Know the 7 deadly sins which are root sins that give rise to other sins. Be aware of the different forms these sins take in our lives and learn how to fight them with the 7 heavenly virtues.

1. 7 Deadly Sins
Chariteach Topic
August 5, 2012
Sunday, August 5, 12

2. 7 Deadly Sins
• Many different sins such as murder,
adultery, stealing, rape, drug abuse,
prostitution, etc.
• These have root causes like “pride”
• Pride was the devil’s great sin for he
wanted to be like God and rebelled.
• 7 basic kinds of sins that lead to all others
Sunday, August 5, 12

3. St. John says...
• “For all that is in the world, the lust of the
flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride
of life is not of the Father but is of this
world.” 1 John 2:16
• 3 basic groups of sins:
• lust of the flesh - gluttony, lust, sloth
(physical wants)
• “lust of the eyes” - greed
• “pride of life” - pride, envy, anger
Sunday, August 5, 12

4. Lust
• Lust is not just about sexuality.
• Sensuality - craving pleasures of all kinds
such as too much partying, too much
wanting beautiful things, drug abuse
• Focusing on the “sensory experience” - how
something affects our senses
• Lust denies our spiritual nature and makes
us slaves to our physical attachments.
• We try to make a heaven on earth, but
instead create something fake or artificial.
• We see people as objects to be used, a
means to an end.
Sunday, August 5, 12

5. Chastity combats Lust
Chastity moderates desire for sexual pleasure, the body’s most imperious
passion, according to principles of faith and right reason.
Chastity opposes acts or thoughts that are inconsistent with Church
teaching about the use of our reproductive powers to prevent defilement
of the soul.
St. Paul added, 1 Cor 3:16 “Do you not know that you are God’s temple
and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God
will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and that temple you are.”
The practice of chastity is control of our thoughts and discipline of our
senses, especially the eyes. It is greatly assisted by modesty and purity.
But as in lust, chastity does not pertain only to sexuality. Chastity also
talks about the purity of our mind, our speech/conversation (no green
jokes). It is respecting our dignity and that of others as human beings.
Sunday, August 5, 12

6. Greed
• "He who loves money never has money enough" Sirach 5:8
• "You shall not covet your neighbor's house.You shall not covet
your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox
or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor." Exodus
20:17
• Forms
• Greed for Power - An obsessive desire for more and
more material wealth and the power that goes with it.
(Money is a means to get more power -- rooted in a
fear of helplessness or losing control.)
• Greed for Fear - Hoarding, a fearful need to store up
surplus goods (placing our trust in material things); Fear
of “running out”
• Greed of Acquisition and Enslavement - Wanting more
earthly goods for their own sake. (eg. We collect
everything from toys to gadgets to cars, jewelry, etc.
Sunday, August 5, 12

7. Generosity combats Greed
Spirit of generosity for a proper and worthy charity that may involve the
donation of our time, our money, or other possessions.
Stewardship
Trust in the Lord and avoid too much attachment to material things. "But
I trust in you, O LORD; I say, 'You are my God. -- Psalm 31:14
Practice charity.
Sunday, August 5, 12

8. Gluttony
• Gluttony does not only pertain to food.
• Some people can't have enough toys, television, entertainment,
sex, or company. It is about an excess of anything.
• In Ancient Rome wanted more pleasure, so they threw up after
the meal and then ate more. This allowed them to enjoy eating
more at the cost of health (and dignity)
• Delicacy - another form of gluttony; when we always want to
have things exactly our own way. A person becomes difficult to
(My, myself and I)
• Demanding too much of people. (A needy person who always
wants to be the center of attention);
• People-pleasing in order to get people to like you even when
you know your actions are no longer truthful
• Giving in to depression and self-pity
Sunday, August 5, 12

9. Temperance combats
Gluttony
Temperance controls the desire for pleasure.
In particular, temperance (pagtitimpi, “everything in moderation” is the
obverse of fortitude.
Temperance keeps our desires in moderation. When we think of going on
a shopping spree, or an all you can eat buffet dinner, if we have
temperance, we are able to control ourselves from going to extreme
spending (materialism), or “pigging out” which is an abuse of our health.
Remembering that we do not need half the things that we think we do.
Streamline our needs and see what we can do without. Think about the
less fortunate and share what we have with others instead of getting all
for ourselves.
Sunday, August 5, 12

10. Envy
• A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy
rots the bones, Proverbs 14:30
• Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it
does not boast, it is not proud, 1 Corinthians
13:4
• For where you have envy and selfish ambition,
there you find disorder and every evil practice.
James 3:16
• Envy is perverted because it "loves" what other
people possess, rather than what is good,
beautiful and True.
• Envy eats away at the heart of the envious
person.
• Envy takes away gratitude. Envious people close
themselves off to the grace of God.
Sunday, August 5, 12

11. Brotherly Love
combats Envy
Brotherly love is happiness in response to another’s success. God
commanded Lev 19:18, Mt 22:39 that we love one another. We are to treat
even our enemies Mt 5:44 with brotherly love because we are all children
of the same heavenly Father.
Jn 13:34 “Love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love
one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you
have love for one another.”
When we see a friend getting more of what we want -- better grades, more
friends, maybe a handsome boyfriend-- when envy threatens us, let us
pray to God for the grace of brotherly love.
Sunday, August 5, 12

12. Anger
• Whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to
judgment", Matthew 5:22
• "A mild answer calms wrath, but a harsh word stirs up
anger." - Proverbs 15:1
• The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger
and rich in love. Psalms 145:8
• My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be
quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.
For mans’s anger does not bring about the righteous life
that God desires. James 1:19-20
• Some say we can't control our emotions, but we
"choose" our emotions from our "emotional toolbox." If
anger is in our heart already, the smallest thing can
trigger it. If we ask God for peace, our reaction will
reflect this peace. We may respond to offenses or
accidents with humor, kindness and patience, because
that is what is in our heart.
• When we are angry, we hurt people with words that we
Sunday, August 5, 12

13. Meekness combats Anger
Meekness is a form of temperance that controls every resentment towards
another’s character or behavior. We approach meekness by cultivating
patient thoughts.
Mt 5:5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”
Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a
gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. 1 Peter 3: 4
Humility and patience are also good remedies for anger.
Sunday, August 5, 12

14. Pride
• "The Devil, the proud spirit, cannot endure to be
mocked." St. Thomas More, 16th Century
• "God is stern in dealing with the arrogant, but to the
humble He shows kindness." Proverbs 3:34
• "Hatred of God comes from pride. It is contrary to
the love of God ..." - The Catechism of the
Catholic Church, #2094
• Too much pride, arrogance (yabang), haughtiness
(thinking of yourself as being better than everybody
else)
• Vanity, fussiness, delicacy (being a “perfectionist”)
• Most of the time we think we are humble. We see
pride in other people and think that we are not like
them. This is a good indicator that we are in fact the
proud, self-righteous one.
• False modesty is veiled pride.
Sunday, August 5, 12

15. Humility combats Pride
There are three ways to destroy Pride, and they must all be taken together:
Be grateful to anyone and everyone. Treat even the things people are expected to do as great gifts.
Be grateful for your food, your change at Burger King, rain, life itself. Thank everyone.
Beg forgiveness of God for the sin of Pride. Go before Him in prayer every day or every few hours
and implore His mercy. The more this offends you, the more Pride you have.
Ask God for a spirit of Humility and Gratitude. Read Philippians 2:3-11 and imitate it. Understand
that without God's Grace, we will never cast away our illusions. Ask God to break your pride and
vanity using whatever it takes: illness, loss of friends, loss of family, public humiliation. In the
end, all but true love for God is lost, so count all else but God as loss now.
The capital virtue that recognizes our total dependence on God. The capital virtue that recognizes our
total dependence on God.
A humble person considering his own defects has a lowly opinion of himself and willingly submits
himself to God and to others for God’s sake.
Humility is also opposed to immoderate self-abjection, which fails to recognize God’s gifts and use
them according to His will.
Sunday, August 5, 12

16. •
Sloth "His master replied, `You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I
harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not
scattered seed?" Matthew 25:26
• "If a man is lazy, the rafters sag; if his hands are idle, the house
leaks." Ecclesiastes 10:18
• Most people think of sloth as laziness, not doing much of anything,
but just sitting around doing nothing. Many people stay busy most
of the time but don't do the things they should, putting them off
for later. They may be staying busy so they have an excuse.
• Sloth (or acedia) is a kind of spiritual laziness (as opposed to mere
physical fatigue or depression). It means not making it a priority to
do what we should, or change what we should in ourselves.
• Being content with “Pwede na yan.” or work that is low quality is
a kind of sloth. Not being involved in things that affect your
community such as voting or learning more about candidates
before you vote.
• Relying on someone else to solve your problems rather than you
trying to solve them is also escaping your problems.
• Proscrastinating is a form of sloth/laziness.
Sunday, August 5, 12

17. Diligence combats Sloth
Diligence is the decision to fulfill all of the responsibilities in our vocation
or state in life.
We each have a vocation in life and we are responsible for the fulfillment
of this vocation or mission. (Eg. student, father, mother, teacher, etc)
Mother Teresa said that if we cannot be faithful in the little things (or the
little tasks that we ought to do, we cannot be faithful with the big tasks.
St. Jose Maria Escriva’s Opus Dei --- finding God in everyday tasks. They
urge followers to use each task no matter how ordinary, in service of God.
Sunday, August 5, 12