t not
through any habit infused anew into the soul.

Reply Obj. 2: Venial sin is never forgiven without some act, explicit
or implicit, of the virtue of penance, as stated above (A. 1): it
can, however, be forgiven without the sacrament of Penance, which is
formally perfected by the priestly absolution, as stated above (Q.
87, A. 2). Hence it does not follow that infusion of grace is
required for the forgiveness of venial sin, for although this
infusion takes place in every sacrament, it does not occur in every
act of virtue.

Reply Obj. 3: Just as there are two kinds of bodily stain, one
consisting in the privation of something required for beauty, e.g.
the right color or the due proportion of members, and another by the
introduction of some hindrance to beauty, e.g. mud or dust; so too, a
stain is put on the soul, in one way, by the privation of the beauty
of grace through mortal sin, in another, by the inordinate
inclination of the affections to some temporal thing, and this is the
result of venial sin. Consequently, an infusion of grace is necessary
for the removal of mortal sin, but in order to remove venial sin, it
is necessary to have a movement proceeding from grace, removing the
inordinate attachment to the temporal thing.
_______________________

THIRD ARTICLE [III, Q. 87, Art. 3]

Whether Venial Sins Are Removed by the Sprinkling of Holy Water and
the Like?

Objection 1: It would seem that venial sins are not removed by the
sprinkling of holy water, a bishop's blessing, and the like. For
venial sins are not forgiven without Penance, as stated above (A. 1).
But Penance suffices by itself for the remission of venial sins.
Therefore the above have nothing to do with the remission of venial
sins.

Obj. 2: Further, each of the above bears the same relation to one
venial sin as to all. If therefore, by means of one of them, some
venial sin is remitted, it follows that in like manner all are
remitted, so that by beating his breast once, or by being sprinkled
once with holy water, a man would be delivered from all his venial
sins, which seems unreasonable.

Obj. 3: Further, venial sins occasion a debt of some punishment,
albeit temporal; for it is written (1 Cor. 3:12, 15) of him that
builds up "wood, hay, stubble" that "he shall be saved, yet so as by
fire." Now the above things whereby venial sins are said to be taken
away, contain either no punishment at all, or very little. Therefore
they do not suffi