Page 10 - SPIRITUAL EXERCISES 1832

FIRST MEDITATION

Gravity of mortal sin
as can be deduced from the enormous punishments
meted out to it.

In the first point I reflected on the rebellious angels’ sin
and punishment. How greatly indebted I am to God: though I
have sinned so many times, he has not punished me!
In the second point I understood, or rather reflected on
Adam’s sin and punishment. In this point I had some idea of
the gravity of sin: God, who is so merciful, punishes it severely
in the very act of showing extraordinary mercy by not hurling
into Hell our forefather Adam and all of us with him. I was
struck by the thought that all evils spring from sin, and that sin
is the only real evil because by it we offend God. And yet I

commit it so easily and then I don’t care about it and forget all
about it! ...
In the third point I deduced the gravity of sin from the
pain of hell it deserves and from the terrible suffering Jesus
Christ had to endure to wipe it out. I understood the ugliness of
sin and how seriously I should keep away from even the
smallest sin, lest I should incur the wrath of God.

Resolutions: To have a horror for small defects and
never to commit even a single one deliberately, lest I should
fall into grave ones.

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