The Unforgivable Sin

The Marcan version of this passage was read as part of today's Gospel:

“Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and
whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the
Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin” —
for they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.”
(Mark 3:28-30, RSV)

During my stint on the RCIA team one of my favourite themes was preparing the adults for their first Confession (Reconciliation, Penance). So I would admonish them: "You mustn't embarrass yourselves and the team by trying to confess the unforgivable sin. The priest will not be able to pronounce absolution". The concept that there was such a thing as an unforgivable sin would draw their attention, already anxious at the prospect of the confessional booth. It would then be an excuse to have them read from one of the three parallel passages about this teaching of Jesus.

The Fathers of the Church seemed to focussed on this sin being that of apostasy, that is, being baptized as a Christian then denying Jesus and the Faith. But I would take the respectable position that refusing the Holy Spirit, refusing God's forgiveness, is the unforgivable sin. And the example I would use was someone who robbed the bank of $10,000, went to confession to confess the sin, but refused to return the money. Loose theology, perhaps, but I think it helped them to think about what it was they were being asked to do in going to Confession.