Sin is the Symptom

When we get sick, it is the body’s reaction to an invading pathogen that causes us to become symptomatic. While the underlying cause of the illness is the invading force, it is the body’s reaction that causes us so much misery. To prevent illness, we fortify the body through maintaining our general health in order to react defensively to these pathogens. We often fight them off so quickly that we are never actually aware of them. Even when we do succumb to an invading illness, the better equipped the body is to fight, the faster and more efficiently it can overcome the illness. Sometimes we need help though, an extra boost in strength in the form of an antibiotic or analgesic in order to fight off an infection.

Within this biological fact there is an analogy that carries with it a great implication of the distinct roles both evil forces and our own spiritual strength plays in sin. What we perceive as being sick is simply the body’s reaction to invading pathogens, which causes us to be symptomatic. There must be a pathogen which invades, but more importantly, there must be a reaction from the body that indicates it is too weak to fight off the pathogen and has succumbed to the illness. Likewise, in the case of sin, it is evil which infiltrates our soul, but it is our own reaction to that evil which causes sin. Evil will try to penetrate, as that is its nature, and it cannot act contrary to it. However, we have free will. It is not the evil which causes us to sin, it is our free reaction to it which determines whether we will fight the evil fully or if it will invade and infect. Sin is the symptom that indicates a submission to evil.

We can often fight off the evil and the temptations when our spirits are strong, but when we are weak, we may are more apt to sin. When our souls do become sick, we often need help to fight off the invading force. We turn to the sacraments and to pastoral guidance and, more often than not, fight off the assaulting forces. Those remedies for the soul exist to help us heal our souls. Yet the best way to avoid sin is to fortify ourselves against the works of the devil through maintaining our spiritual health. The first step in avoiding sin is spiritual maintenance. Go to Mass, receive the Eucharist regularly, participate in regular acts of penance and reconciliation. Christ, the Church, and her sacraments through Him are the strength and the light of our spirits.

Prayer for Spiritual Strength:
Lord,
through Christ's ministry and Passion
you teach us fortitude of spirit,
through your Church and sacraments
you give us means for such strength.
Help us daily to live a life of holiness and sanctity,
and may you fortify us against all evil.
AMEN.