Chapter 38. Venial Sins

hough the sins of which we have been treating are se which we should avoid with most care, yet do not ink that you are dispensed from vigilance in regard to nial sins. I conjure you not to be one of those ais Christians who make no scruple of committing . because it is venial. Remember these words of Holy ripture: “He that contemneth small things shall fall by le and little.” (Ecclus. 19:1). “Do not despise venial is because they appear trifling,” says St. Augustine, “but ur them because they are numerous. Small animals in ige numbers can kill a man. Grains of sand are very jall, yet, if accumulated, they can sink a ship. Drops of iter are very small, yet how often they become a mighty er, a raging torrent, sweeping everything before them!”’ he holy Doctor goes on to observe that though no mber of venial sins can constitute a mortal sin, yet these hter failings predispose us to greater faults, which len become mortal. St. Gregory observes with equal ith that slight faults are sometimes more dangerous than eater ones, for the latter, when we behold their hideousss, awaken remorse and resolutions of amendment, but > former make less impression on us, and thus, by easily apsing into them, we soon contract a strong habit. Finally, venial sin, however slight, is always prejudicial the soul. It weakens our devotion, troubles the peace of our conscience, diminishes the fervor of charity, exhaus the strength of our spiritual life, and obstructs the work « the Holy Ghost in our souls. I pray you then to do all your power to avoid these sins, for there is no enemy tc weak to harm us if we make no resistance. Slight ange gluttony, vanity, idle words and thoughts, immodera laughter, loss of time, too much sleeping, trivial lies « flatteries—such are the sins against which I would pa ticularly warn you. Great vigilance is required again offenses of this kind, for occasions of venial sin abound.