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Though the sins of which we have been treating are
those which we should avoid with most care, yet do
not think that you are dispensed from vigilance in
regard to venial sins. I conjure you not to be one of
those ungenerous Christians who make no scruple of
committing a sin because it is venial. Remember these
words of Holy Scripture: "He that contemneth small
things shall fall by little and little." (Ecclus.
19:1). "Do not despise venial sins because they
appear trifling," says St. Augustine, "but fear them
because they are numerous. Small animals in large
numbers can kill a man. Grains of sand are very
small, yet, if accumulated, they can sink a ship.
Drops of water are very small, yet how often they
become a mighty river, a raging torrent, sweeping
everything before them!" The holy Doctor goes on
to observe that though no number of venial sins can
constitute a mortal sin, yet these slighter failings
predispose us to greater faults, which often become
mortal. St. Gregory observes with equal truth that
slight faults are sometimes more dangerous than
greater ones, for the latter, when we behold their
hideousness, awaken remorse and resolutions of
amendment; but the former make less impression on us,
and thus, by easily relapsing into them, we soon
contract a strong habit. Finally, venial sin,
however slight, is always prejudicial to the soul. It
weakens our devotion, troubles the peace of our
conscience, diminishes the fervor of charity,
exhausts the strength of our spiritual life, and
obstructs the work of the Holy Ghost in our souls. I
pray you then to do all in your power to avoid these
sins, for there is no enemy too weak to harm us if we
make no resistance. Slight anger, gluttony, vanity,
idle words and thoughts, immoderate laughter, loss of
time, too much sleeping, trivial lies or flatteries �
such are the sins against which I would particularly
warn you. Great vigilance is required against
offenses of this kind, for occasions of venial sin
abound.
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