“Consider, O my soul, that, when sins reach a certain number, they cause God to abandon the sinner.” – St. Alphonsus Liguori
We reside in an age of peak laxity regarding faith and morals. Today’s commentators, especially among the “Novus Ordo” debacle, do everything possible to minimize the severity of sin, often to assuage people’s feelings.
Yet, I’m led to wonder how anyone with a decent comprehension of God’s commandments and the horrifying reality of mortal sin could shrug off the super-abundance of it all around us. Worse than that, they participate in it! Many do this, yet still “dare to hope all men are saved.”
Such a suggestion is nonsense, and I believe we shall arrive at quite a different estimation with a simple thought experiment where we attempt to calculate just how many mortal sins modern man commits over the course of his life.
What is your guess, dear reader? Does the typical 21st-century person commit 10 mortal sins? 1,000? 1,000,000?
Mortal Sin by the Numbers
Only God can read a man’s heart, of course, but perhaps we can predict a high total based simply on the awful and visible sins we encounter all around us: at work, in restaurants, among family, etc.
For the sake of easy comprehension, let’s first predict how many times men may commit mortal sin under just one species: taking the Lord’s Name in vain. How often do some men do this?
Well, we can insert some number ranges and form an educated guess. I’ve heard folks utter that contemptible “G.D.” blasphemy anywhere from five to 10 times per day without batting an eye. Let’s assume they developed such a rotten habit at about age 15, and continued it all the way to a typical lifespan of 75 years. The math looks like this for five to 10 blasphemies each day.
- 5 blasphemies daily X 365 days per year X 60 years = 109,500 mortal sins
- 10 blasphemies daily X 365 days per year X 60 years = 219,000 mortal sins
One thing is certain: this is a rather far cry from all that “mortal sin doesn’t happen much” gibberish you’d hear from the lax, hyper-gentle modernists dominating Catholic media. Furthermore, this is but ONE species of mortal sin, whereas the typical lifelong blasphemer brazenly commits innumerable other grave offenses EVERY day.
Shall we try a few other estimates? How about porn and masturbation, a time-honored tradition for a supermajority of Western men of almost all ages? This gets tricky because there are multiple species of sin involved with this contemptible behavior: watching pornography, using it to fuel perverted fantasies, and then concluding with the self-harm element.
Many young men (and an increasing number of women) commit each sin simultaneously three to five times per day. Here is the estimation formula (using the same age range as the last example).
- (3)(porn + fantasy + masturbation) X 365 days X 60 years = 197,100 mortal sins
- (5)(porn + fantasy + masturbation) X 365 days X 60 years = 328,500 mortal sins
I assume by now you have gained a fresh perspective on the volume of mortal sin in contemporary society. Yet, we’ve only scrutinized two categories (or four species) of mortal sin.
By the way, yes, I will address the superficial argument, “it’s not a mortal sin if they don’t know about it,” later in this article. For now, let’s apply numbers to some other rampant grave sins.
I don’t know about you, but every time I work around younger folks (Gen Z), they not only blaspheme often but cannot resist gossiping whenever there is no immediate task to complete. You also know just as well as I do how out of control immodest dress has become.
Here are some other common mortal sins, of which I’ve created rough estimates and combined them with the numbers I already calculated above.
- 5 blasphemies daily X 365 X 60 years = 109,500 mortal sins
- (3)(porn + fantasy + masturbation) X 365 X 60 years = 197,100 mortal sins
- Immodest dress (at least once, daily) X 365 X 60 years = 21,900 mortal sins
- 5 gossips X 365 X 60 years = 109,500 mortal sins
- 3 excessive angers X 365 X 60 years = 65,700 mortal sins
- 3 gluttonies X 365 X 60 years = 65,700 mortal sins
- 2 lies X 365 X 60 years = 43,800 mortal sins
- 5 vainglories X 365 X 60 years = 109,500 mortal sins
- 2 envies X 365 X 60 years = 43,800 mortal sins
- 2 greeds X 365 X 60 years = 43,800 mortal sins
- Sloth? (hard to measure)
- GRAND TOTAL = 810,300 mortal sins
I went with what I thought were conservative estimates, assuming that most folks don’t struggle as badly with every sin type all at once. Ultimately, of course, I cannot possibly construct decent estimates for every category of offense. Still, the volume of mortal sins by the numbers is staggering. Moreover, and I hate to say this, but these figures appear to match the profile of the typical American nowadays.
“Bah! Your estimates assume way too much. Do you think anyone commits all those sins together every day?”
No, I don’t necessarily believe that. Though I wouldn’t rule out the possibility. Besides, if it were just 25% of that monstrous figure, it would be enough to inspire paralyzing terror.
None of this is to cast aspersions against any particular person, but we might reflect on just how much sorrow this causes Jesus Christ, who suffered and died for every last one of these awful affronts against Him. Not only is mortal sin such a vicious assault against God, but even venial sins should make us recoil in horror if we were to know their true nature.
St. Catherine of Genoa once received the grace to see the effects of just one venial sin. The experience left her so terrified that she expressed her preference to be chained to the bottom of a lake of fire rather than ever to witness something so awful again.
That was a . . . venial sin.
How much worse must it have been for Jesus Christ, suffering on the Cross for every sin of every magnitude all throughout the ages?
“Ah! Perhaps those folks who do all those bad things don’t know it’s a grave sin. Therefore, it cannot be mortal!”
This reasoning reflects naivety at its worst, ignoring how natural law is impressed upon our hearts. We might hope people don’t know what they’re saying when they utter blasphemies endlessly, but I doubt such a defense will excuse anyone at their particular judgment.
God Does Not Permit Unlimited Mortal Sin
“Thou hast sealed up my offences as it were in a bag, but hast cured my iniquity.” – Job 14:17
Why does all this discussion about the volume of mortal sins matter?
It is because eventually, after God has given us ample opportunity for amendment, and we refuse, He rescinds His grace. Once we reach a certain threshold for mortal sins, which is different for everyone, God either takes us out of this life or leaves us in the mire of our worldly rewards.
That’s not my opinion, but that of St. Alphonsus Liguori and other learned Church doctors. He explains that we may only commit a set number of mortal sins before God shuns us. This is contrary to the loving mercy He shows to anyone willing to amend his life, like Holy Job, or any other just man who would fall seven times a day.
If even the just are capable of sin and require a cure for their iniquity, then what a spiritual scourge it must be for the habitual sinner who refuses the medicine, only thinking to worsen his illness every day.
Dan Burke also wrote an article on this concept, referencing several other saints who’ve expressed similar sentiments regarding the limited number of sins God permits us. We might also surmise that this dynamic is the real reason God deprived Pharaoh Ramses II and Antiochus IV of grace for full repentance, given how they had refused (and mocked Him) previously.
While the Calvinists twist the meaning of scripture to suit their “double predestination” heresy, a Catholic reading of those examples shows us that man has free will, but God does not permit an unlimited abuse of it. Let us learn from past sinners, amend our lives, and not wait until our deathbeds for our conversions.
Don’t Forget Why This Matters
Given this trend of so many mortal sins, it’s no wonder the saints speak of the Doctrine of the Fewness of the Saved. This doctrine may tempt us to conclude that God has made it “too hard” to live a good and moral life, but such a notion would make Jesus Christ a liar, who proclaimed His yoke sweet and His burden light.
So many souls cast themselves into Hell because of their laziness, laxity, and unwillingness to frequent the sacraments. If what the saints tell us is true, then that massive volume of mortal sins (even just a fraction of it) must be the driving force behind the snowstorm of souls piling into Hell like snowflakes. We would do well to reflect on the severity of this spiritual tragedy every so often.
Then, on a macro level, we should shed a tear for the poor state of our society. How can we, with any sincerity, complain to heaven that Our Lady’s Triumph has not occurred, and Russia not converted, when our brethren commit hundreds of thousands of grave sins throughout their lives? Yes, I think the problem has become exponentially worse, the world much more sinful, and men’s hearts far colder than ever.
Not only should we not dare to believe that all men are saved, we should also not dare demand that God rectify the world, given how unwilling we’ve been to repent.
Conclusion – Confess, Meditate on Hell, & Pray the Rosary
The surest way to rid oneself of mortal sin, whether it be one bad habit or several, is to pray the Rosary and ask for the grace to make a good confession (with a firm purpose of amendment). Following that, we ought to meditate on the horrors of Hell in order to generate a lively fear of committing grave faults.
We all know that full conversion does not end with attrition and servile fear of Hell, but it’s a solid starting place for the spiritually lethargic. It’s maddening to think that parents no longer “scare the Hell” out of their children by exposing them to useful sermons and readings about it. Even for adults who’ve wandered astray into a worldly life, it’s never too late to employ this strategy and enjoy an Augustinian conversion.
God bless you and may He inspire you with a lively fear of offending Him with sin.
Catholics Aren't Zombies! 