Well, first, before I explain why we fall, how about I explain what happens when we fall.
Since the fall of man, we've been falling left and right (whoa, whoa! Did I just say why we fall? Or what caused us to make ourselves fall, actually...). A sin here, a sin there. It's happened forever, basically. Now, since Christ and His sacrifice on the cross, we've been given the chance to confess and confess again. But we still fall, it's true.
When we fall it (I'm not sure if it happens for everyone, but I'm guessing it does for many) feels like we've just ended our world. That our lives aren't worth anything anymore; there is no chance. Sometimes when we fall we focus on our fall, leading into more and more falls. Despair. Presumption (in a sense, but not as much). It all happens when we focus on our fall. There is no chance. The point I guess I'm trying to say(I'm really not wording it like I'd like to...maybe I'll save it into a draft and try again some other time) is that focusing on our falls aren't really that healthy for us. Sure, it's only natural (hopefully, to all you people) to feel really guilty for your sins and an ultimate sense of failure ensues, but it could turn into something naturally (or maybe unnaturally) unhealthy for your soul.
You wake up and remember your failure the day before, "Oh look what you did yesterday. Look at yourself, you've failed." What's the next thing you should think of? Do you dwell on this failure and moan and think about it the whole day? Well, only if you're absolutely positive that this can help you. (But I'm not saying that it's bad to be upset the whole day about what you did, only when you dwell on it the whole day and basically nothing else.) Otherwise, the next thought in your head should come from your (so to say) own self which doesn't act on it's own accord (like, the thought of your failure the day before just automatically came into you, as if you didn't really say it; that it was just there. Whereas the next thought should come from you, where you get up and you think about it and come to your own conclusion, like from your own voice). This next thought should be something along the lines of "Yes, I failed yesterday. I was wrong, completely and truly. It eats inside of me, feeding on my faults. But I will do all that I can to starve this beast within me. God, in His infinite mercy, will give me the chance to start again. I will go out and do what I can today. Confession. And I will make darn sure I try harder this time. No chance of confession today? I will ask the Lord again and again for forgiveness and I will try again tomorrow, or whichever day I know I have the chance."
I used to dwell on whatever happened for a long time. Many times I tried not to, but occasionally I would give in. I know that that was alot worse than what I do now. I guess (in my own way) the best way to go on, when there is no chance for help or penance and all that that day, is to just look forward to that Penance and to not ignore the good things happening to you. When the thought comes along, which is only natural, I could say a prayer or an act of contrition; resolving to not fail again without a better fight and going back into the days work or activity and all that. Dwelling on it whenever the thought pops up certainly won't help.
I guess I won't really explain why we fall. I'm pretty sure all of you know; it's in our nature, grasping us to keep back. I won't really go into it. But now I can't really answer the question to my subject! It should actually be asked differently, though. The question should ask,
"What do we do when we fall, sir?"
Well, so we might better learn to pick ourselves up.
