Rakes and Brooms

Wheeeee!  It's been a whirlwind week doing absolutely nothing new and everything exactly the way we always do!  How does every moment get taken up so thoroughly? Ordinary time is never ordinary.  We have added gardening back into the schedule.  Getting the dirt out from under our nails has certainly taken up some extra time.

Now to clean up the mess I've left with the last few posts.

One reader points out that I said mortal sin "kills the soul" and that the soul cannot be killed. The soul never dies.  She is 100% correct. I was being dramatic it seems.  Mortal sin kills one's relationship with God, shuts down the channel of grace.  The soul lives on, which is exactly why you don't want to find yourself in a state of mortal sin, because your soul will indeed  live on throughout eternity...in Hell.  No one wants that. Oddly, people do choose it.

Another reader thinks one can't die from the D.T.'s. Au contrare.  One certainly can.  Just another reason to not head down that road in the first place.

Dear Sr. MM....where to begin...... I worked on a drug that was genetically engineered to cure breast cancer. I also worked on a pediatric drug that was genetically engineered to immunize millions of children in developing countries. Now I am finding out I have committed 2 mortal sins.......so should I die tonight, according to the Church, I am straight off to hell!? Perhaps I am being slightly facetious, but not really.......Personally I think St Francis' example is all I need, but now all these new sins worry me somewhat......especially since I am not about to leave my field.......

No you haven't committed any mortal sins at all.  Thanks for your hard work! We all appreciate it. We're not Christian Scientists.  The Church is talking about genetic engineering of people: choosing the sex of a baby (if and when that becomes possible), say, or in vitro fertilization.

I do worry about thinking that the example of St. Francis is all you need. Although that is a lovely thought, if you really want to go there, you have to trade your clothes with a homeless person and not work at a job at all, just beg for what you need.  And, no shoes.... 

 Why is it impossible to pray for anyone or anything besides oneself when in a state of mortal sin?

Mother Teresa was on board with this line of thought.  You have turned your back on God.  It's as though, by committing a mortal sin, you've said to God, "Ha! I need to go ahead and do this and I really don't care what You think.  I think You're crazy to think what I'm doing here is even wrong! Okay, maybe it is wrong, but I just really want to do it and you can take a hike."

You've wished yourself into the cornfield.  Anything you do besides try to get yourself back in God's grace is futile. 

I hope this clears out some of our weeds!