LA CONSOLACION UNIVERSITY PHILIPPINES

Bulihan, City of Malolos, Bulacan

College Department
College of Arts, Sciences and Education
1st Sem. S.Y. 2022-2023

LECTURE

7 VIRTUES TO CURE THE 7CAPITAL DEADLY

PENANCE/CONFESSION/RECONCILIATION

The Sacrament
of Penance
reconciles us
Humility with God.
Generosity “The whole
Chastity power of the
Meekness/ sacrament of
Patience Penance
Venial consists in
Temperance
SINS/VICES

restoring us to
Mortal 7 Kindness/ God’s grace
SINS//

Capital/ Love/charity and joining us

7Deadly Diligence with him in an
sins
intimate
friendship”
(CCC,. 1468).

Human as we are, we are all inclined to vices or sins due to our original sin which we inherited from our first
parents but God’s mercy is boundless and immeasurable. God forgives. God’s only begotten Son, Jesus Christ
Himself established the Sacraments for He Himself is a Sacrament. One of the sacraments that we have in the
Catholic Church washes our original sin, that is, Baptism. After being baptized and as we grow and mature we
commit mistakes, we commit sins and that is where the sacrament of penance enters in – we do penance after
confessing the sins we have committed because we want to be reconciled (it is the simplest explanation why we
have in our time the sacrament of reconciliation or pakikipagkasundo) with God and with one another.

OBJECTIVES
 define sins/vices,
 explain the different kinds of sins and the 7 capital/deadly sins,
 distinguish mortal sin/s from venial sin/s,
 differentiate virtues from vices,
 know the virtues that cure the vices
 examine conscience, value the virtues and the sacrament of reconciliation (confession/penance); know
the effects of this sacrament
 develop oneself to have a change of heart (metanoia), always aim at conversion and transformation to
follow Christ and be Christ-like with His grace (grace will be presented in a separate module)

EXPOSITION
Having been well-educated with our previous modules (1-6), at this point in time we can connect and see the
importance of the said modules with our topics on vices/sins, virtues that cure the vices and how we can be
reconciled with God. We know very well that sin/vice separates us from God, on the other hand, we are also
aware that love unites us with God and with one another. Let us continue to be hopeful despite our weaknesses
and sinfulness because God is rich in mercy. He loves us so much. He does not want us to be lost forever. We
can always go back to Him and be transformed. This pandemic cannot stop us to be reconciled with one another
and with God. We may not be able to go to confession during this pandemic but we can still talk to God in the
silence of our hearts and in the stillness of our homes and be sorry (with contrite hearts) for the sins we have
committed. Every night before going to sleep, let this be our habit to thank God for everything and be sorry for
the wrong things we did. After this pandemic, we can continue to celebrate the sacraments with real
community/ not virtual community anymore and we can go to confession. (Note: Sacraments are personal and
real, not virtual).

VICE/SIN
Sin is an offense against reason, truth, and right conscience; it is failure in genuine love for God and neighbor
caused by a perverse attachment to certain goods. It wounds the nature of man and injures human solidarity. It
has been defined as "an utterance, a deed, or a desire contrary to the eternal law" (CCC,1849).
Sin is an utterance, a deed, or a desire contrary to the eternal law (St. Augustine, Faust 22:PL 42, 418). It is an
offense against God. It rises up against God in a disobedience contrary to the obedience of Christ (CCC,1871).

Sin is a personal act. Moreover, we have a responsibility for the sins committed by others when we cooperate in
them by: participating directly and voluntarily in them; ordering, advising, praising, or approving them; not
disclosing or not hindering them when we have an obligation to do so; protecting evildoers/evil-doers.
The repetition of sins – even venial ones – engenders vices, among which are the capital sins.

DIFFERENT KINDS OF SINS

There are different kinds of sins. Scripture provides several lists of them. The Letter to the Galatians contrasts
the works of the flesh with the fruit of the Spirit: "Now the works of the flesh are plain: fornication, impurity,
licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, factions, envy,
drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things shall
not inherit the Kingdom of God" (CCC,1852).
Sins can be distinguished according to their objects, as can every human act; or according to the virtues they
oppose, by excess or defect; or according to the commandments they violate. They can also be classed
according to whether they concern God, neighbor, or oneself; they can be divided into spiritual and carnal sins,
or again as sins in thought, word, deed, or omission. The root of sin is in the heart of man, in his free will,
according to the teaching of the Lord: "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery,
fornication, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a man." But in the heart also resides charity,
the source of the good and pure works, which sin wounds (CCC, 1853).

VENIAL and MORTAL SINS

Sins are rightly evaluated according to their gravity. The distinction between mortal and venial sin, already
evident in Scripture, became part of the tradition of the Church. It is corroborated by human experience.
Mortal sin destroys charity in the heart of man by a grave violation of God's law; it turns man away from God,
who is his ultimate end and his beatitude, by preferring an inferior good to him.
There are three conditions for sin to be considered mortal: 1) grave matter, 2) full knowledge and 3)
complete or deliberate consent.
Mortal sin, by attacking the vital principle within us - that is, charity - necessitates a new initiative of God's
mercy and a conversion of heart which is normally accomplished within the setting of the sacrament of
reconciliation:
When the will sets itself upon something that is of its nature incompatible with the charity that orients man
toward his ultimate end, then the sin is mortal by its very object whether it contradicts the love of God, such as
blasphemy or perjury, or the love of neighbour, such as homicide or adultery, contraception, IVF and
abortion, masturbation and/or pornography, before marriage or within marriage, immodesty, including
(wearing leggings and short shorts-unless these are worn underneath your decent dress), before
marriage, making-out or anything more passionate than that…kiss, caress/lustful, in marriage anything
unnatural (oral sex), homo-sexual/heterosexual acts if committed with consent, chronic failure to
catechize (teach about our Catholic faith) your kids, greatly harming someone’s reputation (if I reveal a
hidden mortal sin of another), missing Sunday Mass/Eucharistic celebration without good reason and/or
unnecessary work on Sunday (after pandemic, we have to go back to our active participation in all our
liturgical and sacramental celebrations in the Catholic Church, particularly in our own parish
community), denying your workers a fair wage, getting drunk or high, saying the Name of Jesus in vain,
denying the Catholic faith, including any involvement in the occult, even tarot cards or Ouija boards,
Skipping Friday Penance (refraining from eating meat on all Fridays) except the very old, very young,
sick and pregnant) BUT you are allowed solemnities in the new calendar), and receiving Holy
Communion with any of the above sins on your heart. The Catechism of Pope St. Pius X says: “He who
goes to Communion in mortal sin receives Jesus Christ but not His grace; moreover, he commits a
sacrilege and renders himself deserving of sentence of damnation.” Furthermore, the Council of Trent (an
infallible Council) says: “For no crime is there heavier punishment to be feared from God than for the unholy or
irreligious use of the Eucharist.” (Trent, De Euch v.i.)

Pope St. Pius X writes in his Catechism, “The sins that are said to cry to God for vengeance are these four: (1)
willful murder; (2) the sin of sodomy; (3) oppression of the poor; (4) defrauding labourers of their wages.”

Supplemental Reading Material: https://padreperegrino.org/2019/08/mortalsins/

7 CAPITAL SINS
The word capital derives from the Latin “caput”, meaning “head.” St. Thomas Aquinas preferred to use the
word “vice” instead of “sin” when addressing this issue. He stated, “A capital vice is that which has an
exceedingly desirable end so that in his desire for it, a man goes on to the commission of many sins, all of
which are said to originate in that vice as their chief source” (Summa Theologiae, II-II, 153, 4). Here St.
Thomas emphasized the disposition or the habit which inclines a person to sin. Therefore, the capital sins or
vices are indeed “capital” and grave because they are the source of particular actual sins, which may be mortal
or venial; in turn, the repetition of actual sins, particularly mortal sins, leads to the spiritual corruption of the
person, whose life is permeated by the vice.
The traditional list of capital sins, as specified by Pope St. Gregory the Great, are as follows: pride, avarice, lust,
envy, gluttony, anger, and sloth. Interestingly, St. Thomas listed “vainglory” instead of pride to highlight that
pride is the source of all sin without exception. Nevertheless, we will now focus briefly on each of the capital
sins; the classic definitions in moral theology are quoted from Fr. Dominic Prummer’s Handbook of Moral
Theology.
7 DEADLY SINS: a) a proud look, b) a lying tongue, c) hands that shed innocent blood, d) a heart that
devises wicked plans, e) feet that are swift in running to evil, f) a false witness who speaks lies, and g)
one who sows discord among brethren.”

In addition, St. Paul in letter to the Galatians 5:19-21 mentions several more sins to be on our guard against:
“Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities,
strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things
like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not
inherit the kingdom of God.”

HOW TO CURE THE 7 CAPITAL and DEADLY SINS:

 Kindness cures envy by placing the desire to help others above the need to supersede them.
 Temperance cures gluttony by implanting the desire to be healthy, therefore making one fit to serve
others.
 Charity or love cures greed by putting the desire to help others above storing up treasure for one’s self.
 Chastity or self-control cures lust by controlling passion and leveraging that energy for the good of
others.
 Humility cures pride by removing one's ego and boastfulness, therefore allowing the attitude of service.
 Diligence or Zeal cures slothfulness by placing the best interest of others above the life of ease and
relaxation.
 Patience cures wrath by taking time to understand the needs and desires of others before acting or
speaking.
Supplemental Reading Materials online:
https://catholicstraightanswers.com/why-are-the-capital-sins-called-the-capital-sins/
https://www.bibleinfo.com/en/questions/what-are-seven-deadly-sins

SACRAMENT OF PENANCE/CONFESSION/RECONCILIATION
The Catechism of the Catholic Church, numbers 1422 to 1424 cited that this sacrament is called the sacrament
of conversion because it makes sacramentally present Jesus' call to conversion, the first step in returning to the
Father from whom one has strayed by sin. It is also called the sacrament of Penance, since it consecrates the
Christian sinner's personal and ecclesial steps of conversion, penance, and satisfaction. Additionally, it is called
the sacrament of confession, since the disclosure or confession of sins to a priest is an essential element of this
sacrament. In a profound sense it is also a "confession" - acknowledgment and praise - of the holiness of God
and of his mercy toward sinful man. It is called the sacrament of forgiveness, since by the priest's sacramental
absolution God grants the penitent "pardon and peace." It is called the sacrament of Reconciliation, because it
imparts to the sinner the life of God who reconciles: "Be reconciled to God." He who lives by God's merciful
love is ready to respond to the Lord's call: "Go; first be reconciled to your brother."

One of the articles from the Diocese St. Paul & Minneapolis strongly stated that the Sacrament of Penance must
be seen within the context of conversion from sin and a turn to God. Peter wept bitterly over his triple denial of
Christ but received the grace of conversion and expressed it with a three-fold confession of love for Jesus (cf.
Lk 22:54-62; Jn 21:15-19). Paul was converted from persecuting Christians to becoming one of the greatest
disciples of Christ who ever lived (cf. Acts 9:1-31). These moments of conversion were only the beginning of
their lifelong commitment to living in fidelity to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
It was mentioned that sin harms our relationship with God and damages our communion with the Church.
Conversion of heart is the beginning of our journey back to God. Liturgically this happens in the Sacrament of
Penance. In the history of the Church, this Sacrament has been celebrated in different ways. Beneath the
changes, there have always been two essentials: the acts of the penitent and the acts of Christ through the
ministry of the Church. Both go hand in hand. Conversion must involve a change of heart as well as a change of
actions. Neither is possible without God’s grace.
SPIRITUAL EFFECTS OF THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE
 Reconciliation with God by which the penitent recovers grace;
 Reconciliation with the Church;
 Remission of the eternal punishment incurred by mortal sins;
 Remission, at least in part, of temporal punishments resulting from sin;
 Peace and serenity of conscience, and spiritual consolation;
 An increase of spiritual strength for the Christian battle
Supplemental Reading Materials:
https://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p2s2c2a4.htm
https://www.archspm.org/faith-and-discipleship/catholic-faith/why-do-i-need-the-sacrament-of-reconciliation-
and-penance-how-does-it-help-me/

INTEGRATION

Answer briefly the following questions:

1. Why did the Angelic Doctor, St. Thomas Aquinas, a Dominican Saint, called sin as ‘vice’? (module-
based answer) (5 points)
2. Create your personal prayer on how you can prevent yourself from committing sins. (Note: 1 to 2
paragraphs will suffice). (50 points)
3. What are the spiritual effects of the sacrament of penance in our lives as Catholics? (module –based-
answer plus your personal spiritual experience of this sacrament at least during your stay at icsb-icsm)
(25 points)
4. Compose your personal reflection on: If we say, “We are without sin,” we deceive ourselves, and the
truth is not in us. If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and
cleanse us from every wrongdoing(1 Jn 1:8-9). (1 paragraph will suffice) (20 points)

References:
Catholic Bible (New American Bible)
CBCP/ECCCE (1994). Catechism of the Catholic Church. Word and Life Publications, pp.399-419; 506 - 512
Sources from Catholic Websites:
https://catholicstraightanswers.com/why-are-the-capital-sins-called-the-capital-sins/
https://slife.org/the-seven-catholic-virtues/
https://www.bibleinfo.com/en/questions/what-are-seven-deadly-sins
https://fathersofmercy.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Seven-Capital-Sins-Opposite-Corresponding-Virtues-
and-Extremes.pdf
https://padreperegrino.org/2019/08/mortalsins/
https://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p2s2c2a4.htm
https://www.archspm.org/faith-and-discipleship/catholic-faith/why-do-i-need-the-sacrament-of-reconciliation-
and-penance-how-does-it-help-me/