7 Deadly (Capital) Sins

1. Lust (Proverbs 6:25-29) - an inordinate desire for sexual pleasures that inclines us to see others as objects for our personal gratification

2. Greed/Covet (Psalms 119:36) - an immoderate desire for material goods or worldly honors; the desire for processing what we don’t have just to have it not b/c we NEED it; intense and selfish desire for something, especially wealth, power, or food

3. Envy/Jealousy ((Wisdom 2:24) - sense of pain or misery indulged in when we see someone else prosper; the desire for what others have b/c we don’t have it; a feeling of discontented or resentful longing aroused by someone else's possessions, qualities, or luck; jealousy

4. Gluttony (Proverbs 23:21) - an excessive desire for, or intake of, food & drink

5. Sloth/Laziness (Proverbs 12:24) - a lack of effort in working at our relationship w/ God & others; spiritual laziness that makes us reluctant to do good b/c it might cost us something

6. Anger/Wrath (Psalms 37:8) - a desire for vengeance which leads to harming others; tendency to become angry excessively or w/out just cause

7. Pride (Ben Sira 10:6-18) - the habit of thinking of ourselves (& our qualities) more highly than we truly merit; a desire to be noticed

To live a moral life is to align ourselves with God, who is love. Living a moral life is the key to our salvation & is seen as a type of worship. Genesis 1:27 teaches us that God created men & women in the divine image. The challenge of Christian morality is recognizing the presence of the Divine & the inherent dignity of each person we encounter, so that we can treat each person with respect. Human dignity is grounded the fact that Jesus is present in every human person. Therefore, love of God & love of neighbor cannot be separated. If you are looking to “have an experience of God”, you won’t find him unless there are other people around for you to love.

The “7 deadly sins” are more accurately described as the “7 capital vices”. A vice is not the same as a sin. A vice is a habit that inclines us to sin. Usually a vice is the repeated sinful actions of a particular kind. Sin leads us to a habit, which in turns leads to more sins.

Any discussion of sin must begin with an understanding of grace. Grace is a relationship - our relationship with God. It is not something we store up or earn. It is a gift from God. God graces us with his presence. We can choose to either accept that relationship, ignore it, or even reject it. When we are in the state of grace, we are in a healthy relationship with God, filled with God’s life.

Sin is an offense against God as well as fault against reason, truth, & right conscience. Sin is a deliberate thought, word, deed, or omission contrary to the eternal law of God. Sin is the action of ignoring, injuring, or rejecting our relationship with God & others. The root of all sins lies in our heart & mind. It rises up against God in a disobedience contrary to the obedience of Christ. (CCC 1849-1850) When we sin we remove ourselves from God’s path and pave our own way which tends to lead to dead ends.

Sin, however, is not the end of the story. Mercy is what God always offers us, despite our offenses. It is the compassion or kindness that is directed toward the offender. God’ mercy does not need to be begged for. It is a gift. When we respond to God’s mercy with repentance & contrition, we are restored to grace.