I’m thinking of bringing back the Wordage Report on Sundays, just as a way of making sure I get some writing done during the week, but today (and subsequent Thursdays) I’m going to do my own version of Throwback Thursday, an idea I stole from Facebook.
Once upon a time I did a lot of research on a great many different subjects. It was both interesting and fun. And seeing as I didn’t want to waste all that knowledge, I did a series of articles using a lot of that knowledge. I thought it might be kind of fun to re-run these articles, updating them of course where necessary.
First up is the series I did on The Seven Deadly Sins and their corresponding Seven Heavenly Virtues. I had intended to use the research as a basis for a poem, but the poem never got off the ground. Who knows, maybe by the time I finish the series again I’ll be re-inspired.
We start with the Sin of Pride.
Proverbs 16:18 - Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
These six things the Lord hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren.
(Prov. 6:16-19).
Pride, also known as Vanity, is considered the mother of all sins, the sin from which all others spring. It is the sin that turned the archangel Lucifer the “seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty” into the devil, the one for whom Hell itself was created. We're warned to guard our hearts against pride lest we too "fall into the same condemnation as the devil."
It was the sin of pride which first led Eve to eat of the forbidden fruit. In Genesis we read, Then the serpent said to the woman, 'You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.' So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate.
The sin of pride is a preoccupation with self. Pride is all about "me, myself, and I." So even as the word "pride" is centered upon an "i," the sin itself is also centered upon "I." It is identified as a desire to be more important or attractive than others, failing to acknowledge the good work of others, and excessive love of self.
Your punishment for Pride will be: You will be broken on the wheel.
To save yourself from being sent to Hell, you must practice the Heavenly Virtue of Humility.
The term "humility" is derived from the Latin word "humilitas", a noun related to the adjective "humilis", translated not only as "humble", but also as "low", or "from the earth”. It is defined as: modest behavior, selflessness, and the giving of respect - giving credit where credit is due and not unfairly glorifying one's own self.
St. Bernard defines it as: A virtue by which a man knowing himself as he truly is, abases himself
St. Thomas says: The virtue of humility consists in keeping oneself within one's own bounds, not reaching out to things above one, but submitting to one's superior
No man can humiliate another, but only himself, and this he can do properly only when aided by Divine grace. Humility removes pride and according to the words of St. James: God resisteth the proud, and giveth his grace to the humble
(James 4:6).
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