On a recent Catholic Answers Live, Mother Miriam responded to a caller asking about forgiveness, and mentioned that the degree of sin doesn’t have as much to do with the sin itself (i.e., how serious it is) but with the one who is offended. We recognize the difference in severity when we commit a sin, like an unkind word, against someone we love versus committing that same sin against a total stranger. Even though the act or sin is the same, we know inside that the offense is greater when the person harmed is closer to us or more holy.
We could use a better perspective on “big” vs. “little” sins. Pic by mattdm
Consider, then, the sins we commit against God. God deserves all of our love and is perfect in love, truth, and wisdom. Consider, also, when someone sins against us. Clearly we lack much in terms of love, truth, and wisdom. But how do we react when we sin against God compared to when someone sins against us? If you’re like me, you brush off your own sins against God as being “not a big deal” whereas if someone offends us it’s as if they’ve violated the Geneva convention. Mother Miriam suggested the following, which puts things in perspective:
A small sin against a holy, infinite, loving God, is greater than a big sin against us who are sinners.
I can’t recall which book it was, but St. Teresa of Avila, in commenting on the part of the Lord’s Prayer where we ask God to “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us,” emphasized that God forgives even the worst things we can possibly consider. Therefore, to receive that forgiveness we need to forgive others freely, quickly, and for even the smallest slights.
As a parent, I especially need to keep this in mind since I image God the Father in my fatherhood to my children. I only hope that the forgiveness extended to me by God is immensely more merciful and patient than that which I tend to display towards our boys.
For the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world!