SLOTH vs DILIGENCE - Day 7

Prayer against sloth:

O Lord Jesus Christ, eternal Love, who in the garden didst pray so long so fervently that Thy Sweat was as it were great 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 it earnestly, and that, striving heartily to please Thee in this life, we may have Thee hereafter as our rewarding exceeding great. Amen.

SLOTH vs DILIGENCE - Day 5

http://www.catholicbook.com/AgredaCD/MyCatholicFaith/mcfc045.htm

What virtues are opposed to sloth?

The virtues of diligence and zeal are opposed to sloth.

From the days of Adam work has been an obligation for man. 

God said to Adam: "In the sweat of thy face thou shalt eat bread, until thou return to the earth out of which thou wast taken" (Gen. 3:19)

"If any man will not work, neither let him eat." (2 Thess. 3:10). 

Jesus Christ worked all His life, and chose working people to be His Mother and foster-father. 

What is dilegence?

Diligence in labor is a shield against temptation; thieves do not break into a house full of busy people.

What is zeal?

Zeal is fervor for our salvation and for that of others, out of love of God. It manifests itself in the propagation of the faith, the sanctification of souls, and making God better known.

The zealous man talks to God as often as he can in prayer; he does not forget his religious duties. He loses no opportunity in doing good works, and cheerfully makes sacrifices for the love of God. All his works and sufferings he offers to God, for his own salvation as well as for that of others. He works hard, remembering that "The kingdom of heaven has been enduring violent assault, and the violent have been seizing it by force" (Matt. 11: 12).

SLOTH vs DILIGENCE - Day 4

Two Parables & One Prophecy (Matthew 25)

“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be compared to ten maidens who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. ² Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. ³ For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; ⁴ but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. ⁵ As the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. ⁶ But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ ⁷ Then all those maidens rose and trimmed their lamps.⁸ And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ ⁹ But the wise replied, ‘Perhaps there will not be enough for us and for you; go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ ¹⁰ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast; and the door was shut. ¹¹ Afterward the other maidens came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ ¹² But he replied, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ ¹³ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

¹⁴ “For it will be as when a man going on a journey called his servants and entrusted to them his property; ¹⁵ to one he gave five talents,to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. ¹⁶ He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them; and he made five talents more.¹⁷ So also, he who had the two talents made two talents more. ¹⁸ But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money.¹⁹ Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. ²⁰ And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.’ ²¹ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.’ ²² And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.’ ²³ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.’ ²⁴ He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not winnow; ²⁵ so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’²⁶ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sowed, and gather where I have not winnowed? ²⁷ Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. ²⁸ So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has the ten talents. ²⁹ For to every one who has will more be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. ³⁰ And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.’

³¹ “When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats,³³ and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left. ³⁴ Then the King will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; ³⁵ for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, ³⁶ I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ ³⁷ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink? ³⁸ And when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee?³⁹ And when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit thee?’ ⁴⁰ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.’ ⁴¹ Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; ⁴² for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ ⁴⁴ Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see thee hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to thee?’ ⁴⁵ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.’ ⁴⁶ And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

SLOTH vs DILIGENCE

Grrr... one of my email accounts got hacked into over the weekend. It is stressful for me to try to minimize the damage.  I am also frustrated with all the time and energy that needs to be spent in re-securing my identity.  Without this invasion, I could be doing more things that are actually on my to do list, such as finishing my Devote Life Series.

However, this experience has provided me with two benefits:

1) It has given me immediate motivation to organize and minimize everything I have online.
2) It gives me an opportunity to extend mercy to the perpetrator via praying for his/her/their conversion/s. "Forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive those tresspasses against us" (Before you continue, I invite you to offer up a Glory Be or other preferred prayer for whoever did this.)

... thank you for your prayer.

When I get angry, it is easy for me to feel justified in remaining in my anger. Something unfair was done to me after all!!! However, I am learning more and more that anger just makes the bad situation last longer. Are these frustrating moments going to effect me two years from now? No.  So I am not going to spend another second more on a situation now out of my hands. Instead, I am going to consider sloth and it's virtue.

SLOTH:

Sloth is a sin associated with laziness.  It is apathy for both physical and spiritual duties.

Sloth is "sluggishness of the mind which neglects to begin good... [it] is evil in its effect, if it so oppresses man as to draw him away entirely from good deeds." (2,35, ad 1) - St. Thomas Aquinas

What is it's corresponding virtue?  Diligence. 

"Diligence seems to be the same as solicitude*, because the more we love[diligimus] a thing the more solicitous are we about it. Hence diligence, no less than solicitude, is required for every virtue, in so far as due acts of reason are requisite for every virtue." (1,54, ad 1) - St. Thomas Aquinas

*Solicitude is an attitude expressing excessive attentiveness: to show great solicitude about his wife's health. 

January is a great time to learn (and keep) the habit of diligence as every one seems to be focused on it to some level -- New Year's resolutions and all.

Since St.Thomas believes that it is easier to be attentive to the things we love, I am trying a new approach to tackling laziness this year. If say, I want to shed some pounds, instead of scheduling exercise times for the sake of exercising, I will instead find an activity or a goal that will require me to meet the desired level of activity.  It will be a subplot to the story of my life.

Try turning your resolutions into stories too! How? 

Take five and pray. Ask God to inspire you.  Then write down the main goals you want to accomplish before 2014. Then rewrite the goals as individual events/stories:

1st draft:  I will lose weight.

vs.

2nd draft: I will run in a marathon on (date) to raise money for (cause) that will benefit (person I know).

Because your goal is now a subplot in your life, it is easier to avoid the temptations of laziness, and it gives you a purpose beyond a mere item on an overwhelming list. 

GLUTTONY vs TEMPERANCE - Day 6

From the Catechism:

1809 Temperance is the moral virtue that moderates the attraction of pleasures and provides balance in the use of created goods. It ensures the will's mastery over instincts and keeps desires within the limits of what is honorable. The temperate person directs the sensitive appetites toward what is good and maintains a healthy discretion: "Do not follow your inclination and strength, walking according to the desires of your heart."⁷² Temperance is often praised in the Old Testament: "Do not follow your base desires, but restrain your appetites."⁷³ In the New Testament it is called "moderation" or "sobriety." We ought "to live sober, upright, and godly lives in this world."⁷⁴

To live well is nothing other than to love God with all one's heart, with all one's soul and with all one's efforts; from this it comes about that love is kept whole and uncorrupted (through temperance). No misfortune can disturb it (and this is fortitude). It obeys only [God] (and this is justice), and is careful in discerning things, so as not to be surprised by deceit or trickery (and this is prudence).⁷⁵

1838 Temperance moderates the attraction of the pleasures of the senses and provides balance in the use of created goods.

2290 The virtue of temperance disposes us to avoid every kind of excess: the abuse of food, alcohol, tobacco, or medicine. Those incur grave guilt who, by drunkenness or a love of speed, endanger their own and others' safety on the road, at sea, or in the air.

2341 The virtue of chastity comes under the cardinal virtue of temperance, which seeks to permeate the passions and appetites of the senses with reason.

2407 In economic matters, respect for human dignity requires the practice of the virtue of temperance, so as to moderate attachment to this world's goods; the practice of the virtue of justice, to preserve our neighbor's rights and render him what is his due; and the practice of solidarity, in accordance with the golden rule and in keeping with the generosity of the Lord, who "though he was rich, yet for your sake . . . became poor so that by his poverty, you might become rich."¹⁹⁰

2517 The heart is the seat of moral personality: "Out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication. . . . "³⁰⁵ The struggle against carnal covetousness entails purifying the heart and practicing temperance:

Remain simple and innocent, and you will be like little children who do not know the evil that destroys man's life.³⁰⁶

GLUTTONY VS TEMPERANCE - Day 5

For those of you following my Devote Life Series, you have probably been wondering if I fell off the face of the planet.  :-)

I would say that life has been busy, or other more immediate projects came up, etc., and both these would be true, but the main reason the series froze was because every time I sat down to write something about temperance or gluttony, I couldn't think of anything to write and I couldn't find anything I wanted to reblog.

So, I apologize for the writer's block.

Since yesterday was Thanksgiving, I thought about temperance and gluttony all day. I resolved not to get second helpings and to not indulge in sweet unhealthy/unnecessary drinks. In regard to the food I was very good, minus the extra spoonful of stuffing. :-)  I normally don't drink alcohol; I don't like the taste of it. However, surprisingly I had way more alcohol than I average in a month.  My uncle made me a vodka drink and then my aunt handed me a huge glass of wine which I was only able to half finish. I also had two glasses of hot apple cider, coffee and one glass of sprite. So, basically I failed yesterday.

I feel very blessed to not have alcohol as a temptation in my life.  However, I do struggle with saying no to fatty, fried, gooey and sweet items. They always look or smell so good... yet I always know that my body doesn't need them at the time I devour them.

Our bodies need very little food to be healthy and functional. Our stomach is as big as our fists.  I am much better at not over-indulging then I used to be.  My will power has improved and second helpings are becoming less of a temptation.  However, I am still very bad at choosing healthy options that actually nutritionally fill and sustain me.

Eating unhealthy foods is gluttony because we are choosing taste over health. Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit and not protecting and maintaining His dwelling place is a capital sin.

Despite what the world says: that I deserve to eat bad because of a holiday, stress, working hard, etc., I know that when I do as it advises, as soon as I am conscious that I fell for and accepted the temptation, I must stop and go to confession. On this Black Friday, that is the only line I'll be in.

GLUTTONY vs TEMPERANCE - Day 4

St. Thomas Aquinas took a very expansive view of gluttony, going as far as to prepare a list of six ways to commit gluttony:

• Praepropere - eating too soon.
• Laute - eating too expensively.
• Nimis - eating too much.
• Ardenter - eating too eagerly.
• Studiose - eating too daintily (picky).
• Forente - eating wildly.

On the white house's official petition page, this is one of the petitions:

 https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/regulate-internet-pornography/cPbNXzzK

Please sign it to raise the awareness that we want to protect minors from this evil addiction. 

WE PETITION THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION TO:

Regulate Internet Pornography

Regulating the distribution of internet pornography is crucial. We petition the government to keep pornography away from minors by demanding and enforcing that a valid credit card number belonging to the adult viewer is provided at a login screen to every pornographic website.

We also request that advertising is made illegal on internet sites containing pornographic images or video.

These two simple steps are absolutely necessary to regulate the distribution of pornography and end the exponential increase of pornography among those 17 years of age and under.

ANGER vs MEEKNESS - Day 3

Meekness is one of those words that are cringed at. Often the image of a weak person comes to mind, "Meek? I don't want to be meek."

Properly understood though, it is the antidote to many of our self-made problems.

Dictionary.com defines meekness as:

meek

adjective, meek·er, meek·est.

1.

humbly patient or docile, as under provocation from others.

2.

overly submissive or compliant; spiritless; tame.

3.

Obsolete . gentle; kind.

Origin: 
1150–1200; Middle English meke, meoc  < Old Norse mjūkr  soft,mild, meek.

The primary definition is what is meant when we say Jesus was meek or when we quote His Sermon on the Mount, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." 

The secondary definition is the way it is used and understood in secular society.  

If meekness really is oppressive suppression of personality, morals and will, then I agree with the secular understanding: "avoid being this".  However, since meekness is "humbly patient or docile, as under provocation from others," it is apparent that it is actually an incredible strength.  I like to think of it as: not letting the antagonist get under the protagonist's skin. It is control of the inner battle of the soul.  It is choosing to respond well in unfavorable circumstances. It is counting to ten and then responding with gentleness to the enemy that attempts to provoke the angry giant within us.

Think of the Hulk. Dr. Bruce Banner when taking certain measures can avoid transforming into a huge green creature of destruction. Likewise, the measures, that is, the habit of controlling our temper, is the virtue of meekness.  

"The servant of the Lord must be gentle, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose." (2 Tim. 2:24–25)

ANGER vs MEEKNESS

Anger is the capital sin that I am investigating this week. Meekness is its opposing virtue.

Anger is deadly because it kills relationships. It often devastates the one whom the anger is against and enslaves the one who is is angry. It destroys marriages, family relationships, friendships and even makes individuals hateful towards God, the Church, and unsuspecting innocent parties.

"Wait", you may say, "Not all anger is a deadly sin! Isn't just anger okay?"

Yes. St. Paul says, "Be angry and do not sin". (Ephes. 4:26) We can be angry, have righteous indignation  -- that is, be disproving and saddened by certain events with a willingness to improve the situation. This is not the same as responding in anger. For when we are "angry", we lose our reason. The angry man is an irrational man. This is because he is responding in an emotional high. In the emotional high, more often than not, his own personal vendettas and scars surface. Out comes violent words and actions; he blames, judges and condemns. His heart, even if for only a moment, is hardened, and forgiveness is far from his mind. 

It only takes a moment to destroy another person. Words said can not be taken back. Blows committed can not be undone. Yes, some damage can be repaired, but evil still has escaped. 

Thus, while it is okay to be rightfully disturbed by injustice, we must always safeguard our reason.  In turning the other cheek, we are silently saying, "You can hurt me, even destroy my body, but you cannot control my response. You can not entice me to act out in anger -- to sin. Though you may bruise me, and even draw blood, you cannot take away my reason, my will. I will not surrender to you that control. If, and when I choose to respond, it will be with kindness, love and forgiveness. You can't take that away from me."

Jesus was silent at his trial. Isaiah the Prophet, foretold this:

"Though he was harshly treated, he submitted and opened not his mouth; Like a lamb led to the slaughter or a sheep before the shearers, he was silent and opened not his mouth. Oppressed and condemned, he was taken away..." (Isaiah 53:7)

We are called to be like Jesus: meek and humble of heart.

  

LUST vs CHASTITY - Day 5

Is chastity a negative or positive mindset? Many individuals think chastity is a stuffy and prudish word. It is a turn off, especially, the way that most people talk about it. For me it is easy to talk about lust, because everyone can understand what that is, what it looks like, what it feels like. But chastity is a concept more foreign to our society and often presented as something left to be desired. I stumbled upon an article which I believes gives a more positive outlook on the virtue, we, as individuals and a culture, so desperately need. Below are snippets of the article: (click here for the full discussion http://www.catholicculture.com/past_discussions/june28_july12_01.html)

Tonight’s discussion addressed the last section of Chapter Three called “The True Meaning of Chastity,” pages 166-173. Peter introduced this important section by saying that he found it to capture, in a certain sense, the essence of the book, and in fact the essence of the Pope. He focused our attention on the bottom of page 171, where Wojtyla writes, “The connection between chastity and love results from the personalistic norm, which — as we said in Chapter One — has a dual content: a positive content (‘thou shalt love!’) and a negative content (‘thou shalt not use!’).” Many people put inordinate weight on the negative, and think of chastity in a negative sense, while John Paul, said Peter, puts it first in the positive context of thou shalt love. Alberto concurred, adding that one of the most attractive qualities of John Paul II is that he is so positive, and this clearly requires more intellectual effort and understanding than merely prohibiting this or that action. Wojtyla explains that people are unwilling to acknowledge the enormous value of chastity to human love because they reject the full objective truth about the love of man and woman, and “put a subjective fiction in its place.” When the objective truth about love is accepted, chastity is understood as a great positive value and an essential element in “the culture of the person.” He then returns to his theme of the integration of love, asserting that “love is only psychologically complete when it possesses an ethical value, when it is a virtue. Only in love as a virtue is it possible to satisfy the objective demands of the personalistic norm, which requires "loving kindness" towards a person and rejects any form of ‘utilization’ of the person.” He then proceeds to explain chastity in the context of St. Thomas Aquinas's hierarchy of virtues from Summa Theologica. In St. Thomas’ system, chastity is linked with the cardinal virtue of “moderation.” Wojtyla writes, “The virtue of moderation strives to save a reasonable being from this perversion of his nature.... The virtue of moderation helps reasonable people to live reasonably, and so to attain the perfection proper to their nature.” Yet Wojtyla’s description of chastity transcends St. Thomas’ hierarchy of values (the Pope is “para-thomistic,” we joked). Wojtyla strives to emphasize the “kinship” between chastity and love. He says, “Chastity can only be thought of in association with the virtue of love. Its function is to free love from the utilitarian attitude.” As we know from our last section, this utilitarian attitude is grounded in carnal concupiscence, the subjectivism of emotions and the subjectivism of value judgments, and it can easily transition to “sinful love.” “To be chaste,” Wojtyla writes, “means to have a ‘transparent’ attitude to a person of the other sex — chastity means just that — the interior transparency without which love is not itself, for it cannot be itself until the desire to enjoy is subordinated to a readiness to show loving kindness in every situation.” Wojtyla cautions that chastity is often misunderstood to mean a blind inhibition of sensuality so that the value of the body is pushed into the subconscious — which explains why chastity is often mistaken for a negative virtue. He writes, “Chastity, in this view, is one long ‘no.’ Whereas it is above all the ‘yes’ of which certain ‘no’s’ are the consequence.” “The essence of chastity consists in quickness to affirm the value of the person in every situation, and in raising to the personal level all reactions to the value of ‘the body and sex.’ This requires a special interior, spiritual effort, for affirmation of the value of the person can only be the product of the spirit, but this effort is above all positive and creative ‘from within,’ not negative and destructive. It is not a matter of summarily ‘annihilating’ the value ‘body and sex’ in the conscious mind by pushing reactions to them down into the subconscious, but of sustained long term integration; the value ‘body and sex’ must be grounded and implanted in the value of the person.” The Pope writes that chastity is a difficult, long term matter, “and one must wait patiently for it to bear fruit, for the happiness of loving kindness which it must bring. But at the same time, chastity is the sure way to happiness.” Chastity involves a humility of the body. Part of this humility is recognizing that we live with concupiscence through the consequences of original sin — that we have these negative tendencies and must work to counter them. Wojtyla writes that the “body” must show humility in the face of human happiness. Happiness is not just mere enjoyment, the sum of pleasures the body can bring to a relationship between a man and woman. Man and woman “can and must seek their temporal, earthly happiness in a lasting union which has an interpersonal character since it is based in each of them on unreserved affirmation of the value of the person.” If the body is not humble, then it can obscure the full truth about the happiness of man — obscure the vision of the ultimate happiness: the happiness of the human person in union with a personal God. This, says Wojtyla is how we should understand Christ’s words from the Sermon on the Mount: Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. “It should be added that the truth about the union of the human person with a personal God, which will be fully accomplished within the dimensions of eternity, at the same time illuminates more fully and makes plainer the value of human love, the value of the union of man and woman as two persons.” Marriage is a lasting union on earth to prepare ourselves for permanent union with God; in this way, marriage is the image of our relation with God.

LUST vs CHASTITY

While all capital sins are addictive or have addictive qualities, they also are a perversion of something good.

Lust is a perversion of love, in particular, it is a perversion of marital love.

Surprisingly, many believe that in marriage it is okay "to lust".  Outside of marriage lust is "bad", but within marriage it is "good".  This is not actually the case.

Lust is always an objectification of something. In marriage if one lusts after his/her spouse, he/she is looking at the other as on object of pleasure. It is an attitude of "what can you do for me" vs. "what can I do for you".

Love in marriage is always selfless.  It is a giving of oneself to another freely, and never "using" the other. Love is mutual expression. Lust is individual gratification.

New Advent, a Catholic encyclopedia, says this about lust: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09438a.htm
  

The wrongfulness of lust is reducible to this: that venereal satisfaction is sought for either outsidewedlock or, at any rate, in a manner which is contrary to the laws that govern marital intercourse. Every such criminal indulgence is a mortal sin, provided of course, it be voluntary in itself and fully deliberate. This is the testimony of St. Paul in the Epistle to the Galatians, v. 19:

"Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are fornication, uncleanness, immodesty, luxury, . . . Of the which I foretell you, as I have foretold to you, that they who do such things shall not obtain the kingdom of God."

Moreover, if it be true the gravity of the offences may be measured by the harm they work to the individual or the community, there can be no doubt that lust has in this respect a gravity all its own... Lust is said to be a capital sin. The reason is obvious. The pleasure which this vice has as its object is at once so attractive and connatural to human nature as to whet keenly a man's desire, and so lead him into the commission of many other disorders in the pursuit of it. Theologians ordinarily distinguish various forms of lust in so far as it is a consummated external sin, e.g., fornication, adultery, incest, criminal assault, abduction, and sodomy. Each of these has its own specific malice--a fact to borne in mind for purposes of safeguarding the integrity of sacramental confession.

Of chastity, the virtue opposed to this vice, New Advent says: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03637d.htm

Chastity is the virtue which excludes or moderates the indulgence of the sexual appetite. It is a form of the  virtueof temperance, which controls according to right reason the desire for and use of those things which afford the greatest sensual pleasures...Under Christianity chastity has been practiced in a manner unknown under any other influence. Christian morality prescribes the right order of relations. It therefore must direct and control the manner of relationship sustained to each other by soul and body. Between these two there is an ineradicable opposition, the flesh with its concupiscences contending unceasingly against the spirit, blinding the latter and weaning it away from the pursuit of its true life. Harmony and due order between these two must prevail. But this means the pre-eminence and mastery of the spirit, which in turn can only mean the castigation of the body. The real as well as the etymological kinship between chastity and chastisement then is obvious. Necessarily, therefore, chastity is a thing stern and austere. The effect of the example as well as of the words of Our Saviour (Matthew 19:11-12) is seen in the lives of the many celibates and virgins who have graced the history of the Christian Church, while the idea of marriage as the sign and symbol of the ineffable union of Christ with His spotless spouse the Church — a union in which fidelity no less than love is mutual — has borne its fruit in beautifying the world with patterns of conjugal chastity.

Links to help the sexually addicted & to prevent sexual addiction in youth:

http://sexrespect.com/about.html

http://dads.org/article.asp?artId=237

      

PRIDE vs. HUMLITY

As you well know, pride and humility are contraries. You have also heard that:

Pride always goes before a fall... The bigger you are the harder you fall...etc.,

Ironically, as the most popular vice, pride has the least popular solution: humility. Humility is a scary word. Wrongly understood, it is often associated with having little self worth. Who wants that? 

Luckily, that is not what humility is. Humility is simply the right understanding of one's self. 

It is not thinking more highly of one's self  than one actually is, nor is it thinking lower of one's self than one actually is. It is understanding one's self exactly.

It is responsibly and honestly assessing who we are, what we have done, what we are good at, and what we have failed. It is realizing that we aren't in control.

St. Paul says, "For that which I work, I understand not. For I do not that good which I will; but the evil which I hate, that I do." (Rom 7:15) 

If St. Paul isn't in control of himself, than how can we claim such a control over ourselves, our lives and each other? Do we not also sometimes do what we hate, because of weakness? Who is without regret, without sin, without unchecked self-appointed glory?

Not me!!! :-)

Therefore, on Day 1 of 7 on PRIDE vs HUMILITY, I offer a simple prayer:

Jesus, please help me to see myself as You see me. 

Heal me from my self inflicted blindness. 

Open my eyes so that I see clearly what I need to be for You. 

I beg Your forgiveness for all the times I praised myself instead of You.

 Please heal the wounds that my pride has caused in me over the years. 

Please also bless those whom I have hurt because of my pride;
please bless them more than You bless me. 

Thank you. Amen. 

Introduction to the Devote Life - as inspired by St. Francis De Sales

I am currently reading St. Francis of De Sales', "Introduction to the Devote Life," and  I am discussing it with a friend. I think that St. Francis has a very simple and direct way to approach holiness.

He really has helped me become more aware of how to complete the journey, as opposed to just being on it. I believe that St. Francis addresses exactly the way to overcome sin and reach the perfection that Jesus Christ calls us to: "be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect." St. Francis breaks this journey down into simple steps. 

• Stop committing mortal sins!
• Get rid of the attachments to mortal sin!
• Stop committing venials sins!
• Get rid of the attachments to venial sin! 

As a a refresher, I am breaking out the Baltimore Catechism (didn't you just love it as a kid?):

66 - 67, 69. What is mortal sin? Why is the sin called mortal? 

What are the three things necessary to make a sin mortal?

 Mortal sin is a grievous offense against the law of God. This sin is called mortal, or deadly, because it deprives the sinner of sanctifying grace, the supernatural life of the soul. To make a sin mortal these three things are necessary:

i) first, the thought, desire, word, action or omission must be seriously wrong;

ii) second, the sinner must be mindful of the serious wrong;

iii) third, the sinner must fully consent to it.

So... in other words to do the first thing St. Francis recommends, we must stop fully consenting to and committing grievous offenses against God. Easy! Right? :-)

After we become a master of this, the second task is to rid ourselves of the delight we experience with these sins: "I would commit these, if only the fear of God wasn't stopping me!" vs. "I hate doing that because it is harmful to me and the relationship I have with God and my neighbor. I am disgusted by the thought of doing that!"

And lastly (in my summary of his way), St. Francis recommends the purging of venial sin.

70 &71. What is venial sin? How can a sin be venial?

Venial sin is a less serious offense against the law of God, which does not deprive the soul of

 sanctifying grace... A sin can be venial in two ways:

i) first, when the evil done is not seriously wrong;

ii) second, when the evil done is seriously wrong, 

but the sinner sincerely believes it is only slightly wrong, 

or does not give full consent to it.

For both mortal and venial sins, their sources come from the following vices: pride, covetousness, lust, anger, gluttony, envy and sloth. These are also known as Capital or Deadly Sins. (75. They are called capital sins because they, in themselves, are not the greatest sins, but they are the chief reasons why men commit sin.)

Since all sin is displeasing to God, and sometimes, even deadly for us, I think it is wise to try and cut off every source of sin in our lives. For myself, I am going to look at each capital sin closely for a week . In doing so, I will compare them to the virtues opposite to them. I desire to develop the virtues that counter them such as humility, gratitude, chastity, charity, temperance etc.,. Therefore, I will include the prayers and ideas that I have come across to help root out the vice and strengthen the virtue. I will chose a new capital sin to examine each Sunday. Today, I will start with.... PRIDE. See my next blog entry for today.

Happy Sunday!

Meanwhile, you might find this article helpful: Examination of Conscience for Adults
or, try this quiz for a quick examination :-): Seven Deadly Sins Quiz - What's Your Sin?

Stubborn Test

Recently, someone commented on how stubborn I am.  When I think of myself, I don't attribute this quality to myself; however, I am willing to accept this constructive criticism.

If I am stubborn, I wish to be so in the right way, that is, to have the virtue of constancy.  I want to be constant in the Lord, in my faith and in my values.  I don't want to be a pushover when it comes to truth.  Martyrs were constant, so were saints.  I wish to be like them, that is, faithful to the end.

However, I don't want to be unmovable in the things that don't matter, or in inordinate things that take away from my health, holiness and happiness.  If I relentlessly persevere in things that don't encourage in me the twofold love of God and neighbor, than I am stubborn, which is vicious.  One effect of stubbornness is a weakening of relationships for the sake of pride.  If I do this, then I definitely want to purge myself.

As with all vices, stubbornness stems from pride and the only cure is humility.

While I have already touched upon the virtue of humility, it is a subject for me that never gets old.  I view humility as a journey.  Since humility is seeing myself through the eyes of God and rightly ascertaining what and who I actually am (without over or underestimating), it will take me my whole life to become perfectly humble.  Layer by layer of disordered attachments or attitudes need to be taken away as virtue replaces it.

Stubborn Test


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" Constancy is the virtue by which a person endures the toil involved in persistently accomplishing a good work. It belongs to perseverance to persist in good for a long time until the end. Perseverance moderates the emotion of fear as it regards weariness or failure on account of the delay. It differs from constancy in that constancy makes a man persist firmly in good against difficulties arising from external hindrances.

The defect of perseverance is effeminacy. The effeminate are ready to forsake a good on account of difficulties which they cannot endure. Delicacy, according to Aquinas, is a kind of effeminacy and is thus a vice contrary to perseverance. The delicate, after considering the toil involved in a difficult work, will naturally recoil, whereas the effeminate are principally focused on the lack of pleasure involved in a particular work.

The excess of perseverance is pertinacity, which exceeds the mean of perseverance appointed by reason. The pertinacious man persists inordinately in something against many difficulties. He desires the proximate end too much. The pertinacious and the effeminate have something in common, for the pertinacious shun the pain involved in not realizing the pleasure of the end that he loves and pursues inordinately." from http://catholiceducation.org/articles/education/ed0283.html
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~“Do you wish to rise? Begin by descending. You plan a tower that will pierce the clouds? Lay first the foundation of humility.Saint Augustine (354-430);
Roman Catholic Saint“No one should be ashamed to admit they are wrong, which is but saying, in other words, that they are wiser today than they were yesterday. ”
Alexander Pope (1688-1744);
Poet, Critic, Translator“Any man worth his salt will stick up for what he believes right, but it takes a slightly better man to acknowledge instantly and without reservation that he is in error.” Andrew Jackson (1767-1845);
7th U.S. President“An error doesn't become a mistake until you refuse to correct it.” Orlando A. Battista (1917-1995);
Chemist, Author