According to my confessor and spiritual director, we all have habitual sins. Each of us has an area of weakness, and that’s where our personal tempters and/or the devil attack first. In fact, when we’ve talked about my habitual sin, he used the word “addiction.”
I don’t know about you, but thinking of sin as an addiction took some getting used to. I mean, when I think of addiction, I think of drugs or Chips Ahoy.
A few years ago, I had a particularly tough time with my habitual sin of choice. It was embarrassing to keep going to confession with it, but my confessor is truly gifted and I did feel healed and forgiven.
And then I went and sinned again.
In the midst of the months, though, I realized something. In the darkest time of my fight with this sin, I had stopped praying the daily rosary.
I had a really good reason, mind you. I didn’t just give it up for Oreo binging; I was immersed in a family novena that took all my effort. I was concentrating and giving it all I had.
Oh, and I was exhausted from pregnancy.
Realizing that this habitual sin of mine was creeping in and taking over even as I was dealing with other matters and NOT praying my daily rosary seemed significant, though. It felt a lot like a two-by-four to the head, honestly.
Maybe, for me, the rosary just isn’t optional.
The sin became a habit I had to break…and break and break and BREAK. I picture the rosary, established as a habit in my routine, as putting a protective layering over me, rebuffing the tempters and things that could lead me back into the dark waters of sin.
For your reflection: How does the rosary help you, especially as you consider sin in your life?
