Expositio super orationem Dominicam

And forgive us our debts.

Whoever has perfect faith can, by praying or even by commanding, remove bodily and even spiritual mountains¹, as Paul did concerning Elymas the magician, whom he deprived both of his eyes and of his wicked art², and concerning the Pythoness at Philippi. But those who cannot ascend to the summit of so great a perfection should ask that their sins be forgiven them, so that they may merit to enter into everlasting life, and without doubt they will obtain this, provided that they first forgive those who sin against them. Whence it can safely be said: forgive us our debts, etc.

We say that debts signifies sins in this place. But a distinction must be made between one sin and another. For there is original sin and there is actual sin. Likewise of actual sins, one is criminal, another venial. Original sin is the concupiscence of the flesh with which man is born, which makes the infant capable of desiring, but the adult one who actually desires.

This sin, then, is remitted in baptism, not so that it does not exist, but so that it is not imputed as sin. For the guilt passes away, but the punishment remains. It passes away in its accountability but remains in its act. For there remains in the members the tyrant of our flesh, which moves illicit desires, of which the first movement is called passion, the second delight, the third consent. The first movement is not in our power to prevent from arising. But it can be repressed by grace, so that a man may not delight in it or consent to the wicked and perverse suggestion.

There is, then, in all who are begotten through concupiscence, a carnal concupiscence which is not to be allowed to reign, which can be diminished daily but cannot be ended. For there is always a struggle in us as long as we are in this body of death³. By actual sin, however, we mean an evil act, both interior and exterior, that is, in thought, speech, and deed. In these three we sin sometimes criminally, sometimes venially. Criminal sin is that to which eternal damnation is owed. Venial sin, however, is that to which eternal damnation is not owed. Sin, nevertheless, consists chiefly in the will, from which, as from an evil tree, evil works proceed as evil fruit. An evil will, then, robs the soul of the penetrating force and the piercing savor of the heavenly kernel.

Consider the walnut. A walnut indeed has three coverings. The first is green and bitter, the second hard and shell-like, the third fine and adjoining the kernel. The first cannot be eaten with the nut. The second encloses the kernel within itself. The third is eaten with the nut, but its taste is less delightful. The first signifies original sins, with which we are born. The second signifies criminal sins, with which there cannot be a wholesome knowledge of God. The third signifies venial sins, with which the knowledge of God is less delightful. The first is to be cast away, the second to be broken, the third to be cleansed. And thus there will be a sweet refreshment from the heavenly nut.

Note that our Lord Jesus Christ, when he healed the sick man⁴ who was let down before him through the tiles, first forgave him his sins, which had been the cause of his sickness, so that, the cause ceasing, that which had been made on account of the cause might also cease. Since it is agreed, then, that a man is sick on account of sins, the physician visiting the sick man ought to urge him toward humble and pure confession and satisfaction, lest, the sin remaining like iron in the wound, it be in vain to apply the ointment. Criminal sin is divided in three ways: namely into shameful vice, into wickedness, into contempt. Shameful vice is when someone corrupts himself viciously. Wickedness is when someone harms his brother maliciously, or proudly despises God. Venial sins, however, are certain light sins, for which we say daily: forgive us our debts. There follows: