The Malice and Danger of Venial Sin, plus Free Masonry and the Church

This week on From the Housetops, Brother Matthew explores The Golden Key to Heaven by St. Anthony Mary Claret, a meditation on the spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius. Born in Spain in 1807, Claret became a missionary, formed a group of priests known as the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart, and served as Archbishop of Santiago in Cuba. In his 1859 introduction, he emphasized the importance of meditating on venial sin. Claret urges us to view venial sin with the same horror as Job’s suffering, describing it as an offense so serious it should not be committed even to save the whole world. He reflects on its malice and frequency, warning that it weakens the soul, deprives it of divine favor, and hinders union with God, while calling for deep sorrow and firm resolve to avoid even the smallest faults.

Claret illustrates the effects of venial sin through vivid imagery and scriptural examples. Like a sickness, venial sin dulls spiritual vitality and leads to further offenses. He likens it to blindness, deafness, and palsy, which weakens the soul and hinders it from doing good. Using cases from Scripture—David, Judas—he shows how slight faults grew into grave crimes. Even light sins bring divine punishment, as seen in the lives of Mary (the sister of Moses), Lot’s wife, Moses, and others. The torments of purgatory for venial sins are severe and long-lasting. Concluding his meditation, Claret calls for repentance and firm resolutions: to avoid venial sins, examine conscience daily, guard the senses and speech, and live always mindful of God’s presence and final judgment.