Catholic Spirituality

[Matty]

The glory of God is man fully alive.
Irenaeus

Just a thread to share insights which are about the elevation of the individual to a life of grace and virtue, by the gifts of God, which illuminate the intellect and strengthen the will.

Hopefully there will be no grandstanding, but a humble recognition that we're pretty disgraceful and cringe, but aspiring to being based in Christ.

 

[Matty]

The act of contrition for sin.

O my God, I am very sorry for having sinned against thee.
I detest all my sins because:
I fear the loss of heaven and the pains of hell;
Because they deprive me of your grace, and cultivate vice and malice;
Because they have crucified my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ;
But most of all because they offend against thee, my God, who are all good and deserving of my greatest love.

I firmly resolve with the help of your grace to sin no more, to do penance, and to avoid the occasions which lead me to sin. Amen

..
I like how this act of contrition captures the spectrum of sorrow for sin, from the least commendable (servile fear of punishment), through regret for its consequences (in myself, to others, and to Christ), and ultimately to sorrow for having preferred lesser/apparent goods over the greatest good (God). It sort of puts things in perspective: things like pleasure, vindication, gain are good in themselves, but not in opposition or in preference to goodness itself.