Sin as it dishonors God

From Vol. II of The Ascetical Works of St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori, The Way of Salvation and Perfection, meditation II, Sin as it Dishonors God:

1. By transgression of the law thou dishonorest God (Rom 2:23).

When the sinner deliberates whether he shall give or refuse his consent to sin, he takes the balance into his hands to decide which is of most value – the favor of God, some passion, some worldly interest or pleasure. When he yields to temptation, what does he do? He decides that some wretched gratification is more desirable than the favor of God. Thus it is that he dishonors God, declaring, by his consent, that a miserable pleasure is preferable to the Divine friendship.

Thus, then, O God! have I so many times dishonored Thee, by esteeming Thee less than my miserable passions.

2. Of this the Almighty complains by the prophet Ezekiel, when he says: They violated Me among My people, for a handful of barley and a piece of bread (Ez 13:19). If the sinner should exchange God for a treasure of jewels, or for a kingdom, it would indeed be doing a great evil, because God is of infinitely more value than all the treasures and kingdoms of the earth.  But for what do so many exchange him? for a vapor, for a little dirt, for a poisoned pleasure, which is no sooner tasted than it vanishes. [Lord, do I know this so well. Why do I continue to do this Lord, even when I know better?  Why do I exchange your Kingdom for a mouthful of ashes?]

O God! how could I have had the heart for such vile things, so often to despise Thee, who hast shown so much love for me? But behold, my Redeemer, how I now love Thee above all things; and because I love Thee, I feel more regret for having lost Thee, my God, than if I had lost all other goods, and even my life. Have pity on me, and forgive me. I will never more incur Thy displeasure. Grant that I may rather die than offend Thee any more. [please give us the Grace to choose death to even the smallest, deliberate, venial sin……]

3. Lord, who is like to Thee (Ps 34:10)?

And what good things, O God!, can be comparable to Thee, O Infinite Goodness? But how could I have turned my back upon Thee, to give myself to those vile things which sin held out to me? O Jesus, Thy precious blood is my hope. Thou hast promised to hear him who prays to Thee. I ask Thee not for the goods of this world: I ask Thee for the pardon of those sins which I have committed against Thee, and for which I am sorry above every other evil. I ask Thee for perserverance in Thy Grace until the end of my life. I ask Thee for the gift of Thy Holy Love; my soul is enamored of Thy goodness; hear me, O Lord! Only grant that I may love Thee both here and hereafter, and to all things else do with me as Thou pleasest. My Lord, and my only good, suffer me not to be any more separated from Thee! Mary, Mother of God, do thou also listen to me, and obtain for me that I may ever belong to God, and that God may be my inheritance forever.

———————-End Quote———————–

These books from Liguori, the Moral Doctor, are pure gold. But it’s critical to buy the right one. A little later, I pray, I will do a post on which books to get, because modern versions are abridged, truncated, and shorn of much critical text.  It makes all the difference in the value of these books.