"Hooked on a Failing"

I've been reading Scott Hahn's "The Lamb's Supper." I think I'll have to read it at least one more time to truly take in all that it has to offer. I've gone over six months without some kind of course in philosophy, so this book is rejuvenating.

The section that really caught my eye and got me thinking is about 3/4 into the book. The sub-section is titled "Hooked on a Failing." It discusses humankind's failure to fully recognize sin for what it is.

Hahn depicts the process of sin, "We have an obligation, first, to resist temptation. If we fail then and we sin, we have an obligation to repent immediately. If we do not repent, then God lets us have our way: He allows us to experience the natural consequences of our sins, the illicit pleasures. If we still fail to repent--through self-denial and acts of penance--God allows us to continue to sin, thereby forming a habit, a vice, which darkens our intellect and weakens our will."

WHOA! I think I have re-read this paragraph at least 3 times. There is SO much truth here. Following this section, Hahn further explains how the most merciful thing God can do for us once we have formed a habit or a vice is allow a 'calamity' to occur:

"Sometimes, disaster means that that the world the sinners knew must fade away. But, as Jesus said, "What does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?" (Mk 8:36). It's better to bid farewell to a world of sin than to be lost without hope of repentance."

This is certainly a lot to take in and divulge. Hahn has a brilliant way of laying it out that forces you to think about how it relates to your life. Reflecting on this is helping me to understand a little more about those who have fallen away from the faith. God does not cause these people to step away from Him. Every choice in life can bring you closer or further away from God. The more steps you take away from God, the easier it becomes to sin. Therefore, it is logical to comprehend why some people appear to sin so easily, while for others-- the same sin would give them tremendous pause. God's grace inhabits your very being and influences your daily decisions-- but ONLY if you let Him. This explains so much for me personally on why at certain points in my life, I had incredible difficulty with sin... it had everything to do with me being distant from God. It is so clear now in retrospect. God normally prefers the 2x4 effect with me, but this time, I think it was a lesson that needed to be learned gradually. :)