...Sin tends to reproduce itself and reinforce itself,
but it cannot destroy the moral sense at its root.

(Catechism of the Catholic Church #1865)

Sin is defined as "...an offense against reason, truth, and right conscience." (CCC #1849) It is an offense against God and each other. With sin we knowingly turn away from our call to holiness. We fail to love God and our neighbor.

There are a number of ways Catholics have viewed sin over the centuries. No matter how sin is classified, it is always a choice of oneself over God. We'll be discussing the following:

• Capital (or deadly) sins

• Original vs. actual sin

• Mortal vs. venial sin

• Gluttony

• Wrath
• Lust

• Avarice
• Envy
• Sloth
• Pride

The "hot" sins are sins of the moment, the sins of passion. They are often obvious to others, and easily make us feel ashamed.

The "cold" sins are more calculated. They are often overlooked, or even admired and encouraged, by others.

Whether hot or cold, these sins lead us away from God.

Consider the fact that our society is driven by gluttony. We supersize our meals and microsize our electronics. We search out the faster, better, and newer fad. We no longer concern ourselves with quality. As soon as something breaks we can go out and buy something even better. Nothing is precious anymore. We only want more, more, more and we'll borrow, finagle, cheat, or sink into any amount of consumer debt to get it. If we don't get it, we feel victimized.

Beyond food and drink, gluttony is the perversion of the spirit of loving life and giving love. Gluttony desires constant gratification, making us believe, "The entire world must be near me and even inside me." No one else's needs matter to the glutton.

Interestingly, there are many gluttons who do not eat much at all. Consider the woman who you've probably seen at a restaurant. She complains because the table or chairs are not clean enough. She points out problems with the menu. If the coffee is too strong, she sends it back. If the sauce isn't perfect, she sends it back. If her every need has not been met, she demands to see the manager and even have a reduction in her bill. She justifies the small tip by a litany of the abuses she suffered. This woman is so self-absorbed with her needs of food and drink she considers compassion and mercy for those caring for her completely unnecessary, and even undeserved.

Every one of us suffers for our gluttony. We feel sorry for ourselves, and drive away the people we long to be close to. We experience loneliness, fear of intimacy, depression, shame, and sometimes even despair. Gluttony steals us from the Light of hope and hides us in darkness.

Fortunately, God is willing to take us back. We just need to respond to His call. A great place to start is the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the Eucharist. God will give us the grace to fight the gluttonous monster when we stop trying to have complete control and put the battle in His hands.

Sirach 37:27-31

Wrath, or anger, is the sin in which passionate displeasure from a perceived offense suffered at the hand of another combines with the desire to punish the offender. It is a grave sin against love and charity.

Wrath is another "hot" sin. Sometimes it strikes quickly and savagely, a degrading exhibition of human nature. Other times wrath is more calculated. It shows itself in the hateful glance, the nasty, disparaging remark, the rude gesture. Often the angry person considers himself "justified" in his passionate displeasure. He feels obligated to teach the offender a lesson. Nevertheless, he invariably ends up embarrassed, ashamed, and alone.

What about the times when there truly is an injustice? There is no doubt that we are called to right a wrong. The challenge is to react to the injustice while still respecting the dignity of others. Emotions and feelings are neither good nor evil. Our handling of emotions and feelings determines their morality; they can either be embraced in the virtues or perverted by the vices.

This delicate balance between virtue and vice is always a challenge when trying to grow beyond the sin of wrath. When we are ready to recognize the action of this sin in our lives, it is important to participate in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It is also helpful to offer an apology. The first step toward reconciliation may be the hardest, but it is also the most rewarding. 

Pope John Paul II reminded us that love is free, total, faithful, and fruitful. Lust is none of these. Lust is pressured, dominating, manipulative, painful, destructive, and heart-breaking.

How can the sin of lust be conquered? After all, governments fail to protect the family. Society hesitates to denounce something so private, yet is willing to identify any relationship as a marriage. Only one force consistently recognizes lust as the deadly sin it truly is - the Church. It is our obligation to teach our children the joy of love and the sorrow of lust. It is also important to understand that lust may be a result of boredom, discontent, and spiritual depression. It is by living a life of love that we can all, with God's grace, overcome this degrading sin. 

What does a child learn when an adult blames the high price of gas on big business or politicians, yet that same adult chooses to drive a big car, run the air conditioner constantly, or drive the big riding lawn mower? What would a child learn by walking or riding a bike instead? How about opening a window and even using an old fashioned push mower (well designed and heavenly quiet!)? Aren't we teaching the benefits of greed when we ignore our own role in the overuse and abuse?

St. Paul said the love of money is the root of all evils.(1 Tm 6:10) Greed is glamorous, yet cold hearted. It overwhelms love; it squelches kindness. It affects every facet of our lives.

When investment companies crash we blame the financiers, not because they avoided crime or shady deals, but because they got caught.

We donate to charitable organizations. Is it that we truly want to make a difference or because it is a tax write-off? Who would just toss old clothes in the trash if it were not for the reduction in owed taxes every April?

We volunteer our time. Is it required in order to participate? Do we help our parish hoping to win "heaven points" or are we sincerely giving back to the Church the gifts the Holy Spirit has given to us?

When we do contribute our talents to the Church, do we insist on using only our talents, and try to avoid allowing others contribute their own talents? Do we desire all the accolades for ourselves? Heaven forbid anyone should feel as holy as I feel!

Our government encourages greed. The social security program has taught our elderly they are entitled to a lifetime of money they have not earned. The lottery tells us we can help our schools if we take a chance at millions of dollars we have not worked for. The free summer lunch program has taught families they are entitled to food they have not bought and prepared. (In our town it is not at all uncommon to hear, "I deserve to be served" from those who feel the need to offer an excuse for their avarice.) What can we learn from the fact that the poorest people in the United States are suffering from diabetes, a disease primarily of the morbidly obese?

It is even difficult to think of a situation in which the Church stands up to fight avarice. We have heard of the pro-abortion politicians who have been refused the sacraments. Are other people refused the sacraments because they make money in practices contrary to Catholic teachings? How often do we see wealthy divorce lawyers refused the sacraments? Or medical practitioners who prescribe abortive drugs? How about those of us who have stock in companies that engage in activities which oppose Catholic teachings? As long as we keep making money, we are quite content with our sin.

Are we willing to face the sin of avarice and attack it head-on? One wonders. It gets harder and harder to fight when the greed envelopes us and we can no longer recognize the evil it holds.

"THAT'S NOT FAIR!"                                

In a household with young children it is not uncommon to hear that complaint. How should parents teach their children to avoid envy and embrace love of neighbor? How often do adults teach children that envy is wrong?

The cold-hearted sin of envy pits the "have-nots" against the "haves." The envious person feels sadness, anger, or even hatred toward another person's good fortune or joy. The envious person seeks to destroy what is good, often in the name of righteousness.

Consider the satisfaction in one's voice when another person is "put in his place." When we hear, "She got what was coming to her, " or "He deserved that," and even "Now you know how I feel," we hear envy. Envy is destructive to oneself, one's friends and one's family.

The envious person  does not want to ask for help, feel grateful, or give thanks. He feels it is better to acquire something unjustly that to be beholden. This happens in our families and communities. Even our government has played a hand in allowing our envy to grow. In many cases government programs have taken over the good works that used to be done by charities. The person who donated to a cause now just pays taxes so the government  can give to that same cause. The once charitable person now feels resentment having to pay taxes rather than feel love that comes from having helped a neighbor. The receiver of government aid no longer has to feel grateful, only entitled. The Good Samaritan no longer has to get involved, the government has taken over. The have-nots drive away the haves.

The Catholic Church has been outspoken in supporting the family, including identifying marriage as a union between one man and one woman.  Those who seek the economic benefits of marriage without the formal union of one man and one woman have attacked the Church, calling it unfair, homophobic, and backward. Detrimental effects to society as a whole have no place in the conversation. The attackers simply belittle what is good and right in the name of political correctness, with the only goal being to benefit themselves. The have-nots mock the haves.

The Ten Commandments have been stripped from public buildings in the past decade. A small group of people have used the cry "It's not fair!" to remove the basic values of our nation from everyone's view. They have no faith in God, and they want those who do have faith in God to lose it. The have-nots devalue the haves.

Envy, the cold-hearted green-eyed monster. The sin of Satan against God. Our sin against God and our neighbor. What else does envy have to destroy before we are ready to admit the sin is in our lives?

Boy, is sloth alive and healthy in our household!

Sloth is a sluggishness of the mind and body that refuses to do something good. It can destroy one's spiritual life because there is no desire to do something for the sake of love and charity. It shows itself in despair, faint-heartedness, and a sluggishness about understanding and obeying the commandments.

Sloth allows one to ignore the messy bedroom or allow another person to clean up one's own mess. Sloth permits bad manners, poor grades, junk-food meals, and weeds in the garden because anything good is not worth the effort. It even allows one to not listen at Mass, or, worse yet, to skip that hour a week of thanking God for the incredible gifts He has given us.

St. Thomas Aquinas referred to sloth as "an oppressive sorrow which so weighs upon a man's mind that he wants to do nothing."  Nowadays we call it tolerance. It is easier to tolerate what is wrong than to commit oneself to making a choice and defending the choice of what is right.

Sloth is often disguised by busyness. "I got you a gift card because I'm so busy." How often is the true statement, "I got you a gift card because it is easier than getting close enough to you to understand what you enjoy and what you need, and also taking the risk that my choice may not please you."?

"I cannot find time to pray," is another excuse of sloth. In reality, prayer requires a commitment to a relationship with God. All relationships require time, effort, energy, and giving up of oneself. A relationship with God means completely baring oneself, recognizing the faults and weaknesses that are completely visible to God, and asking for help to overcome them. A relationship with God means allowing ourselves to be loved totally, completely, and without fail. It means accepting that our earthly lives are short, but still hoping for eternal life in the future.

The sin of sloth is not a vacation nor enjoying leisure time. It is feeling nothing. In her essay entitled "The Other Six Deadly Sins" Dorothy Leigh Sayers summed up the sin of sloth like this:

• Believing in nothing
• Caring for nothing
• Seeking to know nothing
• Enjoying nothing
• Loving nothing
• Hating nothing
• Finding purpose in nothing
• Living for nothing
• Remaining alive because there is nothing to die for

How can we overcome the sin of sloth? Not through busyness nor through nothingness, but by resting in God rather than in ourselves, and giving lovingly to others for the mutual benefit of every one of us.

Pride wants everyone to recognize his superiority; anyone who appears better is the enemy. We see it in the student who is insulted by the constructive criticism of the teacher, or in the homeowner who doesn't want to keep up with the Joneses, but to be the Joneses. We see pride in the athlete who doesn't just want to win the competition, but to annihilate all competitors. We see pride in viewers of "reality" television who constantly remind themselves they are superior to the participants whom they enjoy ridiculing.

Pride is the great divider because it desires the power to overcome others. It destroys contentment and reason and belittles human foibles. Gone are humility, forgiveness, and love. One can hear pride when it gleefully points out another's fault. Atheists joyfully proclaim the sins of the faithful to show the hypocrisy of faith. Members of one political party revel in the sins of politicians from the opposing party. To humiliate means to prove oneself superior.

Pride convinces one to turn away from God. It is too humiliating to admit that, no matter what, there is always a greater One. When we look down on one other, we fail to recognize the face of God in each of us.

What about the proud who claim to love God? They are the perfect apologists, but never evaluate their own behaviors. They go to Mass every week, but cannot seem to get to the Sacrament of Reconciliation. There is no longer a desire to please God, just the desire to be recognized for being pleasing to God.

Are you proud? The more content you are with yourself and your own success, the more likely you are of being embraced by the sin of pride. If your answer was no, watch out! To overcome pride one needs to admit he has faults. He needs to apologize. He needs to seek forgiveness of God and neighbor.  It is when he admits he can occasionally make a mistake that he is on his way to being closer  to God, without feeling the need to be God.

Why are the rest of us affected by original sin? Unfortunately, the sins of the parents usually affect the children. A woman who takes illegal drugs while pregnant,  parents who lose their home because of  irresponsible money management, and fathers who walk out on their families are all examples of parents who harm their children by sin. This harm can continue from generation to generation. The same is true of original sin. Once our original parents were exposed to evil, all their descendants were exposed to evil. Thankfully, we have the Sacrament of Baptism which forgives that sin. That is one reason the Church baptizes infants who have no personal sin of their own. We also have the New Adam, Jesus, who is victorious over sin, and the new Eve, the Blessed Virgin Mary, who, by the grace of God, was born without original sin by her Immaculate Conception.

Actual sin refers to the sins we commit ourselves. There are two types of actual sin:

• Sin of commission - we do something we know is wrong
• Sin of omission - we do not do something we know is right

When a person does something wrong he commits a sin of commission. When an individual or group is asked who did that wrong thing, the ones who know the culprit and say nothing commit a sin of omission. Not only do we need to avoid doing bad things, we also need to consistently do good things.

In order to be an actual sin, an action  must be a willful thought, word, deed, or omission contrary to the law of God. If something is done accidentally, it probably is not a sin.

1. Grave matter - the wrongdoing is serious. It is something forbidden by the Ten Commandments.
2. Sufficient reflection - you know what you are doing is wrong, .
3. Consent of the will - you do the wrong thing anyway.

Venial sin is a wrongdoing that does not meet all three criteria above. It may be less serious, committed without sufficient reflection or understanding, or done without complete consent. On their own they may be less serious; however, repeated venial sins can easily lead to mortal sins.