Prayer, Sin, and Faith…

… Someone once told me that when we are in a state of mortal sin God doesn’t hear our prayers. Our sinful actions have severed our relationship with Christ and our prayers fall on deaf ears or some other such bleakness. I had always been a bit suspicious of this bit of information; how else do sinners experience conversation? I think my entire early twenties was a perpetual state of moral sin and debauchery yet there I was on my knees praying fervently for help one evening and I know He heard me. My Catholic faith is proof.

In the Catechism of the Catholic Church it plainly states that mortal sins turns man’s heart away from God, not the other way around.

[1850] Sin sets itself against God’s love for us and turns our hearts away from it.
[1855] Mortal sin destroys charity in the heart of man by a grave violation of God’s law; it turns man away from God.

I’m sure whoever told me my sin made me dead to God and His love was well meaning but it opened the floodgates for all kinds of spiritual apathy, which ultimately led to more sin, magnified my guilt and self loathing which in turn spiraled into deeper sinfulness.

I mean, I had already fallen and committed a grave sin… what’s one more, right? I think I’ll sleep in instead of go to mass. I don’t need to pray this week, God’s put me on mute. And before you know how it happened, you haven’t been to confession in months and have forgotten how to pray the rosary. True story.

Some of the hardest exercises in spiritual growth have been those times where I’ve forced myself to go to mass knowing I have to sit in the pew like a schmuck while everyone else receives Communion. Or the nights where I prayed the rosary secretly suspecting no one but the bedroom walls heard me. Or the times in adoration when I tried to talk to God and there was that whispering in the back of my head reminding me I was a dirty little sinner and God had shunned me.

You know what… it’s probably a good thing I don’t remember who told me God won’t hear my prayers when I’m in a state of sin because I’d more than likely be cursing them. If I ever do remember I’ll be sure to give them a good shake and say, “If I only prayed when I was free from sin Baby Jesus would never hear from me!”

If you are not in a state of grace remedy it post haste. If you have to wait till Saturday, so be it. While you wait for Saturday pray like you’re being pursued by the Devil himself, because you probably are. Don’t ever let your sin excuse from the act of daily prayer.

Today marks the beginning of the Year of Faith and I have faith, no matter where I am spiritually, God will always here my prayers not matter what.