You have your list of sins, sister. I have mine, including my favorites, the ones I don't want to actually stamp out, or, as the Gospel tells us, cut off.

And yet today's Gospel couldn't be more clear to me. (See Mark 9:41-50.) We are accountable for the scandal we cause when the child in our community is abused and goes unaided. We are responsible for the little lies we contrive about our own poor choices so our children don't know right from wrong. We are compelled to root out and destroy our root habits, our sinning with ease, our masking our unfaithfulness to the Church in a shroud of this makes me feel more comfortable.

I'd prefer to claim ignorance or exhaustion as valid hall-passes on my sins. While Our Lord is the Lover of our souls, He's also the Judge of them. The effect of my indifference to casual sins is a reality. And I will face how deeply I was able to love my husband when days and nights are long for his job, how patiently I helped my older friend with her new computer, how zealously I searched social media instead of my children's needy faces.

What are the root causes of sin for you, sister? Let's start fresh, today, and begin again in Him and His way. I'll be heading to Confession this weekend so give me a spiritual high-five when you get out of that confessional, too! He is waiting, ever-patient, ever-kind. Our very merciful Judge will help us start anew.

[bctt tweet="What are the root causes of sin for you, sister? Let's start fresh, today, and begin again in Him and His way." username="wholeparenting"]

Read through this list of teachings on morality, including the seven deadly sins.

Nell O'Leary is a recovering lawyer turned blogger, speaker, and sewer of baby goods while tending to her husband and four kiddos in the great city of Saint Paul, Minnesota. She serves as Managing Editor for Blessed is She and can down a hot cocoa in no time flat. Find out more about her here. She is the editor of our Blessed Conversations Series and producer of the Gift of You Series.