Every sin damages our relationship with God. Yet, not every sin is deadly (cf. 1 John 5:17). Some sins destroy the life of grace within us and lead us more and more deeply into brokenness and dysfunction. The Church names seven deadly (or capital) sins: pride, greed, wrath (anger), envy, lust, gluttony, and sloth. Each of these sins is deadly because they underpin patterns of behaviour and thought that lead us away from God and culminate in us simply serving ourselves.

While each is deadly, the most deadly of these tendencies is pride. Pride is at the root of many sins. Yet, still more fatally, pride refuses to repent or even to acknowledge one’s need for conversion. Such pride is exemplified by the Pharisee, who refuses to recognise that he, too, is a sinner and in need of God’s mercy. Counter to the seven deadly sins are the seven heavenly virtues: humility, charity, chastity, gratitude, temperance (restraint), patience, and diligence. If the former leads to spiritual death, the latter brings life and an increased openness to the working of grace in our lives. It is especially the virtue of humility that counters the tendencies of pride.

The tax collector in Jesus’ parable provides a vibrant image of humility; he first acknowledges the reality and gravity of his sin, but even more importantly, he believes that God can and will forgive. We don’t like to speak about sin today. The confessionals are empty. The reasons for this are complex; however, the fix is challenging yet simple: with humility, let us consider our sins and, trusting in God’s mercy, bring them to the sacrament of God’s healing mercy. That way, we too may go home ‘justified,’ which is to say, reconciled with the God who is love.

 by Fr Michael Grace