Sin has been described at its most essential as always having 'I' in the middle! When we act like we are the center of the universe and that it revolves around what we want or need, we sin. When we take over God's rightful place on the throne of our lives, we sin. When we put our own interests before those of the peop
One Minute Reflection – 4 January – “The Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus and of the Holy Family”– Octave of the Holy Innocents – Apocalypse 14:1-5; Matthew 2:13-18 – Scripture search here: “Wh…
When the Gadianton robbers came to battle against the Nephite army, they had lamb skin about their loins, and they were dyed in blood. Their appearance must have been shocking, for the text declares that “great and terrible” was the sight of them. Under the sacrificial laws of the Old Testament, it was the innocent lamb that was sacrificed with great symbolic meanings. It is likely that the Gadianton robbers used these sacred symbolisms to offend and shock the Nephites. Although the Nephite armies were repulsed by the Gadiantons’ blasphemy, instead of being terrorized, they cried unto the Lord and rose up in faith to defeat the robbers. Likewise, despite how grim and horrifying life’s obstacles may appear today, we too can cry unto the Lamb of God to be given the strength to overcome.
Scripture Reference: Matthew 27:32-56 Suggested Emphasis: Jesus was innocent, but He was killed. Memory Verse: “Christ had no sin. But God made him become sin. God did this for us so that in…
We are all the judges and the judged, victims of the casual malice and fantasy of others, and ready sources of fantasy and malice in our turn. And if we are sometimes accused of sins of which we are innocent, are there not also other sins of which we are guilty and of which the world knows nothing? | Iris Murdoch Quote
Jezebel is depicted in our pop culture as the most dangerous creature. I found this picture from Auckland Theological Studies. Here is a blog post that is helpful with more information about Jezebe…
Sex Tourism - a not so old travel trend that is taking over many south Asian cities, has a dark side that no one seems to discuss.
ancient-serpent: “Henry Fuseli, Achilles Snatches at the Shades of Patroclus (1803) ”
tatsujun 💐
The Obsession [Roberts, Nora] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The Obsession
Sex Tourism - a not so old travel trend that is taking over many south Asian cities, has a dark side that no one seems to discuss.
Betye Saar, A Loss of Innocence, 1998, Dress with printed labels, wood hanger, chair, and framed photo on block
Fusion spell duos ♡
Suffering entered the world through sin, but God uses suffering to accomplish greater things.
People have heard of and can recall the seven deadly sins, also known as the capital vices and cardinal sins. But, so often we cannot name the virtues which help us overcome these sins! Rather than focusing on the sins which bog down our spiritual life, turn your eyes to the virtues which can help break the bonds of sin. The Catholic Church has distinctive categories of virtues. The 7 heavenly virtues, also called the Capital virtues, contrary virtues, heavenly virtues, are the virtues which overcome the 7 deadly sins: lust, greed, envy, anger, pride, and sloth. Chastity overcomes the sin of lust. Everyone could use more chastity in a world that is constantly displaying sexual images. The Catholic Bible tells us that our bodies are temples for the Holy Spirit. The virtue of Chastity can help calm our lustful desire for sexual acts and restrain our wandering eyes. Generosity overcomes the sin of greed. Our lives can be filled with a yearning for material goods. Material objects can block our vision of Christ who told us to give to the poor. This means not only do we give what we have in “excess” but to surrender all of our time, money, and spiritual gifts to those in need. Temperance overcomes the sin of gluttony. Gluttony wants us to give into our self gratification for eating and drinking, among other things. Temperance is our ability to control ourselves and these desires. We may fall into the trap of self indulgence but during these times we can call upon the virtue of moderation. Kindness overcomes the sin of envy. Our love for someone should be without bias or spite. God blesses each of us in different ways. Envy will cause a rift in your relationship with God and others. Look upon your life with positivity rather than counting the ways God “hasn’t” blessed you. Meekness overcomes the sin of anger. Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the world”. When He was confronted by angry crowds who wanted to torture and kill him, he prayed for them. How often do we become upset and consumed by trivial matters? Use Christ as your model, control your anger and resentment and cultivate patience through this virtue. Humility overcomes the sin of pride. God humbles the proud and exalts the humble! Pride is the devil’s sin, and just like him Satan wants us to hold ourselves up as gods. Everything we have is from God, and everything we do is derived from the gifts he has given us. By being modest we can turn outwards and lift up those around us. Diligence overcomes the sin of sloth. The virtue of diligence aids us in fulfilling our duties and cultivating a strong work ethic. Sloth draws us in to be lazy in all aspects of our life, physical and spiritual. We should develop our talents and gifts rather than keeping them wrapped up in sloth All other sins stem from 1 or more of these deadly sins. By praying for these 7 heavenly virtues we can keep each of these sins from creeping into our lives. Start praying for these virtues daily to help defeat Satan and these vices. Swap out your 7 deadly sins for these 7 heavenly virtues! For more information on the virtues and vices refer to the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
The seven deadly sins are a series of sins that are said to be deadly, or fatal, to the soul and often give rise to other sins.
Sin has been described at its most essential as always having 'I' in the middle! When we act like we are the center of the universe and that it revolves around what we want or need, we sin. When we take over God's rightful place on the throne of our lives, we sin. When we put our own interests before those of the peop