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Calls to Repentance

"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" (St. John the Baptist, Mt. 3:2)

"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Our Lord Jesus Christ, Mt. 4:17)

"This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel." (Our Lord Jesus Christ, Mk. 1:15)

"Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away" (Acts 3:19)

"I beseech you, brethren, let everyone who has sinned confess his sin while he is still in the world, while his confession is still admissible, while satisfaction and remission made through the priests are pleasing before the Lord." (St. Cyprian of Carthage, 251 A.D.)

"Do not, I implore you, delay your conversion to God, for you know not the day appointed to carry you off. You tell me that God has given His grace to be converted to some when they have reached to extreme old age. Does it follow from this that He will grant you the same favor? Perhaps He will grant it to me. Why add perhaps? Because it has sometimes happened. What! Does the question of your salvation depend on a perhaps?" (St. John Chrysostom, Doctor of the Church)

"You ought to repent, and not make the evil incurable. Not content to bring yourself to the brink of the precipice, you drag others headlong after you." (St. Theodorus the Studite)

"Let them therefore return to their common Father, who, forgetting the insults previously heaped on the Apostolic See, will receive them in the most loving fashion." (Pope Pius XI, "Mortalium Animos", 1928 A.D.)

"When once you have departed this life, there is no longer any place for repentance, no way of making satisfaction. Here life is either lost or kept. Here, by the worship of God and by the fruit of faith, provision is made for eternal salvation. Let no one be kept back either by his sins or by his years from coming to obtain salvation. To him who still remains in this world there is no repentance that is too late." (St. Cyprian of Carthage)

"If, then, we do the will of Christ, we shall obtain rest; but if not, if we neglect His commandments, nothing will rescue us from eternal punishment.. Let us, then, so long as we are in this world, repent whatever evils we have done in the flesh, so that we may be saved by the Lord while yet we have time for repentance. For after we have departed from this world it will no longer be possible to confess, nor will there be then any opportunity to repent." (Attr. Clement of Rome, circa 150 A.D.)

"Say not that the end of the world is not yet come, and that the destinies of the human race are not filled up: it is not the world that is here in question, it is you individually. True the day of the Lord will be terrible, when this world shall be broken up as a vessel of clay...[B]ut, long before that day of universal terror, your own day of judgement will come. The inexorable Judge will come to you, you will stand before His face, you will have none to defend you, and the sentence He will pass will be eternal; and though the nature of that sentence, whether for or against you, will not be know to the rest of the world until the last and general judgment, still is this His coming to you, at your own judgement, terrible above measure. Remember, therefore, that what will make the terror of the last day so great is, that then you will be solemnly and publicly confirmed what was judged irrevocably, though secretly, between your own soul and her Judge; just as the favorable sentence, which the good receive at the happy moment of their death, will be repeated before the immense assembly of men and angels on the last day. Is it wise, then Christians, to put off your conversion, the plea of the day of the Lord not having come for ages, when it might be this night that your soul were required of you? The Lord is coming: lose no time; prepare to meet Him; a humble and contrite and converted heart is sure to find acceptance." (Dom Gueranger)

Also See: No Repentance is Too Late | Sinners Should Call on Mary | Sins / Sinners | Catholics Not Living Their Faith Will Be Swept Away | Christians Who Do Not Persevere Are Subject To Eternal Punishment | The Church Can Forgive All Sin | Conversion / Repentance | Fallen Away Catholics | Tips for the Conversion of Sinners | Our Solicitude & Our Duty to Correct / Rebuke | Penance (Sacraments/Reflections) | Tough Love in the New Testament | Tips for Apologists | Repentance (Topical Scripture)

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The Church Can Forgive All Sin

Also See: Penance (Topic Page)

"(Jesus) said to them again, 'Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.' And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.'" (Jn. 20:21-23)

"Let us not listen to those who deny that the Church of God is able to forgive all sins. They are wretched indeed, because they do not recognize in Peter the rock and they and they refuse to believe that the keys of the kingdom of heaven... have been given to the Church." (St. Augustine, Doctor of the Church, c. 397 A.D.) 

"Certainly God never threatens the repentant; rather, He pardons the penitent. You will say that it is God alone who can do this. True enough; but it is likewise true that He does it through His priests, who exercise His power. What else can it mean when He says to His Apostles: 'Whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven'? Why should he say this if He were not permitting men to bind and loose?... [F]or all of these things are commissioned not to others but to the Apostles... 'Whatever you shall loose', He says; and He excepts absolutely nothing. 'Whatever', He says: whether it be great or whether it be small." (St. Pacian of Barcelona, c. 383 A.D.)

"The Lord said that to those sinning against the Holy Spirit, it should not be forgiven either here or in the future world (Matt. 12:32). But how many do we know that sin against the Holy Spirit, such as various heretics...who return to the Catholic faith, and here have received the pardon of their blasphemy, and have enjoyed the hope of gaining indulgence in the future? And not on this account is the judgment of the Lord not true, or will it be thought to be in any way weakened, since with respect to such men, if they continue to be thus, the judgment remains never to be relaxed at all; moreover, never because of such effects is it not imposed. Just as consequently is also that of the blessed John the Apostle: There is a sin unto death: I do not say that prayer should be offered for this: and there is a sin not unto death: I do say that prayer should be offered for this (1 John 5:16, 17). It is a sin unto death for those persisting in the same sin; it is not a sin unto death for those withdrawing from the same sin. For there is no sin for whose remission the Church does not pray, or which she cannot forgive those who desist from that same sin, or from which she cannot loose those who repent, since the power has been divinely given to her, to whom it was said: Whatsoever you shall forgive upon earth ...(cf. John 20:23); 'whatsoever you shall loose upon earth, shall be loosed also in heaven' (Matt. 18:18). In whatsoever all are [included], howsoever great they may be, and of whatsoever kind they may be, although the judgment of them nevertheless remains true, by which he is denounced [as] never to be loosed who continues in the course of them, but not after he withdraws from this same [course]." (Pope St. Gelasius I, c. 495 A.D.)

Also See: Penance (Sacraments/Reflections) | Sacraments Section | Priests & Vocations | Sins / Sinners | Sinners Should Call on Mary

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Conversion / Repentance 

"At this very moment I may, if I desire, become the friend of God." (St. Augustine, Doctor of the Church)

"[T]he conversion of a soul is a greater miracle than raising a dead man to life" (Gueranger)

"[H]ow hard and toilsome is the complete conversion of a man, who has long been straying from the straight path." (Pope Pius XI, "Ad Salutem", 1930 A.D.)

Also See: Calls to Repentance | Conversion | No Repentance is Too Late | Christians Who Do Not Persevere Are Subject To Eternal Punishment | The Church Can Forgive All Sin | Our Solicitude & Our Duty to Correct / Rebuke | Sinners Should Call on Mary | Sins / Sinners | Tips for the Conversion of Sinners | Zeal for Souls | Penance (Sacraments/Reflections) | Tough Love in the New Testament | Tips for Apologists | Sacraments Section | Repentance (Topical Scripture) | Sin (Topical Scripture) | Conversion (Topical Scripture)

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Do Not Despair of the Living

"We need not despair of any man, as long as he lives." (St. Augustine, Doctor of the Church)

"[T]he grace of God encourages us never to despair of anyone's salvation while he lives" (Pope Pius XI, "Ad Salutem", 1930 A.D.)

"We should despair of no man in this life, considering God's omnipotence and mercy." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the history of the Church")

Also See: Do Not Despair of Salvation of Those Still Living | No Repentance is Too Late | None Should Presume Their Own Salvation or Despair of Neighbor's Salvation | The Church Can Forgive All Sin | Sins / Sinners | Penance (Sacraments/Reflections)

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Fear of the Lord / Habitual Sins

Also See: Sin (Topic Page)

"If a depraved mind be not shaken and humbled by the fear of God, it will never amend its habitual sins." (Pope St. Gregory the Great, Doctor of the Church)

Also See: Loss of the Fear of God | Tough Love in the New Testament | Fear of the Lord (Topical Scripture) | Sins / Sinners | Those Who Mention Only Jesus' Clemency

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Flattery Confirms Sinners

Also See: Sin (Topic Page)

"Flattery confirms sinners in their evil desires by giving them praise." (St. Augustine, Doctor of the Church)

Also See: Friends vs. Flatterers | Our Solicitude & Our Duty to Correct / Rebuke | The Anathema is an Act of Love | Gospel Doesn't Support False Tolerance | Defense of the Faithful Against Errors & Temptations is Greater Than Bodily Protection | Duty to Reject Strange Doctrine | No Repentance is Too Late | Sins / Sinners | Tough Love in the New Testament | Tips for Apologists

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Forgiveness / Repentance

"In just the same way, I tell you, there will be rejoicing among the angels of God over one sinner who repents." (Our Lord Jesus Christ, Lk. 15:10)

"The person who turns to good is set free, even if his life is marred by a multitude of mistakes and the sum of his evil deeds seems like a thousand years. It is nothing as far as turning to God is concerned, for his eye always considers the present, not the past." (St. Gregory of Nyssa)

"To him who still remains in this world no repentance is too late. The approach to God's mercy is open, and the access is easy to those who seek and apprehend the truth...pardon is granted to the man who confesses, saving mercy is given from the divine goodness to the believer, and a passage is opened to immortality even in death itself." (St. Cyprian, 3rd century A.D.)

"I'm certain of this - that if my conscience were burdened with all the sins it's possible to commit, I would still go and throw myself into our Lord's arms, my heart all broken up with contrition; I know what tenderness He has for any prodigal son of His who comes back to Him." (St. Therese of Lisieux, Doctor of the Church)

"He loves, He hopes, He waits. Our Lord prefers to wait Himself for the sinner for years rather than to keep us waiting an instant." (St. Maria Goretti)

"If they repent, all who desire it will be able to obtain mercy from God." (St. Justin the Martyr, c. 155 A.D.)

"God is not unjust. He will not slam the door against the man who humbly knocks." (St. John Climacus)

"From this Church even those who are involved in various errors outside the Church can receive the forgiveness of their sins, if, while they are still in this world, they will be converted to this same Church in a correct belief and in contrite and heartfelt humility. Let them hasten, then, while there is yet time, to their legitimate Mother, who diligently sustains and nourishes the sons born of her womb." (St. Fulgence of Ruspe, 6th century A.D.)

Also See: Calls to Repentance | Conversion / Repentance | No Repentance is Too Late | The Church Can Forgive All Sin | Sins / Sinners | Tips for the Conversion of Sinners | Penance (Sacraments/Reflections) | 'Our Father's Love' Reflections | Sacraments Section | Repentance (Topical Scripture) | Forgiveness (Topical Scripture)

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Ignorance / Sin

Also See: Sin (Topic Page)

Error of Peter Abelard, CONDEMNED by the Council of Sens, c.1140 A.D.: "That they have not sinned who being ignorant have crucified Christ, and that whatever is done through ignorance must not be considered as sin." (Council of Sens, c.1140 A.D.)

Also See: Ignorance | Invincible Ignorance | False Opinions Influence / Pervert Actions | No Repentance is Too Late | Sinners Should Call on Mary | Sins / Sinners | Sin (Topical Scripture)

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No Peace When We Wander From God

"No matter where we look, no matter how we strive, if we wander far from God, we will not enjoy nature's tranquility, nor harmony and peace of soul.. We will be restless and harassed, as though tossed by fever." (Pope Pius XII)

Also See: Religion and Peace / Happiness | Catholics Not Living Their Faith Will Be Swept Away | Christians Who Do Not Persevere Are Subject To Eternal Punishment | We Must Persevere | Conversion / Repentance | Fallen Away Catholics | No Repentance is Too Late | Sins / Sinners | Those Who Mention Only Jesus' Clemency | Tough Love in the New Testament

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No Repentance is Too Late

"To him who still remains in this world no repentance is too late. The approach to God's mercy is open, and the access is easy to those who seek and apprehend the truth...pardon is granted to the man who confesses, saving mercy is given from the divine goodness to the believer, and a passage is opened to immortality even in death itself." (St. Cyprian, 3rd century A.D.)

"Do thou make all understand that it is never too late to begin to serve God." (Liturgical Year)

Also See: Conversion / Repentance | Forgiveness / Repentance | Do Not Despair of the Living | Sinners Should Call on Mary | Sins / Sinners | Calls to Repentance | The Church Can Forgive All Sin | Tips for the Conversion of Sinners | We Must Persevere | Penance (Sacraments / Reflections) | Tough Love in the New Testament | Tips for Apologists | Repentance (Topical Scripture)

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Scandals in the Church / Bad Catholics

"[Jesus] proposed another parable to them. 'The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While everyone was asleep his enemy came and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off. When the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well. The slaves of the householder came to him and said, 'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where have the weeds come from?' He answered, 'An enemy has done this.' His slaves said to him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?' He replied, 'No, if you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them. Let them grow together until harvest; then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters, 'First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning; but gather the wheat into my barn.'" (Mt. 13:24-30)

"Woe to the world because of things that cause sin! Such things must come, but woe to the one through whom they come!" (Our Lord Jesus Christ, Mt. 18:7)

"It does seem to me that one of the reasons why our Lord chose Judas to be an apostle was because He wanted us to be prepared, from the first, against every possible shock to our consciences." (Knox)

"And if at times there appears in the Church something that indicates the weakness of our human nature, it should not be attributed to her juridical constitution, but rather to that regrettable inclination to evil found in each individual, which its Divine Founder permits even at times in the most exalted members of His Mystical Body, for the purpose of testing the virtue of the shepherds no less than of the flocks, and that all may increase the merit of their Christian faith. For...Christ did not wish to exclude sinners from His Church; hence if some of her members are suffering from spiritual maladies, that is no reason why we should lessen our love for the Church, but rather a reason why we should increase our devotion to her members." (Pope Pius XII, "Mystici Corporis Christi")

"Catholics refute their calumny about two churches, proving again and again more clearly what they declare, that is, that being now a Church mixed with evil members, it does not on that account call itself a Church foreign to the kingdom of God, where there will not be this mixture containing evil members; but the same Church, one and holy, is now in one condition and then it will be in another. Now it is mixed and has evil members, then it will not have such. Now it is mortal because it is made up of mortal men; then it will be immortal because there will be nothing corporeal in it, nothing that can die." (St. Augustine, Doctor of the Church, c. 411 A.D.)

"I assert [he writes] and we all assert, that the ministers of so great a Judge should be just men. Let the ministers be just, if they will. If, however, they who sit on the chair of Moses refuse to be just I find my warrant of security in my Master, of whom His Spirit said: He it is who baptizes. Would that the words of Augustine had been accepted formerly and were accepted today by all those who, like the Donatists, allege the fall of a priest as a reason for rending the seamless garment of Christ and for unhappily abandoning the way of salvation!" (Pope Pius XI, "Ad Salutem", 1930 A.D.)

Also See: Good & Bad Persons in the Catholic Church | Bad Examples Undermine Our Teachings | Christians Who Do Not Persevere Are Subject To Eternal Punishment | Fallen Away Catholics | Sins / Sinners | Our Solicitude & Our Duty to Correct / Rebuke | Tips for the Conversion of Sinners | Catholic News / Current Issues (Reflections)

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Sinners Should Call on Mary

Also See: Blessed Virgin Mary (Topic Page)

"In her Revelations, St. Bridget of Sweden quotes the Blessed Mother as saying: 'The people of earth have need of a triple mercy: sorrow for their sins, penance to atone for them, and strength to do good.' And Mary promised these mercies to all who would call upon her. As the Son shows the Father the wounds He received in saving man in the Battle of Calvary, so Mary shows the body pierced with seven swords in the same Siege against Sin. No sinner the world is beyond the hope of redemption; no one is so cursed that he cannot obtain pardon if he but calls on Mary. It is necessary to be in the state of sanctifying grace to be saved, but it is not necessary to be in the state of grace to call on Mary. As she was the representative of sinful humanity who gave consent to the Redemption, so she is still the representative of those who are not yet in the sate of friendship with God. It is easy for the brothers of Christ to call on the Father, but it is not easy for the strangers and the enemies. This role Mary plays. She is not only the Mother of those who are not in the state of grace but also the Queen of those who are not. The true name of Satan is 'Without Mercy' (Hos. 1:6,8), one whose nature cannot ask for pardon. He first tries to convince a soul that evil is not evil; then, when evil is done, he tries to convince it that there is no hope. Thus does presumption beget despair. Satan refuses the humiliation of pardon both for himself and for others, but Mary asks pardon even for those who, as agents of Satan, would recrucify her Son. Her name is the antithesis of Satan: 'One who has received Mercy' (Hos. 2:1), and therefore one who dispenses it." (Archbishop Fulton Sheen)

Also See: 'Mary, Our Mother' Section | Sins / Sinners | The Church Can Forgive All Sin | No Repentance is Too Late | Penance (Sacraments/Reflections)

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Sins / Sinners

Also See: Sin (Topic Page)

"The sinner offends this his Benefactor, abusing His gifts; and taking advantage of His goodness becomes more hardened in sin day by day." (Pope Leo XIII, "Divinum Illud Munus", 1897 A.D.)

"Do not cut yourselves off from Communion, do not deprive yourselves, through the pollution of sins, of these Holy and Spiritual Mysteries." (St. Cyril of Jerusalem, Doctor of the Church, c. 350 A.D.)

"Although the sinner does not believe in Hell, he shall nevertheless go there if he has the misfortune to die in mortal sin - even though he neither believes in Hell or even thinks about it." (St. Anthony Mary Claret)

"Too late they will believe in eternal punishment who would not believe in eternal life." (St. Cyprian)

"In a sinner there are two things, his guilt and his nature. Accordingly we are bound to succor the sinner as to the maintenance of his nature, but not so as to abet his sin, for this would be to do evil rather than good." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the history of the Church")

"Even when God punishes men by permitting them to fall into sin, this is directed to the good of virtue. Sometimes indeed it is for the good of those who are punished, when, to wit, men arise from sin, more humble and more cautious. But it is always for the amendment of others, who seeing some men fall from sin to sin, are the more fearful of sinning." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the history of the Church")

"The apostle admonishes that those who sin publicly are to be reproved openly. When, therefore, any one has, publicly and in the sight of many, committed a crime, whereby there is no doubt that others have been offended and scandalized; there must needs be publicly imposed upon him a penance suitable to the measure of his guilt; that so those whom he has allured to evil manners by his example, he may bring back to an upright life by the testimony of his amendment. The bishop, however, may, when he judges it more expedient, commute this kind of public penance into one that is secret." (Council of Trent)

"Think how indignant you are against the traitor, against those who crucified Him. Take care, then, lest you too become guilty of the Body and Blood of Christ. They slaughtered His most holy body; but you, after such great benefits, receive Him into a filthy soul. For it was not enough for Him to be made Man, to be struck and to be slaughtered, but He even mingles Himself with us; and this not by faith only, but even in every deed He makes us His body [through holy Communion]. How very pure, then, ought he not be, who enjoys the benefit of this Sacrifice?" (St. John Chrysostom, Doctor of the Church, c. 370 A.D.)

"Let every one then abhor sin, which defiles the mystical members of our Redeemer; but if anyone unhappily falls and his obstinacy has not made him unworthy of communion with the faithful, let him be received with great love, and let eager charity see in him a weak member of Jesus Christ. For, as the Bishop of Hippo remarks, it is better 'to be cured within the Church's community than to be cut off from its body as incurable members.' 'As long as a member still forms part of the body there is no reason to despair of its cure; once it has been cut off, it can be neither cured nor healed.'" (Pope Pius XII, "Mystici Corporis Christi", 1943 A.D.)

"When then we are brought under the necessity of finding fault with any, let us first consider whether the sin be such as we have never had; secondly that we are yet men, and may fall into it; then, whether it be one that we have had, and are now without, and then let our common frailty come into our mind, that pity and not hate may go before correction. Should we find ourselves in the same fault, let us not reprove, but groan with the offender, and invite him to struggle with us. Seldom indeed and in cases of great necessity is reproof to be employed; and then only that the Lord may be served and not ourselves." (St. Augustine, Doctor of the Church)

"But see, if any of you is asked whether he loves God, he replies in total confidence and certainty of mind: 'I do love Him.' But at the very beginning of the reading you heard what Truth says: 'If anyone loves Me, he will keep my word.' The proof of love, therefore, is the demonstrability of works. Hence the same John can say in his Epistle: 'Anyone who says, 'I love God', and does not keep His commands is a liar.' We truly love God if we subordinate our desires to His commands. For anyone who has been abandoning himself to his own illicit desires certainly does not love God, because he gainsays God in his own will." (Pope St. Gregory I the Great, Doctor of the Church, 6th century A.D.)

"Pardon us, O Lord, pardon us. We beg to shift the blame for our sins, we make excuses. But no one can hide from the light of your truth, which both enlightens those who turn to it and exposes those who turn away. Even our blood and our bones are visible to you, who created us out of dust. How foolish we are to think that we can rule our own lives, satisfying our own desires, without thought of you. How stupid we are to imagine that we can keep our sins hidden. But although we may deceive other people, we cannot deceive you, and since you also see into our hearts, we cannot deceive ourselves, for your light reveals to us our own spiritual corruption. Let us, therefore, fall down before you, weeping with tears of shame. May your judgment give new shape to our souls. May your power mold our hearts to reflect your love. May your grace infuse our minds, so that our thoughts reflect your will." (Abbot William of Saint Thierry)

"See, you blind ones, you who are deceived by your enemies: by the flesh, the world, and the devil; because it is sweet to the body to commit sin and it is bitter for it to serve God; because all vices and sins come forth and proceed from the heart of man, as the Lord says in the Gospel (cf. Mk. 7:21). And you have nothing in this world or in [that world] to come. And you think you possess the vanities of this world for a while, but you are deceived, since the day and the hour will come to which you give no thought [that of which] you have no knowledge and [of which] you are ignorant. The body becomes sick, death approaches, and this man dies a bitter death. And no matter when or how a man dies in the guilt of sin without doing penance and satisfaction if he is able to perform satisfaction and does not, the devil snatches up his soul from his body with so much anguish and tribulation that no one can know it unless he has experienced it." (St. Francis of Assisi)

"By sin, man loses a twofold dignity, one in respect of God, the other in respect of the Church. In respect of God he again loses a twofold dignity. One is his principal dignity, whereby he was counted among the children of God, and this he recovers by Penance, which is signified in the prodigal son (Luke 15), for when he repented, his father commanded that the first garment should be restored to him, together with a ring and shoes. The other is his secondary dignity, viz. innocence, of which, as we read in the same chapter, the elder son boasted saying (Luke 15:29): 'Behold, for so many years do I serve thee, and I have never transgressed thy commandments': and this dignity the penitent cannot recover. Nevertheless he recovers something greater sometimes; because as Gregory says (Hom. de centum Ovibus, Hom. 34 in Evangelia), 'those who acknowledge themselves to have strayed away from God, make up for their past losses, by subsequent gains: so that there is more joy in heaven on their account, even as in battle, the commanding officer thinks more of the soldier who, after running away, returns and bravely attacks the foe, than of one who has never turned his back, but has done nothing brave.'" (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the history of the Church")

Also See: Calls to Repentance | Conversion / Repentance | No Repentance is Too Late | Sinners Should Call on Mary | Catholics Not Living Their Faith Will Be Swept Away | Christians Who Do Not Persevere Are Subject To Eternal Punishment | The Church Can Forgive All Sin | Our Solicitude & Our Duty to Correct / Rebuke | Tips for the Conversion of Sinners | Penance (Sacraments/Reflections) | Tough Love in the New Testament | Tips for Apologists | Sacraments Section | Catholic Basics | Our Father's Love | Repentance (Topical Scripture) | Forgiveness (Topical Scripture) | Sin (Topical Scripture) | Judgment (Topical Scripture) | Hell (Topical Scripture) | Conversion (Topical Scripture)

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Some Don't Want To Convert Because They Want to Continue in Their Sinful Ways

Also See: Sin (Topic Page)

"It is not so much of the doctrines as of the morals of the Catholic Church that men are afraid. How often have I met men who told me that they would gladly become Catholics, but it is too hard to live up to the laws and maxims of the Church! They know very well that, if they become Catholics, they must lead honest and sober lives, they must be pure, they must respect the holy sacrament of marriage, they must check their sinful passions; and this they were unwilling to do. 'Men love darkness rather than light,' says Jesus Christ, 'because their deeds are evil.'... They are kept back from embracing the faith because they know that the truths of our religion are at war with their sinful inclinations." (Muller)

Also See: Conversion | Conversion / Repentance | Loss of the Fear of God | Sins / Sinners | The Church Can Forgive All Sin | No Repentance is Too Late | Necessity of Being Catholic For Salvation | Our Solicitude & Our Duty to Correct / Rebuke | Those Who Mention Only Jesus' Clemency | Tips for the Conversion of Sinners | Tough Love in the New Testament | Repentance (Topical Scripture) | Sin (Topical Scripture) | Judgment (Topical Scripture) | Hell (Topical Scripture) | Conversion (Topical Scripture)

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