The Seven Deadly Sins

In your Catechism there is a question: What are the chief sources of sin? Who knows the answer? The chief sources of sin are seven. Pride, covetousness, lust, anger, gluttony, envy, and sloth, and they are commonly called Capital Sins. There are a lot of big words in that answer and I have a slight suspicion that you do not know what they all mean. Maybe this parable will make it clear.

Two ships once went sailing across the sea of life. They were sailing around the world, seeking the golden gate of heaven. The name of the first ship was Badsoul. The admiral was Admiral Satan. Under him he had Helmsman Haughty, Gunner Graball, Lieutenant Lustful, Captain Crabby, Ensign Eatoomuch, Coxswain Greeneye, and Doctor Dodgeit. The ship sailed through life and all went well. They all had a wonderful time. But one day a storm drove them near the reef of damnation. The crew began to cry out to the admiral, "Turn on the searchlight; throw out the anchor; bring out the compass." But Admiral Satan only laughed very cruelly as the ship went over the reef of hell.

The name of the second ship was Goodsoul. The admiral was Admiral Christ. Under Him he had Helmsman Humble, Gunner Generous, Lieutenant Loving, Captain Cheerful, Ensign Eatenuff, Coxswain Kindword, and Doctor Doit. The ship sailed through life and a very happy crew was on it. They worked hard and kept everything shipshape. One day a storm drove them near the reef of damnation. The crew cried out to the admiral for help. "Lord save us, we perish." The admiral gave orders. "Turn on the searchlight, because faith is the searchlight of the soul. Let down the anchor because hope is the anchor of the soul. Bring forth the compass, because charity is the soul's compass." "And rising up He rebuked the wind and said to the sea: 'Peace, be still' and the wind ceased and there was made a great calm." They avoided the reef of damnation and sailed on till they came to the golden gate of heaven and there God was waiting for them.

See if you can recognize the crew of Satan's ship. Are they not the seven capital sins? Pride, covetousness, lust, anger, gluttony, envy, and sloth? You cannot make an image of Christ out of those, can you?

See if you can, recognize the crew of the Goodsoul. Are they not just the opposite virtues to these seven? In sailing your ship through life you must choose either one crew or the other.  If you sail with the crew of Satan you will go over the reef of damnation. Only Christ and the crew of the Goodsoul, with their searchlight of faith, their anchor of hope, and their compass of charity, can help you. Your assignment for this week is to learn by heart the names of the seven capital sins: pride, covetousness, lust, anger, gluttony, envy, and sloth.
- Heavenwords, Imprimatur 1941 -

                                            "A death has taken place for Redemption."

SOMETIMES artists use a novel way of signing their pictures. Instead of painting their names in the corner as is usually done, they make one of the figures in the picture look like themselves. One great artist was painting his masterpiece. He wanted this to be the greatest of all his works. It was called " The Descent from the Cross." It showed the dead body of Christ being taken down from the cross. The nails were being pulled out of Christ's hands and feet, just before His body was placed in the arms of His Mother. By way of signing the picture, the artist painted himself as one of the men who were taking Christ down. He painted himself as the man who was drawing the nails out of Christ's hands. "That is where I would most like to have been," he said.

That is one story. Here is another which teaches the same lesson in a different way. The crucifix in the parish church needed to be cleaned and repaired. In order that the work could be done well the statue of the body of Christ had to be taken off the cross. When the work was done it had to be put back on the cross, and the nails would have to be driven again through the hands and feet of the statue. One of the workmen was just ready to drive the nails when he stopped. "I just cannot bring myself to do it," he said.

We are fast approaching the time when the Church reminds us of the death and suffering of Christ. It is a time when we are each called upon to paint a picture of the Passion and death of Christ. This picture is to be our masterpiece. Instead of signing the picture, we are to paint ourselves into it. Where will you put yourself? Do you place yourself among those who by their sins crucify again to themselves the Son of God? Will you have to place yourself among those who stood beneath the cross shouting insults at the dying Christ? Would you paint yourself as one of the executioners who are driving the nails? Or as Judas who betrayed Him? By our sins we were all on Calvary and made Christ suffer. For our greed, His hands were nailed wide open. For our laziness, He bore the heavy cross. For our sins of the tongue He was parched with thirst.

During this week, then, everyone must make up his mind that when you paint your masterpiece of the Crucifixion, you will not stand among the sinners who hurt Him, but among those who tried to ease His pain. By your special penance this week, your special prayers and efforts, you may be able to place yourself among those who are drawing the nails out of Christ's hands and feet, instead of among those who are driving them in. Put
yourself into the picture.
- Heirs of the Kingdom, Imprimatur 1949 -

                                                                   Bad Habits Are Like Camels

The riddle this morning is one which you will all get. What animal is called the ship of the desert?  That's it, the camel. I am going to tell you a story about it .

Once upon a time there was an Arab who was making a journey through the desert on a camel. They stopped for the night and the Arab pitched his tent. He slept inside and the camel slept outside. He had been asleep for about an hour when he felt something tickle his foot. He looked down and saw that the camel had pushed his nose inside the flap of the tent.

"Get out," he said lazily. The camel said,

" It's cold outside. Let me in ."

"All right," said the man, "but only your nose."

Off he went to sleep again. An hour passed and he woke to see the camel's head inside the tent.

"Get out," he said again. The camel replied,

"It's cold outside. Let me stay here."

" All right," said the man, "but only your head."  He went off to sleep again but was awakened an hour later. The camel's neck was in the tent.

"Get out," he said again."

It's cold outside," said the camel, "Let me i n ."

"All right," said the man, "but only your neck." And hour later he woke up again and said, "I'm freezing. I wonder what's the matter." Then he saw that the camel was inside and he was outside. He jumped up angrily and said, "You come out of there and let me back in my tent." But the wise old camel slept peacefully on and left him out in the cold.

Each thing in this story reminds us of something. To begin with here is a hint. The tent is the state of grace. What is the state of grace? No mortal sins. Right. Whom does the man remind you of? Who is the man making the journey through the desert? Sinners . . . well, yourselves. What is the camel? What is i t that pushes you out of the state of grace? The devil. Correct. But notice the way he pushes you out. He doesn't rush in and throw you out. He comes around very quietly and eases you out little by little until you are out in the cold.

The story goes on that for the rest of the journey the Arab kept muttering to himself, "Bad habits are like camels. I f you don't chase them out in the beginning they get the better of you." Bad habits are the next thing you have to watch out for. They, too, will spoil your image of Christ for you. Your task this week is to remember this story whenever you see a picture of a camel. It may be on a package or in a book or anywhere. When you see it just stop for a minute and remember the words which the Arab muttered to himself after he had slept out in the cold. "Bad habits are like camels. I f you do not chase them out in the beginning,
they get the better of you."

                                "In virtue of the freedom where with God has made us free."

THOSE who were captured by the Romans in their many wars were brought back to Rome in chains and sold into slavery. They were put on the auction block and then sold to the highest bidder. Tullius was a noble Roman who did not believe in slavery and did what he could to prevent it. He went to the slave market one day and saw a captive for sale. He took pity on him and bid for him. Since Tullius was the highest bidder the man became his slave. Tullius brought the man to his house and ordered the chains to be stricken from his wrists and ankles. Then he said to the man,

"You are free to go your way." The man said, 

"But I am your slave. You bought me." Tullius I replied,

"I bought you only in order to set you free. You are no longer a slave. Go your way in freedom."

The man was so overcome by the kindness of Tullius that he said through his tears, " Since you have set me free, I will serve you freely." Tullius by his kindness gained not a slave but a friend. This reminds us of the words of Christ to the Apostles, "I will no longer call you servants but friends." It reminds us of the freedom wherewith God has made us free, it reminds us that Redemption means a buying back.

When Christ redeemed us He paid a great price. He bought us from the slavery of sin by laying down His life on the cross for us. Instead of being slaves of sin, by that purchase we became the slaves of Christ. But like Tullius in the story, Christ says, "I bought you only in order to set you free. I will not call you slaves, but friends. "In return for this our words should be the same as the man who was freed. "Since you have set me free, I will serve you freely."

We can solve all of our problems by asking ourselves, "What does Christ want me to do?" We get an answer immediately. We are wondering whether we should see a movie which the Legion of Decency says is not fit for children to see or for anyone to see for that matter. Just ask " What does Christ want me to do?" You have your answer at once. You find that it is easy for you to steal from your mother's pocketbook or to shortchange her. " What does Christ want me to do?" You have your answer at once. You find that it is possible to commit a sin of impurity without being caught. "What does Christ want me to do?" You know the answer to that. You feel like hopping into bed without saying your night prayers. "What does Christ want me to do?" Say your prayers. He bought us in order to set us free. He no longer calls us slaves but friends. That is why we should serve Him freely.

                                                                            Sin

During the last war a ship was torpedoed. The crew made its escape in rowboats. In one boat there were an officer and seven men, with a box of provisions, a machine gun, and a compass. They followed the direction of the compass until the night came. Then they were able to see by the stars that their compass was not working correctly.Does anyone know why the compass was not working rightly?  They almost gave up hope then and there. Adrift in an open boat on the pathless sea, with a faulty compass! Just as they were about to abandon hope the officer said, "Men I have it! I know why the compass is wrong. The machine gun is throwing it out of line." A compass,perhaps you know, won't work correctly while there is metal too near it. The machine gun was acting like a magnet on the needle of the compass. The officer went on, "You must make your choice, men, either we drift aimlessly or the machine gun goes overboard. Which will it be?" To a man the crew replied, "Overboard with the gun!" Even though they hated to do it, overboard it went. They followed the compass and arrived home safely two days later.

Now see if you can make a sermon out of this story.  Our soul is the compass pointing always toward God. Something turns us aside from God as the machine gun turned aside the compass. What is that? Sin. Yes. The third thing that will spoil our image of Christ is sin. If it comes to a choice between sin and God, what must you do? What did the crew do with the machine gun? Overboard with it. That is another way of saying what our Lord said in the Gospel, "No man can serve two masters."

The devil will tempt you. He will whisper, "You have to have a machine gun. You will be foolish to throw it away." Don't listen to him. The crew of the rowboat hated to throw out the machine gun, but they had to if they wanted to be saved. As long as sin is there the compass of your soul will not point true .

During this week you may be faced with a choice.... Machine gun or compass ... sin or God. Make up your minds this morning to remember this story and make the right choice when the time comes. If you had two souls you could take a chance. But you have but one. "The Lord thy God shalt thou adore and Him only shalt thou serve." "Thou hast made us for Thyself, 0 Lord, and our hearts are restless till they rest in Thee." * Amen.

This warning is carved in stone over the doorway of the Cathedral of Lubeck in Germany:

You call Me Master and obey Me not;
You call Me Light and see Me not;
You call Me Way and walk Me not;
You call Me wise and follow Me not;
You call Me rich and ask Me not;
You call Me eternal and seek Me not;
You call Me Master and serve Me not;
If I condemn you - blame Me not.
                                             I St. Augustine, De Trinitate, xvi, ii.
                                                                                   - Heavenwords, Imprimatur 1941 -

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                     “You were once in darkness, but now you are light in the Lord."

AN EMPEROR of China had a sundial which had stood in the palace garden for so long that no one knew who had put it there in the first place. A sundial tells the time by casting the shadow of the sun onto a flat dial which is marked just the same as the face of a clock. For all the time the emperor's sundial had stood in the garden it had never made a mistake.

One day the emperor wanted to know what time it was, and sent one of his servant boys into the garden to read the dial. The boy came back and said,

"0 Majesty, the sundial is not working."

"Nonsense," said the emperor. "Go back and read it again." The boy went into the garden
again and came back with the same answer,

"The sundial is not working." The emperor himself went into the garden to see what the trouble was, for he couldn't believe that the sundial was making mistakes after thousands of years. He told the boy to read it again. The boy went over the dial and said,

"See, it still does not work."

You stupid boy," said the emperor, "you are standing so that you cast your shadow over it. There must be nothing between the sundial and the sun. Get yourself out of the way and everything will be all right."

How often we let ourselves get in the way and come between God and what He wants us to do. We are darkness, as St. Paul says, instead of being light in the Lord. The light of God's truth is always shining but we get in the way and cannot read the message. There must be nothing between the sundial and the sun and there must be nothing between ourselves and God. Let us see how this works out. You ask yourselves,

"What do I want to be when I grow up?" God may want you to do some special thing for Him. If you are selfish and refuse, then you are like the boy in the story, casting a shadow over the sundial. You are darkness instead of light in the Lord. You say to yourself, "I will begin in plenty of time to study for my examinations." You begin to study but then you get lazy. Yourself gets in the way, and you do not do well in the examinations after all. You are just like the stupid boy who cast his own shadow over the sundial. You say to yourself, "I will say the rosary every day during Lent." You say it for a few days and then get tired. You are just like the boy who cast the shadow of his own self over the sundial. Any time you are tempted to put yourself first instead of God, remember this story and remember the words of the emperor: "Get yourself out of the way and everything will be all right."
                                                                            - Heirs of the Kingdom, Imprimatur 1949 -