Saints' Discussion Forums

The Seven Deadly Sins

We should not be satisfied merely to keep the commandments of God, but should always be ready to do good deeds, even when they are not commanded. The commandments of God state the minimum requirements for salvation. They should be kept not merely according to the letter, but also according to the spirit, which obliges us to strive for greater perfection.

Actual sin is any willful thought, desire, word, action or ommission forbidden by the law of God.

   1. PRIDE: Unrestrained appreciation of our own worth.
   2. GREED: Immoderate desire for earthly goods.
   3. LUST: Hankering for impure pleasures.
   4. ANGER: Inordinate desire for revenge.
   5. GLUTTONY: Unrestrained use of food and drink.
   6. ENVY: Sorrow over another's good fortune.
   7. SLOTH: Laxity in keeping the Faith and the practice of virtue, due to the effort involved.

THE FOUR SINS CRYING TO HEAVEN FOR VENGEANCE

   1. Willful murder (including abortion)
   2. The sin of Sodom.
   3. Oppression of the poor.
   4. Defrauding laborers of their wages.

THE SIX SINS AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT

   1. Presumption of God's mercy.
   2. Despair.
   3. Impugning the known truth.
   4. Envy at another's spiritual good.
   5. Obstinacy in sin.
   6. Final impenitence.

NINE WAYS OF BEING ACCESSORY TO ANOTHER'S SIN

   1. By counsel.
   2. By command.
   3. By consent.
   4. By provocation.
   5. By praise or flattery.
   6. By concealment.
   7. By partaking.
   8. By silence.
   9. By defense of the ill done

I am quoting these traditional lists and I want to make clear the 'sins against the Holy Spirit' are all of the type that are a problem when persisted in, not when repented. :)

Also there are a series of monthly examinations of conscience here provided by an F.S.S.P. priest.

They are from Rev. Donald F. Miller, C.SS.R., have an Imprimatur from Joseph E. Ritter, St. Louis, April 7, 1959.

I recommend it for a thorough scrubbing and polishing of the soul.

It might be a little too thorough for the scrupulous however, who should remember to treat themselves gently and one step at a time.

Thanks for taking time to post these Shin. Good stuff to know. Traditional Missals have them, but the Ordinary Form Missals don't as far as I know.

You know the wonderful thing about the fundamentals is that no matter how many times you come back to them, they're always beneficial! :D

Agreed ! I hope you don't mind, I realized a lot of us don't know of them, so I posted the Sins against the Holy Spirit on CA. A member there quickly posted some excellent commentary on them  :)

Not at all, feel free to share anything you find here.

This place, I might add, was started amongst other reasons to be a refuge from that place, from the conflict, the attacks, the atmosphere.. People could be free to be faithful Catholics without constant criticism, and support each other on the spiritual journey. Don't mention this much, but, it is one of the key raisons d'etre.. people were coming to CA, good, humble, meek, fragile at times folks.. and getting beaten up.. and might give up on the entire experience and all the benefits a forum could provide.. :)

Yes, it's such a busy forum, it's inevitable the friction surfaces. I'm a member of a few guitar forums. The small ones are really laid back. The large ones are crazy. I don't even go t those much anymore.

I love this place. Just reading some of the threads is nice, and I've learned a few things already. Hats off to the members here. This is how it should be  ;)

Deo gratias et Mariae semper Virgini.  :D

:crucifix:

PRAYERS AGAINST THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS

1. Against Pride.

O LORD Jesus Christ, Pattern of humility, who didst empty Thyself of Thy glory, and take upon Thee the form of a servant: root out of us all pride and conceit of heart, that, owing ourselves miserable and guilty sinners, we may willingly bear contempt and reproaches for Thy sake, and, glorying in nothing but Thee, may esteem ourselves lowly in Thy sight. Not unto us, O Lord, but to Thy name be the praise, for Thy loving mercy and for Thy truth's sake.

Amen.

2. Against Covetousness.

O LORD Jesus Christ, who though Thou wast rich yet for our sakes didst become poor, grant that all over-eagerness and covetousness of earthly goods may die in us, and the desire of heavenly things may live and grow in us: keep us from all idle and vain expenditures, that we may always have to give to him that needeth, and that giving not grudgingly nor of necessity, but cheerfully, we may be loved of Thee, and be made through Thy merits partakers of the riches of Thy heavenly treasure.

Amen.

3. Against Lust

O LORD Jesus Christ, Guardian of chaste souls, and lover of purity, who wast pleased to take our nature and to be born of an immaculate Virgin: mercifully look upon my infirmity. Create in me a clean heart, O God: and renew a right spirit within me; help me to drive away all evil thoughts, to conquer every sinful desire, and so pierce my flesh with the fear of Thee that, this worst enemy being overcome, I may serve Thee with a chaste body and please Thee with a pure heart.

Amen.

4. Against Anger.

O MOST meek Jesus, Prince of Peace, who when Thou wast reviled, didst not revile, and on the Cross didst pray for Thy murderers: implant in our hearts the virtues of gentleness and patience, that, restraining the fierceness of anger, impatience, and resentment, we may overcome evil with good, for Thy sake love our enemies, and as children of our heavenly Father seek Thy peace and evermore rejoice in Thy love.

Amen.

5. Against Gluttony.

O LORD Jesus Christ, Mirror of abstinence, who, to teach us the virtue of abstinence, didst fast forty days and forty nights, grant that, serving Thee and not our own appetites, we may live soberly and piously with contentment, without greediness, gluttony, or drunkenness, that Thy will being our meat and drink, we may hunger and thirst after justice, and finally obtain from Thee that food which endureth unto life eternal.

Amen.

6. Against Envy.

O MOST loving Jesus, Pattern of charity, who makest all the commandments of the law to consist in love towards God and towards man, grant to us so to love Thee with all our heart, with all our mind, and all our soul, and our neighbor for Thy sake, that the grace of charity and brotherly love may dwell in us, and all envy, harshness, and ill-will may die in us; and fill our hearts with love, kindness, and compassion, so that by constantly rejoicing in the happiness and success of others, by sympathizing with them in their sorrows , and putting away all harsh judgements and envious thoughts, we may follow Thee, who art Thyself the true and perfect love.

Amen.

7. Against Sloth

O Lord Jesus, eternal Love, who in the garden didst pray so long and so fervently that Thy sweat was, as it were, drops of blood falling down to the ground: put away from us, we beseech Thee, all sloth and inactivity both of body and mind; kindle within us the fire of Thy love; strengthen our weakness, that whatsoever our hand is able to do we may do earnestly, and that, striving heartily to please Thee in this life, we may have Thee hereafter as our reward exceedingly great.

Amen.

Thank you so much for sharing these -- I am sharing them on my Catholic Mom Community Forum

These are some old favorites of mine, used to say 'em at every prayer meeting I had with an old group of mine. I miss those old days.

Times change, prayer habits change.. :D

one of my friends is copying the gluttony prayer and making cards for all her friends at the weightloss group she attends.  i'm posting them for me to pray each day -- i focus better when reading them, although at Mass i usually just keep my eyes closed to not have distractions from the many people.  that way i'm not seeing the lack of modesty or attention or even the beautiful children that i long to hold (i wanted 13 children but was granted only 6)

You're a model mother! :D There's nothing like family for taking care of family!

If you get to go to a traditional mass, you don't have those distractions as a rule, let me say. The priests take care of that and the people are already catechized that way properly and believing. Thank God they are returning.

i'm thinking of going to the Byzantine Mass sometimes with my very good friend, who also will be my daughter's confirmation sponsor this spring!  I have never been -- it's in the next town and now that I am never pregnant any longer, the incense won't make me sick as it did.  I just don't know if I should -- the new priest there says they are NOT under the Pope, which is very confusing.

They are ABSOLUTELY under the pope!
My father's side of the family is Byzantine.
Our pastor hosted a Byzantine mass in our own church.
They are called the Eastern rite churches. 

That new priest needs to read some history.  Look up Byzantine Catholic Church on the Internet.  Look up Byzantine-Slovak Catholics..... that's half of me!  :D

There are more martyrs for the faith in that rite than the Catholic Church can count; tortured and killed for the faith during Stalin's purges in Eastern Europe.

Although I knew that Byzantine Church is under the Pope and that it's fine for latin-rite Catholics to go there at any time (or even to register at one) I didn't realize about all the martyrs. Thank you, Bailey.

Two books on that subject by the former pastor of the Byzantine parish here in NM.   I am honored to have had my Byzantine Cross blessed by him (from his wheel chair).  My spiritual director is very good friends with him and tells me he is God's suffering servant who has endured a very hard life, though I don't know the particulars.  See descriptions of his books below.  I read the first one.  Slow reading.  Broke my heart, gave me nightmares, and inspired me.

The Forgotten, by Rev. Christopher L. Zugger, Catholics of the Soviet Empire from Lenin through Stalin.

However small, the Soviet Catholic Church has produced more than its share of martyrs and confessors.
Although some believers compromised their faith by cooperation with the police, and others abandoned it under the pressures of both persecution and secularization, far more were sent to jail, labor camps, and psychiatric hospitals and suffered hardships at work, school, and in their daily lives because of their adherence to Catholicism. All have tasted the bitterness of discrimination--and many, of personal suffering.

This work seeks to bring an awareness of the complexities and marvels of the Soviet Catholic Church, which comprised barely a million souls in 1925. By 1991, Soviet Catholics numbered perhaps 12 million, scattered from Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea near Poland to the lonely ex-prison port of Magadan near Alaska. Their history is a record of martyrdom, betrayal, victory, and the triumphs of ordinary people facing extra-ordinary times.


His second book:
Finding A Hidden Church is the second book by Father Christopher Zugger, pastor emeritus, on the suffering of the Church under communist rule in USSR.  Hidden Church describes the underground survival of the Greek Catholic Church in Transcarpathia under the Diocletian-like persecution by communists in the twentieth century.

Th Soviet Catholics have suffered terrible persecution under communism. The more martyrs there are, the more the Lord blesses their sacrifice with a harvest of millions of new converts despite the regime doing everything in it's power to destroy them.

I was resding recently too of the underground Catholic Church in China and the suffering they've endured (and still enduring) holding to the true faith.

This would be an interesting book as would the earlier one.

Sometimes, I think people forget that these kinds of things are still going on rather than occurring 2000 yrs ago during early Christianity.  Very, very inspiring.
The opposite of the seven deadly sins, yes?   :D

I should say so!

not to sidetrack this thread, but because my friend is very concerned about why her priest says they aren't under the Pope -- she loves the liturgy and solemnity and all so much and doesn't want to go back to the Roman Catholic Church but will if what her priest says is true -- anyhow, there is a forum that is just more confusing me.  It is a byzantine forum but i can't post the link here, oops!   :-X

I know it is true that we forget that others are suffering terribly while we enjoy such freedom here where we live -- we just take it for granted and think everyone else has this -- like my children not understanding that others are actually starving while we eat to our fill, how can we realize this unless we read and find sources that truthfully tell us -- most of these sufferings are hidden from us if we just rely on the mainstream news.  it is so easy to not think of other we will never meet.  we need to go out into the world and help those oppressed, but in the busyness of day-to-day life we shrink into our own little safe, convenient circle.

Well in general Byzantine Rite churches are under the pope, there are I think there are only a very very few that have issues. I wouldn't know whether the one your friend encountered or not was one of this small minority or not without knowing which church it actually was.  :D

St. Michael Byzantine Catholic Church   
2230 Highland Road
Hermitage, PA 16148
724-981-6680
Pastor:   Rev. John J. Cuccaro

is it ok to even post that??? 

I don't see why it's a problem, should be public info. :D

Now see, with that you look that up in a search engine you find there's an official Archeparchy web page for all the Byzantine churches in that general area, and it's listed there as one of them. So since it's part of the Eastern Catholic "diocese" so to speak, unless something unusual has happened that hasn't been recorded yet online.. which is possible though surprising.. It's officially in union with Rome.

I'd have to ask that priest for further clarification about why he said what he did, to make sure there wasn't a miscommunication because of that. To find it officially whether it's in good standing with certainty one would call, I believe:

The Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh
66 Riverview Avenue • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15214
Telephone: 412-231-4000 | Fax: 412-231-1697

I love the Eastern Catholic liturgies.

Before you go, I suggest calling ahead and talking to the priest and letting him know you're coming for the first time and asking any advice he has for attending properly. :D

FWIF I think all the above is correct.  ;D

thank you!  i don't know when i'll get to it -- my job starts today!

Shin's advice is good.  But I do want to add, just in case that Roman rite priest persists, that the eastern Catholic rites are often confused with the Orthodox "Catholics,"  which are not under the pope.  That is the church that has a valid priesthood and Eucharist and which the pope has been having dialogue to unify them back under the pope.  This is a millennia old problem.  I suspect it is an issue of power.   (I forgot why the priesthood is still valid). 
Most likely your friend's priest simply misunderstands.  However, even though the eastern rite churches are under the pope, there still remains some residual tension between the two rites because the Roman rite clergy feel the eastern rite is somehow "lesser" and often take a move from western to eastern rite as a step down.  The eastern rite clergy by contrast often feel pushed aside and some clergy get a bit resentful.  It's much like discrimination really.  Of course this is not true in theory nor in practice in most places (as evidenced by my pastor's close relationship with an eastern rite priest) but people are people.  And it is common for the eastern and western to be very unknowing of each other in the same cities.   So, there's a bit of church politics for you.