Saturday 7 November 2020

My Mortal Sin

 


I left the hotel hurriedly in a taxi on my way to the airport. It was then that I realized that I had sinned deeply and severely the night before.

This was in no doubt a mortal sin. I had succumbed to temptation and been led astray by the devil. The horror of the situation filled me with dread and a cold sweat started trickling on my forehead. What if the worst were to happen and I was suddenly face to face with my Maker, my Creator, and my ultimate Judge?

The taxi drew past a church and I asked the driver to stop suddenly. I paid him off and rushed into the building. Suddenly, missing the plane didn’t seem to matter any more. It was Saturday and the chances are there would be Confessions in progress.

I was fortunate. A dozen or so people were waiting their turn to enter the old fashioned Confessional. 

I waited with them and could only think of one sin. My mortal sin of the night before! The dark blot on my soul leading me to eternal damnation unless it is wiped clean once again.
 
How could I succumb to such sin once more? The shame and humiliation of it all played over in my mind time and again. I could see myself sinning vividly at Satan’s feet. And now I had to tell the priest all about it.

Eventually my turn came and I knelt down by the thick curtain hiding my Confessor.

I confessed my hideous sin leaving no detail unsaid. I told him exactly what had happened and how I succumbed to temptation and how I needed absolution.

When I finished, somewhat relieved off the heavy weight on my soul, the voice behind the curtain said “Yo no hablo Ingles!”

In my hurry to confess my mortal sin I had forgotten that I was on a business trip to Spain.

This was a Spanish church with a Spanish priest, and he does not speak English, and he has not understood a word I said, how can he possibly forgive me my sin?

How could I mime my sin from behind the curtain? And would he understand me if he saw me re-enact it? Are some sins so international to be easily understood in any language?

I did what most English people do when abroad and not understood. I repeated every word again slowly and loudly.

Somehow, there’s the belief that by speaking loudly the English language is suddenly universally understood.

Eventually, the Spanish priest repeated in an equally loud voice “Yo te perdono! Yo te perdono!”

I said “Muchas Gracias” and left the church before waiting for absolution and penance.

When I arrived back home I thought I’d make doubly sure and I went straight to my English speaking priest, albeit he has a Scottish accent, by I forgive him that.

I told him about my Spanish mortal sin.

I explained that the night before I left Spain, whilst in my hotel room, I was so tempted that I succumbed to temptation itself. I took a cold beer can from the little ice box they have in some hotels. I really enjoyed that drink.

The following morning, when asked by the receptionist whether I had used the ice box, I had forgotten about the beer and I said “No!”

It wasn’t until I was in the taxi heading for the airport that I realized I had technically stolen from the hotel and committed a mortal sin.

The Scottish priest laughed at my face and did not give me absolution. Luckily, I had a Spanish absolution instead. I think!

19 comments:

  1. ...some would say. "the luck of the Irish!"

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    1. I did not want to take a chance with a sin like that.

      God bless, Tom.

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  2. Once while on vacation, my curiosity led me to investigate the contents of our cabin's mini refrigerator. Imagine my surprise to see several of the wee bottles had been emptied -- but put back in place to fool(?) the poor soul in charge of inventorying its contents.

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    1. That is so unfair, and cheating. That is definitely the sin of stealing; with intent. Double sin in my book.

      God bless you, Mevely.

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  3. Sometimes the guilt of living with an unconfessed sin is more punishment than any penance a priest can give.

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  4. Dearest Victor,
    Great story, written in a dramatic way, building up to the core of it!
    Cheers for having scored a Spanish absolution with that stolen beer.
    Hugs,
    Mariette

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    1. No ... no ... I did not steal it, Mariette. I forgot about it. A sin of omission, I think. A sin in Spain stays mainly on the plane!!! Well, on the way to the airport, at least.

      God bless.

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    2. If you don't graduate to worse sins... you're SAFE! 😜

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  5. You could have donated a beer to a worthy cause to atone for your sin.:) I'm sure that someone would have appreciated the gesture.

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    1. That's a good point, Bill. I could have donated a cheap beer. Our supermarket sells 4 cans for £1 - 0.3% alcohol. That should do.

      God bless you, Bill.

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  6. You really had me going, Victor, wondering what type of mortal sin you had committed. Taking a beer and forgetting to pay for it? Why not send a check to the hotel for the difference? Anyway, you've told a great story here, my friend.
    Blessings!

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    1. This was a thriller story worthy of an Alfred Hitchcock movie. But he was not as good as me, Martha.

      God bless you. Keep smiling.

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  7. You certainly had me on tenterhooks (whatever they are) wondering what you could have done. Call the hotel, explain what happened, and pay them, and you haven't stolen a thing.

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    1. Yo no hablo Espaniol! How do I hablo a Spanish sin, Mimi?

      God bless.

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  8. "Forgive me Father, for I have sinned,"

    "I know I read all about it on Facebook"

    That's right up to date in these times!

    All the best Jan

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  9. Victor, I came over to read cause I really needed to laugh. Like right now. So, I scrolled and ended up here. I laughed. Thank you, Victor! Where would be without humor? God bless you. You ministered to me this morning.

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    1. You are always welcome here for a good laugh, Diane. Check out the tab at the top "Giggles and Fun". But there's also a number of serious Christian posts too.

      God bless.

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