Saturday, April 26, 2008

1Cor 5, 5 His spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord

(1Cor 5, 5) His spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord
[5] you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord.
(CCC 1459) Many sins wrong our neighbor. One must do what is possible in order to repair the harm (e.g., return stolen goods, restore the reputation of someone slandered, pay compensation for injuries). Simple justice requires as much. But sin also injures and weakens the sinner himself, as well as his relationships with God and neighbor. Absolution takes away sin, but it does not remedy all the disorders sin has caused (Cf. Council of Trent (1551): DS 1712). Raised up from sin, the sinner must still recover his full spiritual health by doing something more to make amends for the sin: he must "make satisfaction for" or "expiate" his sins. This satisfaction is also called "penance."

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