Let us consider those sins that some people call ‘lesser’ and which are not, of course, mortal, but still bear a certain weight of guilt. We sometimes fall into these through inattention or ignorance, sometimes through languor and weakness of will, and, on other occasions deliberately, with our full knowledge and will. The greater weight of guilt belongs to the last category. A sin can be considered lesser when we compare it to a mortal one. But it’s not to be taken lightly when we see it in isolation and for itself. For example, a lake may be called small in comparison to a vast expanse of sea. But it’s not small in itself, since it contains a great deal of ...
