In this final class, we look to how the virtues are interconnected as well as which vices are opposed to each of the virtues.
Further, we then discuss the capital sins and which virtues overcome each of the vices. We follow the themes of Fr Basil Cole in his book, Angelic Virtues and Demonic Vices.
Listen [here]!
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Thomistic Ethics
St Thomas’s Practical Advice for Growing in Holiness
Session 4, Overcoming the Capital Sins
For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want
is what I do. (Romans 7:19)
I. February 10 - Overcoming the Capital Sins
Name change from: The Spiritual Life, the Virtues, and the Gifts of the Holy Spirit
II. The Theological and Cardinal Virtues, and the Sisters Virtues - and opposing vices
1. Faith - understanding and knowledge - the pure of heart and they who mourn
Opposing vices: unbelief, heresy, apostasy, blasphemy and blasphemy against the Holy Spirit
2. Hope - fear of the Lord - poor in spirit
Opposing vices: despair, presumption
3. Love/Charity - wisdom - peacemakers
Acts of charity: love, joy, peace, mercy, beneficence, almsgiving, fraternal correction
Opposing vices: hatred, sloth, envy, discord, contention, schism, war, sedition, scandal
4. Prudence - counsel - merciful
Connected virtues: euboulia (being open to good advice), synesis (judging well according to common law, in practical particular matters), gnome (judging well according to general law, according to higher principles)
Opposing vices: imprudence, negligence, fleshly prudence (putting our last end in material things), craftiness (using unjust means to gain), fraud, guile, solicitude (both of material good, and of the future).
5. Justice - piety - the meek
Two kinds of justice: commutative justice (between individuals or small groups) and distributive justice (in society at large)
Connected virtues: equity, religion, piety, observance/devotion, gratitude, vengeance, truth, affability, liberality
Opposing vices: respect of persons, murder, harm, theft, robbery, verbal injury in court (bearing false witness), verbal injury outside of court (many sins of speech), cheating, usury, superstition, idolatry, tempting God, perjury, sacrilege, simony, ingratitude, lying, hypocrisy, boasting, flattery, quarrelling, covetousness, prodigality
6. Fortitude - fortitude - who hunger and thirst for righteousness
Principle act: martyrdom
Connected virtues: magnanimity, magnificence (doing great and exceedingly good things), patience, perseverance
Opposing vices: fear, fearlessness, daring, presumption, ambition, vainglory, pussilanimity, impatience, effeminacy (softness), pertinacity (to hold on against reason).
7. Temperance - fear of the Lord - persecuted for righteousness’ sake (or poor in spirit)
Connected virtues: shame (as a praiseworthy passion), honesty, abstinence, fasting, sobriety, chastity, virginity, continence, clemency and meekness, modesty, humility, studiousness
Opposing vices: insensibility (not taking proper delight in pleasures), intemperance (which St Thomas calls “the most disgraceful of sins”), gluttony, drunkenness, lust, incontinence, anger, cruelty, pride, curiosity, immodesty (in words, actions, and dress)
III. Penance as the bulwark against all the vices.
To become holy, one must replace vice with virtue.
“To stay at one’s level is to go backwards.”
Penance has been widely neglected since Vatican II, and the theology of penance has been left undeveloped.
External acts of penance are not the goal of the spiritual life, but they are essential means for attaining spiritual growth. Similarly, hating sin is necessary for spiritual growth, but simply hating sin is not holiness - though penance and hatred of sin are essential as a foundation for intimacy with God and growth in divine love.
The Christian life must be a life of penance – the prolonged acts of satisfaction: prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Also, accepting sufferings that come our way, and bearing them patiently. This life of penance is an expression of true contrition for sin: it makes satisfaction for past sins, strengthens against future sin, and prepares the soul for contemplation.
St Thomas: “Repentance opens the door to other virtues.”
To love God implies three desires: The desire to seek his glory and honor (furthered by spiritual reading, meditation, and contemplation); the abandonment to divine providence (accepting the crosses that come our way and seeking always to will what God wills); remaining in the spirit of contrition through acts of penance (prayer, fasting and almsgiving, together with regular participation in the sacrament confession and holy communion).
How prayer fasting and almsgiving overcome sin: Sins against God are prevented by prayer, sins against self are remedied by fasting, and sins against neighbor are healed through almsgiving.
Additionally, “to overcome any sin, mental prayer is key.”
Finally, also note the virtue of perseverance - the sinner must focus on his conversion one day at a time.
IV. The remedial virtues to overcome vice
1. Against Pride, Vainglory, and Envy: Humility and Magnanimity
“Humility is the foundation of prayer.” (Catechism 2259)
By humility, a man has a right appraisal of his gifts and talents, and accepts his limitations under God.
By magnanimity, a man esteems himself worthy of great things through considering the gifts he has from God. This virtue helps one not be satisfied with “good enough” but rather to push on to higher acts of virtue and holiness.
Here, we remember the three ages of the interior life, and the importance of striving for spiritual perfection.
A major problem in modern society which works against magnanimity is molitia, or soft-living. The obsession with entertainment and pleasures and comforts.
Humility is under temperance, magnanimity is under fortitude.
2. Against Avarice: Justice, Solidarity, Liberality/generosity, magnificence
We must remember the Church’s teaching on the universal destination of all goods. While the Church defends private property, we also recognize that we are only the stewards of God’s gifts and that external possessions are being held in trust - this reminds us of solidarity with the poor and striving for justice.
Liberality or generosity with money and possession helps overcome avarice - magnificence (doing great things with large wealth) is important for the rich.
Liberality is under justice, magnificence is under fortitude.
3. Against Anger: Gentleness/meekness and clemency, patience, prudence, humility and the virtue of vindication/vengeance
Meekness helps to mitigate the impulse of anger, which is often too strong; while clemency disposes us to punish only lightly. Patience allows us to endure wrongs.
We recognize that vengeance is a virtue, but we must be very prudent.
Meekness and clemency as well as humility are under temperance, patience and is under fortitude. Vengeance is under justice.
4. Against Gluttony: Abstinence, sobriety, and fasting, and penance and prayer
Abstinence and sobriety do not mean completely giving up all alcohol or never eating meat - but rather, the reasonable regulation of food and drink. There are times when we give up meat (or other foods) all together for a season, and likewise we occasionally refrain completely from alcohol. On the other hand, these virtues are also expressed in proper table manners, not being too picky, moderation in eating and drinking, etc.
St Thomas gives us three reasons for fasting: to bridle the lusts of the flesh; to free the mind for contemplation and prayer; and to satisfy for past sins.
The Church used to have over 100 days of abstinence, and something close to 50 days of fasting – this has been so greatly reduced, to only 2 days of fasting and as little as 8 days of abstinence (though, technically, every Friday throughout the year is a day of abstinence).
Abstinence, sobriety, and fasting are all under temperance.
5. Against Lust: Chastity, sexual self mastery according to one’s state in life
“Chastity is essential for growth in the other virtues, because without it, the human person is led, or rather leads himself, to a path of self-indulgence or narcissism, and spouses become mere objects of pleasure. Further, one easily becomes a slave to other disordered emotions.”
The Catechism teaches that “chastity includes an apprenticeship in self-mastery which is a training in human freedom.” Either we govern our passions, or we are governed by them.
Remember that chastity applies to married people as well as to unmarried.
“Self-mastery is a long and exacting work. Once can never consider it acquired once and for all. It presupposes renewed effort at all stages of life.” (Catechism 2342)
Chastity is under temperance.
6. Against Acedia: penance, the spiritual works of mercy, and contemplation.
“The spiritual life is the unity between the two virtues of penance and charity. Penance is similar to defensive measures as in a game, while divine hope and charity are the offensive players.”
“Those afflicted with acedia often erroneously believe that penitential acts are evil to their blinded intellect. And yet with the help of grace, they can arise from their spiritual illness.” Consider the analogy of St Francis de Sales - with a spiritual interpretation of the scouts going into the holy land and turning back.