friends?”

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Difficulties in Mental Prayer ~ Available here.

It can be difficult to pray, but it is even more difficult not to pray. In this book, Dom Eugene explains what prayer really is, why it is necessary for everyone and how anyone can become proficient in it. Without using complicated language, he introduces readers to the main stages of the development of prayer and the spiritual life. He answers popular misconceptions regarding prayer, and teaches all not to be afraid of speaking to God using their own heartfelt words. He shows how even simple mental prayer can lead to the heights of mystical union with God.

This book touches on many of the most common questions about prayer. How should we deal with distractions in prayer? How can we avoid being discouraged in prayer? How does prayer make us better? How can we learn to persevere in prayer, until it becomes an indispensable part of our daily life? At the same time, it goes beyond these difficulties in order to show how our personal lives of prayer are inseparable from our membership in the true Church founded by Jesus Christ.

Little Catechism of the Life of Prayer ~ Available here.

In this short but comprehensive guide, Father Gabriel describes in clear terms the means and methods of mental prayer. Set out in question-and-answer format, the Little Catechism of Prayer is an invaluable work for those seeking to enter more deeply into a life of prayer and loving communion with God.

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