Questions and Answers
Source: Youth Catechism
# 67 What is Sin? (See 7 Deadly Sins Below)
a. A disregard for God’s commandments
b. At the core of sin are a rejection of and a refusal to accept his love.
c. Sin is the separation from God and thus separation of life. This is why death is another consequence of sin.
d. Jesus suffered God’s rejection in his own flesh. He took upon himself the deadly power of sin so that it would not strike us. Redemption is the term, we use to describe t
his selfless act!
# 349 "What are the Ten Commandments?
(See Ten Commandments on the right)
a. Keep my commandments (If you love me...)
b. We love because He first loved us.
c. No one is dispensed from keeping the commandments.
d. One commandment refers to another.
e. Someone who breaks one commandment is violating the whole law. (10 Commandments will be addressed in another segment.
# 224 - Why did Christ give us the sacrament of penance and the Anointing of the Sick?
God’s love is shown in the fact that he seeks the lost and
heals the sick. He gave us the Sacraments of
healing and restoration , in which we are freed
from sin and strengthened in our physical and spiritual weakness.
# 225 - What names are there for the sacrament
of Penance? The are:
Reconciliation Forgiveness
Conversion
Confession
# 226 - But we have Baptism, which reconciles us with God, why do we need a special sacrament of Reconciliation?
Baptism has power over sin and death, but does not free us from human weakness and the inclination to sin. This is why we need a place where we can be reconciled with God again and again. That place is Confession. It renews the soul; it unburdens and gives us new strength
through God’s graces and mercy.
# 227 - Who instituted the sacrament of Penance?
Jesus himself did on Easter Day when he showed himself to the apostles. He commanded them saying “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained”. The priest in confession has also has received this command and is Christ representative
.
# 228 - Who can forgive sin? Jesus can because
he is the Son of God.
Priest can forgive sin because Christ has given them that authority.
# 229 - What prepares a person for penance?
When we see the contradiction between God’s love and our sin. Personal guilt produces a longing to better one’s self, this is called
contrition. With genuine full sorrow for sin; we resolve to change our life and place all our hope in God’s help.
# 230 - What is Penance?
Basically is making restitution for a wrong that has been committed. Penance does not just take place
in our minds. Penance is expressed in acts of
charity, by praying, fasting and support the poor both spiritually and materially. Too, often we feel
we are finished after we do the penance the priest gives after in confession. Penance is a new start.
# 231 - What are the two basic elements required for the forgiveness for a Christian’s sins to occur in the sacrament of Penance?
Person must undergo conversion and the Priest
who in God’s name give him absolution from
his sins.
# 232 - What must I bring to confession?
Examination of Conscience
Contrition
Firm Purpose of Amendment
Confession
Penance
a. Examination of Conscience - Must be through
b. Contrition - Must be sincere, not just lip service
c. Purpose of amendment - Resolutions not to commit the sin again
d. Confession - Must declare sins to the confessor, to confess.
e. Penance - Atonement or penance that the confessor imposes on the sinner to make restitution for the harm done.
f. Forgiveness of Christian sin must include
the conversion of the person and the priest w
ho in God’s name gives absolution from his sins.
# 233 - What sins must be confessed?
After making a a through examination of
conscience all serious sins must be confessed.
# 234 - When is a Catholic obliged to confess his serious sins?
How often should one go to confession? Upon reaching the age of reason and the Church
urges at least once a year.
# 338 - What is Grace?
By this we mean God’s free, loving gifts to us,
God communicates himself to us in grace. Pope Benedict XVI states “Grace is being looked upon by God, our being touched by his love. He never gives us less than himself. Grace is everything God
grants us, without our deserving it in the least.
# 339 - What does God’s graces do for us?
Grace allows us to inter act with the Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
It makes us capable of living in God’s love and acting on the basis of love. The different types of grace are:
Actual - Helps us know and do God’s wil
Habitual - is a permanent disposition to do good Sacramental - All of the sacraments
Sanctifying - Makes us children of God
State - Ordained or Religious
The 10 Commandments
Source: Catechism of the Catholic Church
"Teacher, what must I do . . .?"
"Teacher, what good deed must I do, to have eternal life?" To the young man who asked this question, Jesus answers first by invoking the necessity to recognize God as the "One there is who is good," as the supreme Good and the source of all good. Then Jesus tells him: "If you would enter life, keep the commandments." And he cites for his questioner the precepts that concern love of neighbor: "You shall not kill, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother." Finally Jesus sums up these commandments positively: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
1 To this first reply Jesus adds a second: "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.
2 This reply does not do away with the first: following Jesus Christ involves keeping the Commandments. The Law has not been abolished
3 but rather man is invited to rediscover it in the person of his Master who is its perfect fulfillment. In the three synoptic Gospels, Jesus' call to the rich young man to follow him, in the obedience of a disciple and in the observance of the Commandments, is joined to the call to poverty and chastity.
4 The evangelical counsels are inseparable from the Commandments.
Jesus acknowledged the Ten Commandments, but he also showed the power of the Spirit at work in their letter. He preached a "righteousness [which] exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees"
5 as well as that of the Gentiles.
6 He unfolded all the demands of the Commandments. "You have heard that it was said to the men of old, 'You shall not kill.' . . . But I say to you that every one who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment."
7 When someone asks him, "Which commandment in the Law is the greatest?"
8 Jesus replies: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the prophets.
9 The Decalogue must be interpreted in light of this twofold yet single commandment of love, the fullness of the Law: The commandments: "You shall not commit adultery, You shall not kill, You shall not steal, You shall not covet," and any other commandment, are summed up in this sentence: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
10 IN BRIEF 2075 "What good deed must I do, to have eternal life?" - "If you would enter into life, keep the commandments" (Mt 19:16-17).
2076 By his life and by his preaching Jesus attested to the permanent validity of the Decalogue.
2077 The gift of the Decalogue is bestowed from within the covenant concluded by God with his people. God's commandments take on their true meaning in and through this covenant.
2078 In fidelity to Scripture and in conformity with Jesus' example, the tradition of the Church has always acknowledged the primordial importance and significance of the Decalogue.
2079 The Decalogue forms an organic unity in which each "word" or "commandment" refers to all the others taken together. To transgress one commandment is to infringe the whole Law (cf. Jas 2:10-11). 2080 The Decalogue contains a privileged expression of the natural law. It is made known to us by divine revelation and by human reason.
2081 The Ten Commandments, in their fundamental content, state grave obligations. However, obedience to these precepts also implies obligations in matter which is, in itself, light.
2082 What God commands he makes possible by his grace.
Ten Commandments
First - "I am the Lord your God, you shall not have strange Gods before me. 2133 "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your strength" (Deut 6:5). 2134 The first commandment summons man to believe in God, to hope in him, and to love him above all else. 2135 "You shall worship the Lord your God" (Mt 4:10). Adoring God, praying to him, offering him the worship that belongs to him, fulfilling the promises and vows made to him are acts of the virtue of religion which fall under obedience to the first commandment. 2136 The duty to offer God authentic worship concerns man both as an individual and as a social being. 2137 "Men of the present day want to profess their religion freely in private and in public" (DH 15). 2138 Superstition is a departure from the worship that we give to the true God. It is manifested in idolatry, as well as in various forms of divination and magic. 2139 Tempting God in words or deeds, sacrilege, and simony are sins of irreligion forbidden by the first commandment. 2140 Since it rejects or denies the existence of God, atheism is a sin against the first commandment. 2141 The veneration of sacred images is based on the mystery of the Incarnation of the Word of God. It is not contrary to the first commandment.
Second - You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
2160 "O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth" (Ps 8:1)! 2161 The second commandment enjoins respect for the Lord's name. The name of the Lord is holy. 2162 The second commandment forbids every improper use of God's name. Blasphemy is the use of the name of God, of Jesus Christ, of the Virgin Mary, and of the saints in an offensive way. 2163 False oaths call on God to be witness to a lie. Perjury is a grave offence against the Lord who is always faithful to his promises. 2164 "Do not swear whether by the Creator, or any creature, except truthfully, of necessity, and with reverence" (St. Ignatius of Loyola, Spiritual Exercises, 38). 2165 In Baptism, the Christian receives his name in the Church. Parents, godparents, and the pastor are to see that he be given a Christian name. The patron saint provides a model of charity and the assurance of his prayer. 2166 The Christian begins his prayers and activities with the Sign of the Cross: "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen." 2167 God calls each one by name (cf. Isa 43:1)
Third - Remember to keep holy the Lord’s Day .
2189 "Observe the sabbath day, to keep it holy" (Deut 5:12). "The seventh day is a sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord" (Ex 31:15). 2190 The sabbath, which represented the completion of the first creation, has been replaced by Sunday which recalls the new creation inaugurated by the Resurrection of Christ. 2191 The Church celebrates the day of Christ's Resurrection on the "eighth day," Sunday, which is rightly called the Lord's Day (cf. SC 106). 2192 "Sunday . . . is to be observed as the foremost holy day of obligation in the universal Church" (CIC, can. 1246 § 1). "On Sundays and other holy days of obligation the faithful are bound to participate in the Mass" (CIC, can. 1247). 2193 "On Sundays and other holy days of obligation the faithful are bound . . . to abstain from those labors and business concerns which impede the worship to be rendered to God, the joy which is proper to the Lord's Day, or the proper relaxation of mind and body" (CIC, can. 1247). 2194 The institution of Sunday helps all "to be allowed sufficient rest and leisure to cultivate their familial, cultural, social, and religious lives" (GS 67 § 3). 2195 Every Christian should avoid making unnecessary demands on others that would hinder them from observing the Lord's Day.
Fourth - "Honor your father and your mother" (Deut 5:16; Mk 7:10).
2248 According to the fourth commandment, God has willed that, after him, we should honor our parents and those whom he has vested with authority for our good. 2249 The conjugal community is established upon the covenant and consent of the spouses. Marriage and family are ordered to the good of the spouses, to the procreation and the education of children. 2250 "The well-being of the individual person and of both human and Christian society is closely bound up with the healthy state of conjugal and family life" (GS 47 § 1). 2251 Children owe their parents respect, gratitude, just obedience, and assistance. Filial respect fosters harmony in all of family life. 2252 Parents have the first responsibility for the education of their children in the faith, prayer, and all the virtues. They have the duty to provide as far as possible for the physical and spiritual needs of their children. 2253 Parents should respect and encourage their children's vocations. They should remember and teach that the first calling of the Christian is to follow Jesus. 2254 Public authority is obliged to respect the fundamental rights of the human person and the conditions for the exercise of his freedom. 2255 It is the duty of citizens to work with civil authority for building up society in a spirit of truth, justice, solidarity, and freedom. 2256 Citizens are obliged in conscience not to follow the directives of civil authorities when they are contrary to the demands of the moral order. "We must obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29). 2257 Every society's judgments and conduct reflect a vision of man and his destiny. Without the light the Gospel sheds on God and man, societies easily become totalitarian.
Fifth - You shall not kill
2318 "In [God's] hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind" (Job 12:10). 2319 Every human life, from the moment of conception until death, is sacred because the human person has been willed for its own sake in the image and likeness of the living and holy God. 2320 The murder of a human being is gravely contrary to the dignity of the person and the holiness of the Creator. 2321 The prohibition of murder does not abrogate the right to render an unjust aggressor unable to inflict harm. Legitimate defense is a grave duty for whoever is responsible for the lives of others or the common good. 2322 From its conception, the child has the right to life. Direct abortion, that is, abortion willed as an end or as a means, is a "criminal" practice (GS 27 § 3), gravely contrary to the moral law. The Church imposes the canonical penalty of excommunication for this crime against human life. 2323 Because it should be treated as a person from conception, the embryo must be defended in its integrity, cared for, and healed like every other human being. 2324 Intentional euthanasia, whatever its forms or motives, is murder. It is gravely contrary to the dignity of the human person and to the respect due to the living God , his Creator. 2325 Suicide is seriously contrary to justice, hope, and charity. It is forbidden by the fifth commandment. 2326 Scandal is a grave offense when by deed or omission it deliberately leads others to sin gravely. 2327 Because of the evils and injustices that all war brings with it, we must do everything reasonably possible to avoid it. The Church prays: "From famine, pestilence, and war, O Lord, deliver us." 2328 The Church and human reason assert the permanent validity of the moral law during armed conflicts. Practices deliberately contrary to the law of nations and to its universal principles are crimes. 2329 "The arms race is one of the greatest curses on the human race and the harm it inflicts on the poor is more than can be endured" (GS 81 § 3). 2330 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God" (Mt 5:9).
Sixth - You shall not commit adultery.
2392 "Love is the fundamental and innate vocation of every human being" (FC 11). 2393 By creating the human being man and woman, God gives personal dignity equally to the one and the other. Each of them, man and woman, should acknowledge and accept his sexual identity. 2394 Christ is the model of chastity. Every baptized person is called to lead a chaste life, each according to his particular state of life. 2395 Chastity means the integration of sexuality within the person. It includes an apprenticeship in self-mastery. 2396 Among the sins gravely contrary to chastity are masturbation, fornication, pornography, and homosexual practices. 2397 The covenant which spouses have freely entered into entails faithful love. It imposes on them the obligation to keep their marriage indissoluble. 2398 Fecundity is a good, a gift and an end of marriage. By giving life, spouses participate in God's fatherhood. 2399 The regulation of births represents one of the aspects of responsible fatherhood and motherhood. Legitimate intentions on the part of the spouses do not justify recourse to morally unacceptable means (for example, direct sterilization or contraception). 2400 Adultery, divorce, polygamy, and free union are grave offenses against the dignity of marriage.
Seventh - You shall not steal.
2450 "You shall not steal" (Ex 20:15; Deut 5:19). "Neither thieves, nor the greedy . . ., nor robbers will inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Cor 6:10). 2451 The seventh commandment enjoins the practice of justice and charity in the administration of earthly goods and the fruits of men's labor. 2452 The goods of creation are destined for the entire human race. The right to private property does not abolish the universal destination of goods. 2453 The seventh commandment forbids theft. Theft is the usurpation of another's goods against the reasonable will of the owner. 2454 Every manner of taking and using another's property unjustly is contrary to the seventh commandment. The injustice committed requires reparation. Commutative justice requires the restitution of stolen goods. 2455 The moral law forbids acts which, for commercial or totalitarian purposes, lead to the enslavement of human beings, or to their being bought, sold or exchanged like merchandise. 2456 The dominion granted by the Creator over the mineral, vegetable, and animal resources of the universe cannot be separated from respect for moral obligations, including those toward generations to come. 2457 Animals are entrusted to man's stewardship; he must show them kindness. They may be used to serve the just satisfaction of man's needs. 2458 The Church makes a judgment about economic and social matters when the fundamental rights of the person or the salvation of souls requires it. She is concerned with the temporal common good of men because they are ordered to the sovereign Good, their ultimate end. 2459 Man is himself the author, center, and goal of all economic and social life. The decisive point of the social question is that goods created by God for everyone should in fact reach everyone in accordance with justice and with the help of charity. 2460 The primordial value of labor stems from man himself, its author and beneficiary. By means of his labor man participates in the work of creation. Work united to Christ can be redemptive. 2461 True development concerns the whole man. It is concerned with increasing each person's ability to respond to his vocation and hence to God's call (cf. CA 29). 2462 Giving alms to the poor is a witness to fraternal charity: it is also a work of justice pleasing to God. 2463 How can we not recognize Lazarus, the hungry beggar in the parable (cf. Lk 17:19- 31), in the multitude of human beings without bread, a roof or a place to stay? How can we fail to hear Jesus: "As you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me" (Mt 25:45)?
Eighth - 2504 "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor" (Ex 20:16).
Christ's disciples have "put on the new man, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness" (Eph 4:24). 2505 Truth or truthfulness is the virtue which consists in showing oneself true in deeds and truthful in words, and guarding against duplicity, dissimulation, and hypocrisy. 2506 The Christian is not to "be ashamed of testifying to our Lord" (2 Tim 1:8) in deed and word. Martyrdom is the supreme witness given to the truth of the faith. 2507 Respect for the reputation and honor of persons forbids all detraction and calumny in word or attitude. 2508 Lying consists in saying what is false with the intention of deceiving one's neighbor. 2509 An offense committed against the truth requires reparation. 2510 The golden rule helps one discern, in concrete situations, whether or not it would be appropriate to reveal the truth to someone who asks for it. 2511 "The sacramental seal is inviolable" (CIC, can. 983 § 1). Professional secrets must be kept. Confidences prejudicial to another are not to be divulged. 2512 Society has a right to information based on truth, freedom, and justice. One should practice moderation and discipline in the use of the social communications media. 2513 The fine arts, but above all sacred art, "of their nature are directed toward expressing in some way the infinite beauty of God in works made by human hands. Their dedication to the increase of God's praise and of his glory is more complete, the more exclusively they are devoted to turning men's minds devoutly toward God" (SC 122).
Nineth - You shall not covet your neighbors wife.
2528 "Everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Mt 5:28). 2529 The ninth commandment warns against lust or carnal concupiscence. 2530 The struggle against carnal lust involves purifying the heart and practicing temperance. 2531 Purity of heart will enable us to see God: it enables us even now to see things according to God. 2532 Purification of the heart demands prayer, the practice of chastity, purity of intention and of vision. 2533 Purity of heart requires the modesty which is patience, decency, and discretion. Modesty protects the intimate center of the person.
Tenth- You shall not covet your neighbors goods.
2551 "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Mt 6:21). 2552 The tenth commandment forbids avarice arising from a passion for riches and their attendant power. 2553 Envy is sadness at the sight of another's goods and the immoderate desire to have them for oneself. It is a capital sin. 2554 The baptized person combats envy through good-will, humility, and abandonment to the providence of God. 2555 Christ's faithful "have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires" (Gal 5:24); they are led by the Spirit and follow his desires. 2556 Detachment from riches is necessary for entering the Kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are the poor in spirit." 2557 "I want to see God" expresses the true desire of man. Thirst for God is quenched by the water of eternal life (cf. Jn 4:14).
Easter - The Resurrection of the Lord
The Resurrection is the celebration of Jesus Christ rising from the dead three days after his death on the cross. This is the basis of our Catholic faith.
a. The Resurrection confirms Jesus divinity
b. The witnesses at the empty tomb confirm that he is risen.
c. His disciples numerous encounters with Jesus after his victory over death is documented and wide spread.
d. The fulfillment of the Old Testament comes into being.
e. Jesus missions on earth and the will of his Father is fulfilled.
f. That we could have everlasting life and happiness for all eternity is a reality.
g. The hope of attaining heaven by our lives devoted to the Father is possible.
What do Catholics believe about death and the Resurrection?
a. What happens at the moment of death? Our soul is separated from the body. Individual judgment takes place by Jesus.
b. What about the Resurrection?
1. Just as Jesus is risen and lives forever, so does everyone who passes judgment, rises on the last day to live forever body and soul.
2. Those who are good when they die, but not perfect need to be purified after death. This experience is called Purgatory. In order to enter into God’s presence, our souls must be perfect without blemish of the effects of sin.
3. We pray for those who have died. We have a special bond which unites all members of the church and is called the Communion of the Saints. We pray for all of the souls in Purgatory that thy may see God soon.
Why Catholics call "God"; "FATHER"
The simple answer is that God’s only begotten son called him Father. All of the apostles and those who were chosen during Jesus Christ
life time to continue the church that He founded, were witnesses to this fact.
Sacred Scripture is the Word of God as witnessed and documented by the first followers of Christ. The Holy Bible is made
up of the Old and New Testament; constitutes what has been revealed by God to man
through generations by traditions and witnesses who wrote down what they saw and heard. There is much more to the answer.
Below is a brief theology that is will give you
a better idea of why we Catholics call God
"Our Father". The best explanation is the the wording of the Lord’s Prayer in Mathews Gospel as indicated below..
The Father and the Holy Spirit are pure Spirit and transcend male and female, masculine
and feminine (CCC 239). CCC (Catechism of the Catholic Church)
To call God "Father" means, then, that he is near to us, intimately concerned with us, fond of us, even crazy about us. No, the God whom Jesus calls Father cares about us and knows us intimately. "Every hair on your head is numbered (Matthew 10:30)."
He loves us more than we love ourselves and knows us better than we know ourselves.
This called Devine Providence - the care that God takes of his children.
Read Psalm 139
He loves us so much that He made us in His image and likeness, which means He made us free. And through the free choice of the first man, evil and death were invited into our world. God does not shield us from all the troublesome consequences of this
"original sin" which each of us, sadly, has ratified with our own personal sin. But He
sent us prophets, like Jeremiah, to wake us up and warn us of the horrible consequences of disobedience. And finally He sent his
firstborn Son to be a new Adam, to pay the price of that disobedience and give the human race an undeserved new start.
The most horrible consequence of sin,
eternal death (Gehenna), has been graciously removed for all who accept the free gift of salvation that comes by way of the cross of Christ. But evil is still at large in the world,
and evil brings trials and tribulations. Our Father will not shelter us from these anymore than He sheltered Jeremiah (Jer 20:10-13) or Jesus. A good father doesn’t protect his children forever from the harsh realities of
life, but helps them as they progress through various stages of development to face the challenges and grow through the difficulties. Scripture says that even Jesus learned obedience through what he suffered (
Hebrews 5:8-9). How much more do we
need to learn and mature, and some learning can only take place through suffering.
So as a true Father, he loves us too much to
take us out of the fray. But there’s one thing
we can be sure of — He’ll never leave us to fight our battles alone.
The Our Father Prayer
(Roman Catholic version of the Lord's Prayer)
Our Father who art in Heaven,
Hallowed be thy name;
Thy kingdom come
Thy will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
And forgive us our trespasses
As we forgive those who trespass against us;
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil. AMEN
(traditional Matthean version)
Source: Catechism of The Roman Catholic Church, Part Four Christian Prayer, Section Two:The Lord's Prayer
Note: These words are identical to the version found in the Litany section of the U.S. Book of Common Prayer, 1928 edition
What is Sin? (See #67 Above)
Seven Deadly Sins
(Some Commentary from Fr. Barron)
Dante wrote a poem call The Divine Comedy about the 7 deadly sins and refers to them as a mountain - "The Seven Story Mountain" - Mount Purgatory!
God created mankind to be conduits of his Love. He wants us to be alive with his love. To be joyful using all that he has created for our happiness. To be loving and responsible custodians of his possessions - every one and everthing.
We get distracted from the purpose we were created - We become confused because of sin. When we sin and all of us are sinner; Fr. Barron compares our situations to us being in a boat, in a storm and we all are sea sick (sinful). We loose site of God's unconditional love for each of us. Due to our fallen nature (Original Sin) - We sinners get taken up in or wants and needs, forgetting that God's has already provided everything we need. So I think it could be said, we unconsciously take the place of God. We don't realize that our concupiscence is at the root of this self imposed imprisonment. Since God gives us a free will, The "Boat is running a muck and our sea sickness gets worse. Address each deadly sin and each compensating virtue.
1. PRIDE- The worse of the deadly 7. The heaviest that weighs us down. We want to be notice, we want credit, we want to be the look the best. It become all about:
My - Me - I - Mine
We seek Power, Pleasure, Material Goods and most of all "Recognition and Praise".
(Humility -Short and to the point, Mary said it as clearly as anyone one could: "Be it done to me according to your word!" Tell the truth about yourself. Avoid expanding your accomplishments.
2. Envy- Sorrow about someone's good fortune. When another is praised for some good act, the reaction is I do good things too, why haven't I been noticed, When others receive honors, gifts, rewards, is successful etc., it make this person sorrowful
Cain was jealous of Able; this turned out to be the first murder!
Make escape goats of others. Play the game of comparisons. Under minds good people. Blame others for our short comings.
(Admiration) Appreciates the good in others. All we have comes from God.
We own nothing. Acknowledge "It is you Lord who accomplished every thing that I have done". At the Wedding feast at Cana Mary noticed that the wine was running out,
so she advised the groom to tell his help to follow what he (Jesus) tells you to do. An
act of love and caring for the bride and groom. Love isn't just emotions. Love is behaving in an admiral manner, looking out for the others good.
3. ANGER- The unreasonable desire to get revenge on someone who has hurt you. A condition of the mind, that prevents one think clearly. Results in a reaction that far out weights the offense. Violence in the form of physical harm to others. Cuts us off from
others.
(Forgiveness) Appreciate the goodness in other. Being patient with the faults or short coming of others. Central to the Bible: The Lord's Prayer. How many times must I forgive - 7, 7 x 7, 7 x7 x 70. "Don't let the sun go down on your anger". "Say
only the good things people need to hear! Jesus forgave those who killed him. He took on all sin committed in the past, present and future. He paid with his passion and death. He overcame sin and the effects of sin by His Resurrection. We only have to be repent, and reconcile with God when we sin.
4. SLOTH- We are half way up Mount Purgatory! Being lethargic toward spiritual
manners. Being bored with practicing your faith. This is a spiritual problem that leads to
indifference. No goals in regard to spreading the good news or developing a stronger relationship with God. Becoming complacent. No desire to do God's will. It becomes nothing spiritual. Fr. Barron states that 70 percent of Baptized Catholics do not attend Mass on Weekends.
(Diligence)
Practrice doing everything the best you can and finish what you start. Treat each action thoughtfully and with care. Work hard at all task with the intention of pleasing our Lord.
5. AVARICE - (Greed) Is, an unreasonable desire for riches of this world. Hoarding
material things can become our Idols. There is nothing wrong with being rich as long as
it is used the common good. God gives us all that we have. He loves us to life. Without
that, we would cease to exist. Poverty exist partially due to inequitable distribution of
God's abundance of all that exist.
(Generosity) - God is so generous that he forgets himself for the love of his Son and the
Son forgets himself for the love of the Father. This love is the Holy Spirit! In the Nicene
Creed we pray: "Consubstantial with the Father": Which means that the Son and
Father are ONE in substance, essence and being. Avarice is a ugly sin that is self serving
and separates us from God's love and kill the spirit of the soul.
You have been sent to Discern what your mission in life is. Pray, Study, Act "God is loving you to Life!"
You have been called by name. Psalm 139 - You were knitted in your mothers womb ...
Before your being, all was written down by God; every breath, word thought action he
already knew. Your mission in life is to get to know Jesus, experience his love and to serve
the Father in order to complete our journey to heaven. The How and What is what your
need to discern. Some things you can do are the Spiritual and Corporal works of mercy.
Know your mission and act upon it. -
Mary gave us the example. When she said: "Be it done unto me according to your word".
That became her mission in life. What did she do: She immediately proceeded in haste
to visit Elizabeth who was up in age and needed her help! She acted! Mary give birth to Jesus, the King of Kings in poverty. An act of generosity that is selfless by doing God's will and giving up all to be the mother of the Son of God.
6. GLUTTONY- is a form of addiction. This is an excessive desire for bodily satisfaction.
The need for food and drink, for excesses sensual pleasures. This hunger is spiritual related. We substitute our hunger for God with the need of excessive bodily pleasure and satisfaction which is not obtainable. Only the truth and love of God can satisfy this need.
(Temperance) - Self Control - Discipline - Establishes priorities The human will gains control over the sense appetites and instincts, and directs our
efforts toward more worthy and spiritual purposes. Takes the focus away from the passions. Pray: "Open my lips to proclaim the praise of God".
7. Lust- The top of Mount Purgatory. Lust turns a person into an object. Treating another being to achieve an out of control desire for carnal pleasure. Pornography, abnormal sex acts are all sins of lust. Lust is a self destructive drive for pleasure out of
proportion to its worth. This sort of pleasure is destructive and suffocates the soul from
God's love.
(Chastity) - Preserves the natural balance of the person and removes the possibility of being treated as an object. We are being loved into existence by God. Purity is the virtue that combat. lust and insures chastity. Our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit and should not be defiled by lustful acts. God want us to be free and have a life with pleasure. We search for the truth to amd it will set us free. Mary - When the angel Gabriel told her she would conceive by the Holy Spirit; she replied - this is not possible for I have not known man! Chastity is purity.
