The Quality of Satisfaction

A man in mortal sin cannot render satisfaction for his other sins; for he cannot hold on to one or to some mortal sins while effectively satisfying for others. Yet a man who has the duty of performing a penance imposed in confession is not freed from this obligation by reason of a mortal sin committed before the imposed penance is fully performed.

St. Paul (I Cor. 13:3) says: “If I should distribute all my goods to feed the poor, and if I should deliver my body to be burned, and have not charity, if profiteth me nothing.” Charity is impossible to hold without the grace of God, and a man in mortal sin has forfeited that grace. He is without charity. Hence, his works have no value as satisfaction,even if offered as satisfaction for old and forgiven sins from which he was absolved before his lapse into the present mortal sin that stains his soul.

Nor do works of satisfaction which are ineffective or dead because their author is in the state of mortal sin, come to fife and exist as true works of satisfaction when he is restored to grace. Dead works lack the power of satisfaction when performed and ever afterwards. Yet the performing of good works is valuable to aman in sin; not, indeed, as satisfaction, but as disposing him to repentance, and as setting up a congruous claim for the grace ofcontrition.

Works done without charity (which is love and friendship existing by grace between God and the soul) are not only without satisfactory power, but they are without meritorious value. Such works cannot merit condignly either eternal life or temporal good. Yet, as has been said, they may make fitting orcongruous the extending of God’s mercy to raise their author from sin.

Good works done in the state of mortal sin may be said to diminish the pains of hell in the sense that they indicate something of good disposition in the sinner; such works at least keep their author from doing what would settle him more deeply in hell than he now deserves to be settled.