State of Grace — Mortal Sin and Absolution
ok so I been hearing Catholics say “stay in the state of grace” for a while and I just nodded like I knew what that meant.
I did not know what that meant.
I’m still learning this faith as I go. I’m from Malaysia. I taught myself Korean. I talk about Jesus on here because for a long time it felt like I was talking to myself. Then people actually started listening. So I’m putting what I’m learning on my profile. If a priest or someone who actually knows this stuff corrects me, good. Please do.
This is not me teaching from a mountain. This is me writing notes so I don’t forget.
What is the state of grace
It’s not a feeling.
You can feel nothing and still be in it. You can feel very holy and not be in it. I wish someone told me that earlier.
State of grace = sanctifying grace is in your soul. God’s own life. Friendship with God. The Holy Spirit actually dwelling in you. Catechism calls it a stable gift, not a random boost God sends and takes back the same afternoon. (CCC 1996–2000)
If you die with that life in you, heaven is open. Maybe purgatory first. If that life is gone, that’s not “I’m in a dry season.” That’s the soul without the life it needs.
How you lose it
One mortal sin.
Not every bad thought. Not every time you mess up and immediately hate it. I used to throw the word mortal on everything and also on nothing. Both are wrong.
For it to be mortal, THREE things have to be there together (CCC 1857):
If one of those is missing, it’s not mortal. Fear, force, you didn’t really know, you’re fighting a habit and it ran you over… that changes things. Church even says we can say an ACT is grave. We don’t get to play judge over another person’s soul. (CCC 1861)
Venial sin is still sin. It weakens love. If you keep shrugging at it you train yourself for worse. But it does NOT break friendship with God. (CCC 1863)
That part actually helped me breathe.
How do you know if you’re in it
You won’t get a notification.
CCC 2005 basically says grace is not something you “feel” and then conclude you’re saved. Faith. Not vibes.
What you can have is moral certainty.
If you know you did the grave thing on purpose… just go to Confession. Don’t negotiate.
If you’re not sure, say you’re not sure to the priest. I used to panic about that. I even posted once like “I’ve never even been to a Catholic church how do I confess, what do I say, do I have to explain everything???” That was me. You can just tell him you’re new. They’ve heard worse.
St Joan of Arc said something I keep: if I’m not in the state of grace, God put me in it. If I am, keep me there.
How you get it back
Baptism puts this life in you the first time.
If you kill it later, Jesus already made the door.
“Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven.” (John 20:22–23)
“Whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16:19)
That’s Confession. Not a Catholic control thing. Fathers of the Church called it the second plank after shipwreck. (CCC 1446)
You go in. You examine your conscience. You’re sorry. You say the mortal sins as best you can, kind and number if you remember. You mean to stop. You do the penance. Priest says the words in Jesus’ name. Grace comes back. The eternal punishment for those mortal sins is remitted. Peace is supposed to follow. (CCC 1496)
There’s also perfect contrition. That’s when you’re sorry because you love God above everything, and you fully intend to get to Confession as soon as you can. That can restore grace before you reach the priest. It does NOT replace Confession. And it does NOT mean you receive Communion while you still know a mortal sin is sitting there. (CCC 1452, 1415)
Communion
CCC 1415 is not subtle. If you want to receive Christ in the Eucharist you need to be in the state of grace. If you know you sinned mortally, don’t receive until you’ve been absolved.
St Paul is also not subtle. Unworthy Communion is profaning the Body and Blood. (1 Cor 11:27–29)
You don’t need a mystical download that says “you’re good.” You just can’t go up there when you know you’re not.
Verses I’m holding right now
1 John 5:16–17 — there is sin that is mortal and sin that is not
James 5:16 — confess your sins
Proverbs 28:13 — hide it and you won’t prosper. Confess and forsake it and you find mercy
Luke 15 — the son was dead and is alive
2 Peter 1:4 — partakers of the divine nature
Galatians 5:19–21 — some things, if you just live in them and never repent, you don’t inherit the kingdom
Why I’m posting this
Because I still fight the same temptations some days I win some days I don’t. Because I still don’t pray the rosary well but I keep doing it anyway. Because I asked God for someone to talk about Jesus with and then this account blew up and now I feel responsible to not post slop.
I’m going to keep putting what I learn here. English and Korean. Not as a finished Catholic. As a guy from Malaysia who is still saying yes.
If you’re in mortal sin the door is not complicated.
Look at it honestly.
Be sorry.
Go.
Tell the truth.
Hear the words.
Do the penance.
Take your life back.
God is not trying to catch you. He is trying to put His life in you and keep it there.
