The following reflection examines what are commonly called the “seven deadly sins” and how we can, through the grace of God, overcome them.

Sin #1, #2 and #3 – Lust, Pride and Greed vs. the Virtues of Love, Humility and Charity

“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 the world.” 1 John 2:16

All form of sin originates from Satan and man’s communion with this devil. We may not realize it, but there are two powerful forces working in the world:

• The power of the Holy Spirit which God bestows upon those who love Him and want to honour Him and do His will.
• The power of Satan that deceives, corrupts and fills souls with lust, pride, greed and all forms of evil.

This passage from Isaiah refers to Satan, fallen from heaven who wanted to be like God.

“How you have fallen from heaven,

morning star, son of the dawn!

You have been cast down to the earth,

you who once laid low the nations!

You said in your heart,

“I will ascend to the heavens;

I will raise my throne

above the stars of God;

I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,

on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon.

I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;

I will make myself like the Most High.”

But you are brought down to the realm of the dead,

to the depths of the pit.”

Isaiah 14: 12-15

All of us have a choice: we can be children of God, obedient and faithful to Him or we can be children of the Devil, full of lust, pride and greed.

Satan “was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8:44

Jesus on the other hand is truthful, humble, meek and gentle. Jesus is so generous and loving that He gives up His life for us.

Jesus wants us to be His: “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:29

The only way we can conquer the sins of lust, pride and greed is with the love, humility and charity of Our Lord Jesus.

Sin #4, #5– Gluttony and Envy vs. the Virtues of Denial/Self-restraint and Kindness/Admiration

Satan wants our lust to be so extreme that we spend our lives in a quest of self-indulgence. Satan’s goal is to have you compete with your neighbours thus the commonly used phrase “keeping up with the Jones”.   This sense of competition defined by material status is inherent in people buying bigger houses, more expensive clothes, cars, toys.

I believe that the hunger that motivates this gluttony and envy is often a sign that souls are hungering for God. We can try to fill the sacred place in our hearts reserved for God alone with things, but that quest only leads to a deeper sense of spiritual starvation.

“Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” Matthew 16:24

I have personally discovered that there is a great mystery in self-denial. The more we exit the world and find quiet time with God, the more satisfied and fulfilled we become. The contrary is often true. The more we desire more success defined by material standards, the more we hunger for material wealth and the more dissatisfied we become.

If we truly love our neighbours as ourselves, then we will admire not envy our neighbours. We will not be striving to compete with them, but to learn from them and be kind and respectful to them.

Sin #6, #7 Sloth (Laziness/Idleness), Anger/Vengeance vs. the Virtues of Zeal (Perseverance) and Mercy/Forgiveness

“In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers and sisters, to keep away from every believer who is idle and disruptive and does not live according to the teaching you received from us.” 2 Thessalonians 3:6

I spent over 20 years working in the fast paced world of big business and high tech. Lazy people didn’t last very long. The business expected enthusiasm and dedication and Jesus is worthy of that same enthusiasm or zeal and dedication and perseverance.

It is easy to overlook the concept of “opportunity cost”.   I used to work in business development, so we were very mindful of the cost of not pursuing the type of new development the market expected. This concept has equal significance in our spiritual lives. There is a price of not acting on the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

Early in my spiritual journey I had a miraculous encounter with Jesus. I heard God speaking to my soul as He asked me “What is love?” I responded that “love is a feeling” and to this God said, “Wrong”. So I asked, “What is it then?” and God said gently “Love is a choice”.

I am very scrupulous now about my choices. I am very aware that I am living in the holy presence of God. Jesus is in me and I want Him to be happy with the choices I am making. I think about the choices I am making and the opportunities I may be letting go by that I should be pursuing. I also realized early on that “forgiveness is freedom”. I had like so many of us experienced some hurtful situations that left deep scars on my heart and I was angry. As I began to meditate on the Passion of Our Lord Jesus I realized it was time for me to do what He does for us, forgive. As I forgave I began to heal. The anger dissolved and I experienced a true sense of freedom and inner peace.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” Matthew 5:7

Let us persevere in prayer so that we can grow in virtue and dignity:

Holy Lord, be with us to guide us and help us to conquer all forms of sin. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit so that we can conquer lust with love, pride with humility, greed with charity, gluttony with denial and self-restraint, envy with kindness and admiration, idleness with zeal and perseverance, anger with mercy and forgiveness. We love You Holy Lord and we want to do Your holy will today and always. We believe in You Jesus. We adore You! We hope in You and we love You so much. We beg Your pardon for those that do not believe, do not adore, do not hope and do not love You. We thank You for loving us Jesus so much that You would die for us. You are my inspiration Lord; You are my hope. You are my heart’s desire!