From the Rector: Capital Sins Part II

This is a continuation of an article regarding Capital Sins that was begun in last weekend’s bulletin. To read last weekend’s article visit our website sacredheartgallup.org.

Capital Sins Part II

2. Avarice: attachment to material goods; always wanting more, newer and better things; wanting to accumulate more than is necessary; setting one’s heart on creatures: clothes, books, a car, gadgets, home furnishings, etc.; being afraid of losing one’s possessions; not wanting to share with others.

Remedies: Give thanks to God often for all he has given you.
Realize that you are better off than many others who are less fortunate.
Be satisfied, content, with what you do have.
Avoid daydreaming about things to buy, but plan ahead to purchase what you need and only that.
Fight concupiscence of the eyes: wanting to possess what the others have. How much can you have anyway?
Fight against envy. (cf. Below)

3. Envy “refers to the sadness at the sight of another’s goods and the immoderate desire to acquire them for oneself even unjustly. When it wishes grave harm to a neighbor it is a mortal sin.”(Cat. 2539) It sees the abilities, gifts, energies, etc. of others as reasons to dislike both the person and his achievements.

Remedies: Give thanks to God for your gifts, whatever and all that you have. (Cf. Josemaria Escriva, The Forge, 11)
Give thanks to God for the gifts of the others. Try “to see what is positive in others, to welcome it and prize it as a gift from God: not only as a gift for the brother or sister who has received it directly, but also as a ‘gift for me.’”(JPII, Novo Millennio Ineunte, 43b)
Examine yourself to see whether you are using your talents well – as God would want.
Don’t be brooding about what the others have and what you do not have.

4. Anger is the sentiment we feel when we do not want to accept what is unpleasant, harmful, painful to us. We get upset because we experience something that we don’t want or like. Similar to anger we experience: frustration, irritation and impatience.

Remedies: Learn to see the will of God in everything, behind every event, person, word, happening.
Learn to respond: “Lord, not my will but yours be done.” (Cf. Lk. 42:22)
Consider that “for those who love God, all things work together unto good.”(Rom. 8:20)
Realize that in this life there will always be problems, setbacks, trials that go against our preferences. This is the cross that appears in so many small and bigger ways each day.
Like a tree exposed to the winds, the strong man grows stronger in the face of adversity, while the weak man is blown over.

Part III will continue next week with a look at gluttony, lust and sloth…..