Their sin is all the greater when they try to influence their children in this matter for selfish or worldly motives.  As they may be selfish and prejudiced without knowing it, they too, should ask the advice of their confessor, and good persons of experience.  Oh! how many children, sons and daughters, are made unhappy all the days of their life by parents or superiors forcing them into some state to which they were not called, or by keeping them from one to which they were called.  This matter of your vocation rests with yourselves and Almighty God, and you are free to do what He directs without consideration for anyone.

52 Q. What is actual sin?  A. Actual sin is any willful thought, word, deed, or omission contrary to the law of God.

Three ways we may sin, by “thought”—­allowing our minds to dwell on sinful things; “word”—­by cursing, telling lies, etc.; “deed”—­by any kind of bad action.  But to be sins, these thoughts, words and deeds must be willful; that is, we must fully know what we are doing, and be free in doing it.  Then they must be “contrary to the law of God”; that is, violate some law He commands us to obey, whether it be a law He gave directly Himself, or through His Church.  We can also violate God’s law by neglecting to observe it, and thus sin, provided the neglect be willful, and the thing neglected commanded by God or by His Church.

53 Q. How many kinds of actual sin are there?  A. There are two kinds of actual sin—­mortal and venial.

“Mortal,” that is, the sin which kills the soul.  When a man receives a very severe wound, we say he is mortally wounded; that is, he will die from the wound.  As breath shows there is life in the body, so grace is the life of the soul; when all the breath is out of the body, we say the man is dead.  He can perform no action to help himself or others.  So when all grace is out of the soul we say it is dead, because it is reduced to the condition of a dead body.  It can do no action worthy of merit, such as a soul should do; that is, it can do no action that God is bound to reward—­it is dead.  But you will say the soul never dies.  You mean it will never cease to exist; but we call it dead when it has lost all its power to do supernatural good.

“Venial” sin does not drive out all the grace; it wounds the soul, it weakens it just as slight wounds weaken the body.  If it falls very frequently into venial sin, it will fall very soon into mortal sin also; for the Holy Scripture says that he that contemneth small things shall fall by little and little. (Ecclus. 19:1).  A venial sin seems a little thing, but if we do not avoid it we shall by degrees fall into greater, or mortal, sin.  Venial sin makes God less friendly to us and displeases Him.  Now if we really love God, we will not displease Him even in the most trifling things.

54 Q. What is mortal sin?  A. Mortal sin is a grievous offense against the law of God.