Here is an awesome breakdown of a sin in process. I think we can all look back on a sin we have committed and relate to this. The sin doesn’t even have to be a mortal sin; even venial sins fall into this arrangement.
Thanks to, Servant of God, Fulton J. Sheen for this;
Eve looks at the forbidden fruit; it is beautiful to behold. More and more she turns herself from the voice and thought of God to the fragrancy and imagined sweetness of the forbidden fruit. The lingering thought passes into a vivid imagination, the vivid imagination into a burning wish, the burning wish into a half-formed purpose, the half-formed purpose into a hasty act. Swiftly the crisis is upon her, as all such crises are, and the deed was done irrevocably until time shall be no more.
I bet if we could conform our wills to God’s will, and follow the same process (of course replacing the sin part with virtue) we can beat sin every time.
I am thinking it would look something like this;
Eve looks at the forbidden fruit; it is beautiful to behold. More and more she turns herself to the voice and thought of God from the fragrancy and God given sweetness of the forbidden fruit. The lingering thought passes from a vivid imagination, the vivid imagination into an offering up to God, the burning wish into a prayer for strength, prayer for strength, into a moment of prayer of thanksgiving for the Lords help in turning from the temptation. Swiftly the crisis is adverted and the deed was not done.
….what a wonderful world it would be….
Third Sunday of Advent - The second week of John the Baptist, he has some
advice for us to practice as we wait for the Lord's coming."