Do not shrug [daily sins] aside because they are small; fear them, rather, because they are many. Listen, these sins are tiny, they aren't big ones. This is no wild beast like a lion, to tear your throat out with one bite. But it's often the case that many tiny beasts can kill. If someone's thrown into the flea-pit, doesn't he die there? They are not very big, it is true, but human nature is weak and can be destroyed even by the tiniest creatures. So it is with little sins. You notice they are little; take care, because they are many. How tiny are grains of sand! Put too much sand into a boat, it sinks...How tiny are drops of rain! They fill rivers and wash away houses, don't they? So don't just shrug these sins aside.
--St. Augustine
