Week Beginning September 25, 2022
Overcoming Vice
Saint Maximos the Confessor teaches us: “Nothing created by God is evil. It is not food that is evil but gluttony, not the begetting of children but unchastity, not material things but avarice, not esteem but self-esteem. It is only the misuse of things that is evil, not the things themselves.” Throughout our lives, we will be tempted to misuse things for our own personal pleasure or gain, acting against right reason and the commandments of God. Saint Anthony the Great tells us to “Expect temptation to your last breath.”
Saint Vincent de Paul comments: “It is no wonder you are tempted; on the contrary, it would be something new if you were not, because man’s life is nothing but temptation, and no one is exempt from it, especially those who have given themselves to God; his own Son even passed through this trial. But if it is necessary for everyone, it is also a source of merit for those to whom God grants the grace of turning all things to good, as you do.” Saint Julian of Norwich says, “He did not say: You will not be troubled–you will not be tempted–you will not be distressed. But He did say: ‘You will not be overcome.’”
Before every sin, we are confronted with a choice to either resist temptation or succumb to it. Saint Philip Neri explains: “Do not grieve over the temptations you suffer. When the Lord intends to bestow a particular virtue on us, He often permits us first to be tempted by the opposite vice. Therefore, look upon every temptation as an invitation to grow in a particular virtue and a promise by God that you will be successful, if only you stand fast.” Pope Saint Leo the Great adds: “Virtue is nothing without the trial of temptation, for there is no conflict without an enemy, no victory without strife.”
This ongoing struggle to opt for spiritual good over corporal pleasure either leads us toward virtue when reason governs our passions or leaves us vulnerable to sin when our passions are unregulated. Saint Francis de Sales reassures us: “Temptations are like soap, which, when spread over the clothes, seems to stain them, but in reality, purifies them.” Be strengthened by the knowledge that the same trials that can ruin us can instead be used to save us.
“The devil is like a rabid dog tied to a chain; beyond the length of the chain he cannot seize anyone. And you: keep at a distance,” warns Saint Padre Pio of Pietrelcina. “If you approach too near, you let yourself be caught. Remember that the devil has only one door by which to enter the soul: the will.” Beware of minor temptations, because they can open the door to evil. Saint Francis de Sales declares: “Let the enemy rage at the gate; let him knock, pound, scream, howl; let him do his worst. We know for certain that he cannot enter our soul except by the door of our consent.”
As we conclude our exploration of the seven deadly sins, take some time this week to reflect on what you’ve learned about yourself and what tempts you. Recognizing your tendency to sin is the first step toward vanquishing it. Richard Sibbes observes: “Satan gives Adam an apple, and takes away Paradise. Therefore in all temptations let us consider not what he offers, but what we shall lose.” To overcome vice, accept help from the grace of God, the intercession of angels and saints, the wisdom of scripture, the power of prayer, the blessings from our sacraments, and the support from our loved ones. “Blessed is the man who perseveres in temptation, for when he has been proved he will receive the crown of life that he promised to those who love him” (James 1:12).
When in doubt, look toward the saints for inspiration and guidance. “Occupy your mind with good thoughts, or the enemy will fill them with bad ones,” advises Saint Thomas More. Saint John Bosco recommends: “When tempted, invoke your Angel. He is more eager to help you than you are to be helped! Ignore the devil and do not be afraid of him: He trembles and flees at the sight of your Guardian Angel.” Saint Margaret of Cortona suggests: “Hide nothing from your confessor… a sick man can be cured only by revealing his wounds.” Saint Bernard of Clairvaux notes: “When God forgives a sinner who humbly confesses his sin, the devil loses his dominion over the heart he had taken.”
Saint John Vianney remarks: “The sign of the cross is the most terrible weapon against the devil. Thus the Church wishes not only that we have it continually in front of our minds to recall to us just what our souls are worth and what they cost Jesus Christ, but also that we should make it at every juncture ourselves: when we go to bed, when we awaken during the night, when we get up, when we begin any action, and, above all, when we are tempted.” Put your trust in the Lord, and let him guide you through your challenges. Pope Saint John Paul II reminds us: “There is no evil to be faced that Christ does not face with us. There is no enemy that Christ has not already conquered. There is no cross to bear that Christ has not already borne for us, and does not now bear with us.” The Venerable Fulton Sheen promises, “Evil may have its hour, but God will have His day.”
Week Beginning September 18, 2022
Lust
Lust is an unbridled, self-indulgent appetite for pleasure, typically in the form of sex, money, power, or fame. It is rooted in the Latin word luxuria meaning “extravagance” or “luxury.” Our English word “luxury” originally meant “lust” or “lechery.” Lust is the vice associated with luxuriating in bodily activities purely for self-gratification and enjoyment.
In his Summa Theologiae, Saint Thomas Aquinas explains that “lust applies chiefly to venereal pleasures, which more than anything else work the greatest havoc in a man’s mind, yet secondarily it applies to any other matters pertaining to excess.” The impulse toward carnal pleasure is imbedded in our makeup to promote procreation and ensure perpetuation of our species. Saint Augustine acknowledges: “What food is to a man’s well being, such is sexual intercourse to the welfare of the whole human race.”
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: “Lust is disordered desire for or inordinate enjoyment of sexual pleasure. Sexual pleasure is morally disordered when sought for itself, isolated from its procreative and unitive purposes” (CCC 2351). A “disordered desire” for sex, therefore, is directed away from the purpose of marital intimacy and openness to human life. “Inordinate enjoyment” can be excessive, inappropriate, or misdirected. Examples include an intense, insatiable need for things of a sexual nature, satisfaction of sexual appetite in an unreasonable or disproportionate way, and longing for an improper object of desire. A lustful person uses sex as a tool for egotistical pleasure and power; a lustful person objectifies others as merely bodies, not people. Note that lust manifests itself in both thoughts and deeds.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into Gehenna” (Matthew 5:27-30).
Saint Augustine warns about giving into this temptation. “Lust indulged became habit, and habit unresisted became necessity.” Lust leads to an idolization of libidinous behavior. Saint Bernard of Clairvaux observes, “Inordinate love of the flesh is cruelty, because under the appearance of pleasing the body we kill the soul.”
Saint Thomas Aquinas expands upon the six parts of lust, commonly listed as simple fornication, adultery, incest, seduction, rape, and unnatural vice. These “parts” are actually sins that are likely to result from lust. He explains that sins which violate the natural order of things are the more serious of the sins. He describes bestiality, homosexuality, contraception, masturbation, and incest as such unnatural vices. He lists sacrilege (relations with someone living a consecrated life), rape, adultery, seduction (violation of a virgin), and fornication as sexual sins against right reason. Pope Saint Gregory the Great names eight daughters that spawn from lust: blindness of mind, thoughtlessness, inconstancy, rashness, self-love, hatred of God, love of this world, and abhorrence or despair of a future world.
In modern times, we also witness lust in the form of premarital relations, cohabitation, free love, virtual sex, infidelity, polyamory, polygamy, orgies, sodomy, sexual confusion, sexual addiction, risky sexual practices, one-night stands, pornography, graphic sexual media, and inappropriate fantasies. It gives rise to single-parent households, destruction of the traditional family unit, divorce, teenage pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, abortion, and foul language. Many victims of lust crave genuine intimacy but are incapable of achieving it after normalizing their disordered relations; others turn to drugs, alcohol, and suicide to cope with their shame. Lust is a red flag for sexual assault, sexual abuse, molestation, sexual harassment, human trafficking, sexual slavery, prostitution, pedophilia, and stalking.
Chastity is the virtue that tames our lustful inclinations. Saint Francis de Sales teaches us:
“Chastity is the lily of virtues, and makes men almost equal to Angels. Everything is beautiful in accordance with its purity. Now the purity of man is chastity, which is called honesty, and the observance of it, honor and also integrity; and its contrary is called corruption; in short, it has this peculiar excellence above the other virtues, that it preserves both soul and body fair and unspotted.”
This week, consider how lust tempts you. Lust lures us with an escape from our troubles and an alternative to the mundane. The bodily pleasure it promises is fleeting, but the damage to our souls can last forever. Saint Josemaria Escriva accepts no excuses: “Don’t say, ‘That’s the way I am–it’s my character.’ It’s your lack of character.”
Our best defense to restrain lust and strengthen our character is to pray for the virtue of chastity and purity of heart. We can also express gratitude for the gifts–past, present, or future–of marital love, properly-ordered sexuality, and children. Saint Alphonsus Liguori recalls: “In temptations against chastity, the spiritual masters advise us, not so much to contend with the bad thought, as to turn the mind to some spiritual, or, at least, indifferent object. It is useful to combat other bad thoughts face to face, but not thoughts of impurity.”
It is not a sin to have a racy thought pop into your head or to experience a suggestive dream. It can be sinful, however, to entertain and enjoy those notions. This week, try turning to prayer every time you experience an impure thought. Our best role models for leading a chaste life are found in the Holy Family. Pray to Our Blessed Mother and her Most Chaste Spouse, or reflect upon the Passion of Our Lord. Although prayer is the ultimate distraction from lustful temptations, you could try the age-old remedy of thinking about baseball. “To defend his purity, Saint Francis of Assisi rolled in the snow, Saint Benedict threw himself into a thorn bush, Saint Bernard plunged into an icy pond,” Saint Josemaria Escriva reminds us. “You…what have you done?”
Another way to avoid temptation is to avoid triggers. “Sex has become one of the most discussed subjects of modern times,” remarks the Venerable Fulton Sheen. “The Victorians pretended it did not exist; the moderns pretend that nothing else exists.” Divert your conversations away from sexual topics. Limit your exposure to erotic content in movies, television shows, art, music, and the internet. Decline social invitations that are likely to entice you. Strive for modesty in your behavior and your dress.
Saint Jerome recommends that we ward off idleness: “Be always busy in doing something good, so that the devil may find you ever occupied.” In a similar way, we can set a positive example for our youth. Be a role model for our children by engaging in good works and healthy relationships.
Pope Saint John Paul II encourages us: “Deep within yourself, listen to your conscience, which calls you to be pure…a home is not warmed by the fire of pleasure, which burns quickly like a pile of withered grass. Passing encounters are only a caricature of love; they injure hearts and mock God’s plan.”
Week Beginning September 11, 2022
Gluttony
Gluttony is an inordinate desire for consumption, most commonly of food or drink. It derives from the Latin words gluttire meaning “to gulp down or swallow” and gula meaning “throat.” Although gluttony typically applies to delights of the palate, it can pertain to an immoderate indulgence of anything where reason is defied, self-gratification supersedes love for God, ingratitude prevails over thanksgiving, waste overbears charity, sybaritic excess threatens health and impairs function, or consumption is simply unrestrained.
Gluttony makes something that provides a natural means to an end–such as eating to live–become an end in itself–such as living to eat. Saint John Cassian notes that “food is to be taken in so far as it supports our life, but not to the extent of enslaving us to the impulses of desire.” The pleasure of food sustains our lives by encouraging us to nourish our bodies. When the innate impulse to satisfy our needs is abused, gluttony occurs. Saint Paul warns, “Their end is destruction. Their God is their stomach; their glory is in their ‘shame.’ Their minds are occupied with earthly things” (Philippians 3:19).
Gluttony is not always related to overconsumption. Pope Saint Gregory the Great explains: “The vice of gluttony tempts us in five ways. Sometimes it forestalls the hour of need; sometimes it seeks costly meats; sometimes it requires the food to be daintily cooked; sometimes it exceeds the measure of refreshment by taking too much; sometimes we sin by the very heat of an immoderate appetite.”
In other words, gluttony can be exhibited by consumption that is too soon, too expensive, too dainty, too much, or too eager. In our urgent rush for self-satisfaction, we are blinded to the needs of others, the care of our surroundings, and reverence to God. We become indulgent and wasteful. We squander resources that others long to have. With our reason compromised, we become susceptible to sin.
Excessive and unseemly joy, scurrility (vulgarity and levity), uncleanness (related to vomiting and impurity), loquaciousness, and dullness of mind are assigned by Pope Saint Gregory the Great as the daughters of gluttony. It is a form of addiction, and it can lead to overeating, alcoholism, drug abuse, and the health-related issues that accompany those behaviors. In addition, gluttony can manifest itself as anorexia, bulimia, obesity, binge eating, drunkenness, extreme love of the body, excessive pampering, egoism, poor hygiene, attention deficit, other addictions (technology, caffeine, smoking, shopping, etc.), carelessness, foolish mirth, loneliness, disgrace, deception, poverty, waste, and abuse. Gluttony is a red flag for crimes of desperation committed by addicts as well as drunk and drug-impaired driving.
Pope Saint Gregory the Great observes that “unless we first tame the enemy dwelling within us, namely our gluttonous appetite, we have not even stood up to engage in the spiritual combat.” Our bodies and souls are intimately connected. Abusing the body through gluttony harms the soul. Saint Paul teaches us to treat our bodies with respect: “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been purchased at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
Gluttonous behavior often stems from other underlying issues. We try to self-medicate by filling the voids in our lives with excess. But gluttony leaves us feeling empty, not full. When we feed everything but our souls, our hunger is not satiated, and our thirst is not quenched. Jesus gives us the remedy when he says “whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14).
We overcome gluttony with the virtue of temperance. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states:
“Temperance is the moral virtue that moderates the attraction of pleasures and provides balance in the use of created goods. It ensures the will’s mastery over instincts and keeps desires within the limits of what is honorable. The temperate person directs the sensitive appetites toward what is good and maintains a healthy discretion…” (CCC 1809).
“The virtue of temperance disposes us to avoid every kind of excess: the abuse of food, alcohol, tobacco, or medicine. Those incur grave guilt who, by drunkenness or a love of speed, endanger their own and others’ safety on the road, at sea, or in the air” (CCC 2290).
Saint Jean-Baptiste de la Salle advises: “The most efficacious means of keeping in mind the rules of temperance, and obtaining strength to follow them, is to say, piously, the prayer before and after meals. By this we shall draw down upon ourselves the blessing of God, and obtain the grace not to offend Him.” Saint Padre Pio of Pietrelcina adds: “Never rise from the table without having given due thanks to the Lord. If we act in this way, we need have no fear of the wretched sin of gluttony.”
Fasting works in conjunction with prayer to moderate our desires. Saint Thomas Aquinas recommends fasting and abstinence “to bridle the lusts of the flesh.” Practicing self-denial helps us control the appetite and strengthen the will. It frees our minds to contemplate heavenly things and helps us atone for our sins.
We are blessed to live in a land of plenty, and it is easy to become spoiled or complacent. However, conservation is an important component to tempering our consumption. This week, pay attention to your habits. Try to save resources by turning off faucets and lights when you are not using them. Consider carpooling, using mass transportation, or walking to reach your destination. Little adjustments can make a big difference over time.
Think about what drives your hunger and thirst. Is there some indulgence that you cannot live without? Do you engage in any activities purely for the sake of immediate gratification and pleasure? Are there areas where you could use less? Once you isolate your temptation, try fasting from that behavior to practice self-discipline and grow in the virtue of temperance.
Are you too finicky? Do you reject perfectly good things because they do not match your specific tastes? Are you obsessed with brand names and overpriced merchandise? Do you lose sight of the efforts made on your behalf? This week, try to appreciate your good fortune. Whenever you receive something, think of its origin and all of the steps necessary to bring it to you. Make an effort to limit unnecessary waste by being less critical.
Do you rush through meals, overeat, or refuse to share? Do you snack when you are not hungry? Do you neglect fasts? Next time you gather to eat, focus on the fellowship rather than the fare. Through communal meals, we strengthen our bonds with each other. And here’s some food for thought: the ingredient of love makes everything taste more delicious.
If you find yourself eating your feelings, shopping for satisfaction, or drinking to escape, fill your life with the love of God rather than the love of things. Drink the living water, and you will never thirst again.
Week Beginning September 4, 2022
Avarice
Avarice is greed demonstrated by a perverse attachment to material goods and wealth. It is derived from the Latin word avārus which means “greedy” or “covetous.” St. John Chrysostom warns: “Avarice is an incurable malady, an ever-burning fire, a tyranny that extends far and wide; for he who in this life is the slave of money is loaded with heavy chains and destined to carry far heavier chains in the life to come.”
Saint Maximus the Confessor isolates three causes of greed: self-indulgence, self-esteem, and lack of faith. “The self-indulgent person loves wealth because it enables him to live comfortably; the person full of self-esteem loves it because through it he can gain the esteem of others; the person who lacks faith loves it because, fearful of starvation, old age, disease, or exile, he can save it and hoard it. He puts his trust in wealth rather than in God, the Creator who provides for all creation, down to the least of living things.”
The Catechism of the Catholic Church raises some important reasons as to why cupidity can be sinful:
“Sin is an offense against reason, truth, and right conscience; it is failure in genuine love for God and neighbor caused by a perverse attachment to certain goods. It wounds the nature of man and injures human solidarity. It has been defined as “an utterance, a deed, or a desire contrary to the eternal law” (CCC 1849).
“The tenth commandment forbids greed and the desire to amass earthly goods without limit. It forbids avarice arising from a passion for riches and their attendant power. It also forbids the desire to commit injustice by harming our neighbor in his temporal goods:
When the Law says, ‘You shall not covet,’ these words mean that we should banish our desires for whatever does not belong to us. Our thirst for another’s goods is immense, infinite, never quenched. Thus it is written: ‘He who loves money never has money enough’” (CCC 2536).
In his sermon on the danger of riches, Saint John Henry Newman cautions that our desire to possess material goods jeopardizes our spiritual welfare when the visible presence of opulence hardens our hearts to the invisible One who rightly deserves our supreme devotion. Prosperity and possessions are a means to an end, not an end in themselves. Regarding worldly things, he says: “they minister to the corrupt inclinations of our nature; they promise and are able to be gods to us, and such gods too as require no service, but, like dumb idols, exalt the worshiper, impressing him with a notion of his own power and security. And in this consist their chief and most subtle mischief.”
“For the love of money is the root of all evils, and some people in their desire for it have strayed from the faith and have pierced themselves with many pains” (1 Timothy 6:10). When we look to the saints, we see how they favor eternal goods over temporal goods. Saint Cyril of Alexandria notes, “For it is not the habit of the saints to rejoice over worldly riches.” The saints illustrate how we can trust in God’s providence. “Let your life be free from love of money but be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never forsake you or abandon you’” (Hebrews 13:5).
Our desire for affluence is lauded in our society. We are encouraged to admire those who earn great profits. Success is demonstrated by leading a pampered life filled with creature comforts. When shortages or supply chain issues are prevalent, our culture encourages us to stockpile and save to provide for our loved ones during troubled times. Yet the Gospel teaches us “to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions” (Luke 12:15).
Saint Francis de Sales distinguishes between acquiring prudent reserves and hoarding greedily: “There is a wide difference between having poison and being poisoned. All apothecaries have poisons ready for special uses, but they are not consequently poisoned, because the poison is only in their shop, not in themselves; and so you may possess riches without being poisoned by them, so long as they are in your house or purse only, and not in your heart. It is the Christian’s privilege to be rich in material things, and poor in attachment to them, thereby having the use of riches in this world and the merit of poverty in the next.”
Avarice prevents us from recognizing when we have enough. Unlike feeling full after eating a large meal, there is no satiation after accumulating valuables. The cycle of greed is never fulfilled. Saint Bernard of Clairvaux observes: “In his greediness, he counts all that he has clutched as nothing in comparison with what is beyond his grasp, and loses all pleasure in his actual possessions by longing after what he has not, yet covets.”
Covetousness promotes the inordinate attachment to objects over their use for some worthwhile purpose or for just distribution. It blinds us to the needs of others. We lose sight of the source of our bounty, and we seek to attain more things at all costs. But in the end, more things do not buy more happiness. And in the end, you can’t take it with you. “Wealth is useless on a day of wrath, but justice saves from death” (Proverbs 11:4).
Pope Saint Gregory the Great assigns treachery, fraud, falsehood, perjury, restlessness, violence, and insensibility as the daughters of covetousness. In addition to those behaviors, greed can manifest itself through hoarding, stinginess, deprivation, excessive acquisitions, entitlements, inordinate concern for goods, materialism, consumerism, working on the sabbath, obsessive gambling, selfishness, inability to share, refusal to help the needy, manipulation, ingratitude, indifference, complacency, dissatisfaction, and mistrust in the Lord. Avarice is also a red flag for misappropriation of resources, usury, unfair wages, default on debt, embezzlement, robbery, theft, piracy, bribery, Ponzi schemes, Black Friday stampedes, class warfare, government takeovers, and revolutions.
Charity is the antidote for avarice. When we engage in deliberate charitable giving, we spiritually detach ourselves from our possessions and express love for our neighbor and for God. Through magnanimity, material goods become subordinate to spiritual goods. The most dramatic instances of generosity involve giving from our scarcity (Mark 12:41-44) or sacrificing what is most prized (Mark 10:17-22). Saint Thomas Aquinas referred to this virtue as liberality, or giving freely. Generosity begins with love when we give freely with no expectation to receive anything in return (Luke 6:35).
Greed is expressed in many ways. We can be greedy with material things by keeping the best of everything for ourselves. We can be greedy with our time by spending it only on things we enjoy. We can be greedy with our skills by refusing to help others with our talents. We can be greedy with our relationships by using people for our benefit.
This week, take a hard look at what you love and desire. Do you love people and use things, or do you love things and use people? What do you dream about most often? Do you think about that more than you think about God? Where is your heart? Would you be able to sacrifice what you love on this earth to go to heaven?
Are you spending so much of your time working that you are missing precious moments with your loved ones? Are you present in this world, or are you living in virtual reality? Do you prioritize time for prayer and spiritual development?
Take a look around your home. Do you have too much clutter? Do you own your possessions, or do they own you? Do you have an abundance of things that are no longer of value to you but could be useful to someone else? Consider donating what you do not need. What other ways can you dissociate from created goods? For example, consider a fast from shopping.
Look around your neighborhood; pay attention to what is happening in the world. We often focus longingly on those who are better off than we are. Instead, consider the less fortunate, and give gratitude to God for everything you do have. Can you share your blessings to assist those in need? If you cannot help them in deeds, can you help them with words or prayers?
Do you set apart a portion of your earnings for charity? When you make financial investments, do you consider only your return on investment, or do you try to support businesses that also share your values? Do you make do or make debt when you are low on funds? When you use cash, do you follow the reminder on the back of your money–“IN GOD WE TRUST”–and thank God for His provision?
Thomas á Kempis offers this advice: “Try to turn your heart from the love of things visible and bring yourself to things invisible. For they who follow their own evil passions stain their consciences and lose the grace of God.”
