Sin and suffering

Sin gives birth to suffering

The cause is of the suffering that frightens and makes one tremble. It is written in Ecclesiasticus. "Accept all that comes upon you and in the most humiliating vicissitudes be patient: as gold purifies itself in fire, so the elect in the embers of affliction, trust in God, he will help you."

In the sufferings that torment human creatures, sin takes on great importance because it creates pain, wickedness and even catastrophe. Evil can resemble those concentric circles, generated by a stone falling into the still water of a pond, which, as they spread, gradually become wider and wider.

One, among the many roots of evil, is the attachment to money that drags towards greed, greed, exploitation, wickedness, selfishness, avarice and penetrates both the mind and the heart, to enslave people and make them insensitive to every even small fragment of love, obscuring the motives of others. These ones do not notice the suffering caused by their iniquity and boast of their way of being. For these wicked ones there will never be joy in their hearts, nor can they have peace in their souls.

Sin, besides settling with its evil roots in those who do evil deeds, generates suffering in those who have to suffer evil. In this scenario, each individual sin adds up to all the sins committed by other people, as is clearly visible in unjust and perverse societies: it manifests itself in unrestrained enjoyment, unrestrained well-being, and enjoyment associated with every possible and illicit pleasure. Sin, moreover, produces wickedness, which in turn results in suffering, distress and undermines the root of willpower.

The time has come to look at sin with horror, even if you do not understand its seriousness and nefarious consequences. Consider also the terrible punishment of the damned who come before God's tribunal with grave guilt. Therefore recover from the beginning a clear and upright conscience, do not allow yourself to be weakened by covetousness, vigorously drive out every deceitful thought, and do not shirk combat and duty.

Now that you feel the desire to change understand how burdensome it is to ascend to the good, a strenuous change fraught with obstacles. But do not grieve because the beloved Jesus rushes diligently to those who implore His help. Open the door of your soul and let Him into your heart, confide to Him the sorrows, the contrasts, the disappointments, the discouragements, the dissensions, the hopes, and He will understand you.

You can immerse yourself in Jesus' inexhaustible love to wash away your impurities and do not be afraid of all protracted iniquities: your God is ready to forgive you because of His infinite and untiring Mercy.

Highlight your shortcomings without hiding or justifying them and present them to Him with true repentance and humility; relive the distant paths in which you went astray and He will help you take a new path, far from the desolate echoes of the past.

With His help you will be able to permanently break the bonds with sin, you will be able to free yourself from the mire and feel at peace with yourself, you will also be able to regain the deepest harmony and serene well-being of the soul.

God will then be your light and guide you on a straight path, make you discover His lofty heights, reveal to you His immense dignity, and you will be able to discover that in life nothing is trivial or ephemeral, but everything regains meaning in the divine. A shy smile will expand your heart and you will be ready to take flight to meet your Lord.