On the Need to Be Delivered from All Affection for Venial Sins.
As the day grows, we see more clearly in the mirror the spots and blemishes on our face: so, as the inward light of the Holy Spirit shines upon our consciences, we see more distinctly the sins, inclinations, and imperfections which may hinder us from attaining true devotion; and this same light, by making us see our faults, inspires us with the holy desire to amend them.
You will therefore discover, my dear Philothea, that besides the mortal sins and the affection for mortal sins, from which you have been delivered by the practices above indicated, you still have in your soul much inclination and affection for venial sins: I do not say that you will discover venial sins, but I say that you will discover an inclination and affection for such sins. Now, the one is very different from the other: for we can never be entirely free from venial sins, or at least we cannot persevere long in that state; whereas we may indeed have no affection for venial sins. Thus, it is one thing to lie once or twice lightheartedly in a matter of little importance, and quite another to take pleasure in lying, and to be attached to this sort of sin.
As the day grows, we see more clearly in the mirror the spots and blemishes on our face: so, as the inward light of the Holy Spirit shines upon our consciences, we see more distinctly the sins, inclinations, and imperfections which may hinder us from attaining true devotion; and this same light, by making us see our faults, inspires us with the holy desire to amend them.
You will therefore discover, my dear Philothea, that besides the mortal sins and the affection for mortal sins, from which you have been delivered by the practices above indicated, you still have in your soul much inclination and affection for venial sins: I do not say that you will discover venial sins, but I say that you will discover an inclination and affection for such sins. Now, the one is very different from the other: for we can never be entirely free from venial sins, or at least we cannot persevere long in that state; whereas we may indeed have no affection for venial sins. Thus, it is one thing to lie once or twice lightheartedly in a matter of little importance, and quite another to take pleasure in lying, and to be attached to this sort of sin.
And I say now that the soul must be cleansed of all affections she may have for venial sin; that is to say, one must not willingly cherish the purpose of persevering in this or that venial sin, for it would be too great a cowardice knowingly to keep in one’s conscience a thing so capable of displeasing God as the will to displease Him. Venial sin, however small it may be, displeases God, though not so much as to draw down His eternal curse upon us. But if venial sin displeases Him, it follows that affection for venial sin is a resolve always to displease Him: and could it be possible that a well-born soul should not only displease her God, but also take pleasure in always displeasing Him?
Such affections, Philothea, are directly opposed to devotion, just as affections for mortal sin are opposed to charity. They weaken the powers of the spirit, hinder divine consolations, and open the door to temptations; and though they do not kill the soul, they make her exceedingly sick. “Dead flies,” says the Wise Man, “cause the ointment to lose its fragrance and virtue.” He means that if flies settle only briefly upon the ointment and merely taste it in passing, they spoil only what they take, and the rest remains intact; whereas if they die in the very midst of the ointment, they spoil it greatly and diminish its worth. In the same way, when venial sins come upon a devout soul and do not remain long there, they do her little harm; but if these same sins remain in the soul through the affection she bears them, they will cause her to lose, like the ointment, her sweetness—that is, her holy devotion.
Such affections, Philothea, are directly opposed to devotion, just as affections for mortal sin are opposed to charity. They weaken the powers of the spirit, hinder divine consolations, and open the door to temptations; and though they do not kill the soul, they make her exceedingly sick. “Dead flies,” says the Wise Man, “cause the ointment to lose its fragrance and virtue.” He means that if flies settle only briefly upon the ointment and merely taste it in passing, they spoil only what they take, and the rest remains intact; whereas if they die in the very midst of the ointment, they spoil it greatly and diminish its worth. In the same way, when venial sins come upon a devout soul and do not remain long there, they do her little harm; but if these same sins remain in the soul through the affection she bears them, they will cause her to lose, like the ointment, her sweetness—that is, her holy devotion.
Spiders do not kill bees; but they spoil and corrupt their honey, and when they attach themselves to the hive, they encumber the combs so much with their webs that the bees can no longer go about their work there. So venial sin does not kill our soul, but it spoils devotion; and when it attaches itself thereto through habit and the affection we bear it, it so encumbers the powers of the soul that it can no longer act with that fervour and promptness of charity which are the proper marks of true devotion. It is nothing, Philothea, to tell a little lie, to be slightly distracted in words or actions, to have a little curiosity in one’s glances, a little vanity in one’s dress; to take pleasure in this or that game, in this or that frivolity, in this or that dance, provided that, as soon as the spiritual spiders have entered our soul, we drive them out at once, as bees strive to drive out corporeal spiders; but if we let them settle in our heart, and not only that, if we take pleasure in keeping them there and multiplying them, we shall soon see our honey lost, and the hive of our conscience infected and destroyed. Now, I say it once more, it will never be a generous soul that takes pleasure in displeasing its God, and sets its affection on what it knows to be displeasing to Him.