The main function of the Catholic Church is to evangelize, educate and lead souls to their salvation and eternal destiny with God in heaven. Throughout its long history there have been many scholars, theologians, priests and common folk who contributed to the evolving understanding of the Gospel message and how it can be applied to our everyday lives as we work out our salvation (Philippians 2:12)  

We are called to freely choose God’s will for our lives by obeying His commandments and pursuing our own sanctification though prayer, fasting, the sacraments and striving to grow in virtue. 

Growing in virtue is a difficult endeavor carried on by the grace of God. It is a practice of examining our conscious and actions in order to identify our faults and vices within ourselves so that we can give them to God and root them out.

According to Catholic Theology, there are seven deadly sins, and due to our fallen nature, we are subject to them and must make a willful effort to overcome them. We do this by practicing its opposite virtue.

Here is a list of the Seven Heavenly Virtues/Seven Deadly Sins: 

1. Humility/Pride 

2. Chastity/Lust 

3. Gratitude/Envy 

4. Patience/Wrath 

5. Diligence/Sloth 

6. Temperence/Gluttony 

7. Charity/Greed 

This month we focus on Pride, how to identify within ourselves and how to practice Humility.

Pride is the queen of all vices. It is the sin which caused Lucifer to fall and become the devil. It is the most insidious and according to St. Thomas Aquinas, it is that frame of mind in which a man, through the love of his own worth, aims to serve His own will and withdraw himself from subjection to God. It is an excessive love of self which is the root of all evil.  

In his book, Rooting out Hidden Faults, Father James McElhone, C.S.C. distinguishes four types of pride: 

1. Pride of Superiority or Authority in which a person is overbearing, critical, argumentative, mean, unkind, seeks to control others and disregards justice.   

Am I inclined to be bossy? 

Do I speak ill of others? 

Do I have to have the last word?   

2. Pride of Timidity manifest as self-hatred. It is when one lives in fear of what others think of them, overvaluing human respect.   

Am I easily embarrassed? 

Do I compare my talents with others? 

Do I exaggerate my weaknesses? 

Do I not try because I am afraid to fail?   

3. Pride of Sensitivity results from self-love being wounded and wants to sulk and feel bad for oneself.   

“Must you continue to be your own cross, no matter which way God leads you, you change everything into bitterness by constantly brooding over everything. For the love of God, replace your self-scrutiny with a pure simple glance at God’s goodness” -St. Jane Francis de Chantal.   

Am I distrustful? 

Do I accuse others of being unfair? 

Do I carry grudges? 

Do I brood over things?   

4. Pride of Vanity is the excessive desire to gain human respect, is arrogant, seeks to impress others, prone to show off.   

Am I vain about my looks and status? 

Am I anxious to surpass others? 

Do I exclude others for lack of status?   

Pride is deceptive and a lie about oneself; to root our Pride, one must pray for it and practice humility.

Humility is: 

1. The truth about oneself, our true destiny as children of God.  

2. Acknowledging and appreciating the talents and gifts that God has given us in order to serve others.  

3. Acknowledging the work of God within you. 

4. The pursuit of excellence. 

5. Defending and proclaiming the truth of scripture.   

Mother Teresa’s 15 Ways of Humility.    

   1. Speak as little as possible about yourself.  

 2. Keep busy with your own affairs and not the affairs of others.  

3. Avoid curiosity and gossip.  

4. Do not interfere with the affair of others.  

 5. Accept irritations with good humor.  

6. Do not dwell on the faults of others.  

7. Accept censures even if unmerited. (Censures are punishments or          imprisonments or difficulties).  

 8. Give into the will of others and not your own will.  

 9. Accept insults and injuries.   

 

 10. Accept intense being forgotten and disregarded.  

11. Be courteous and even when provoked by someone.  

 12. Do not seek to be admired, praised or loved.  

 13. Do not protect yourself behind your own dignity.  

 14. Give in in discussions even when you are right.  

15. Always choose the more difficult path.   

These are the best ways to exercise humility, although very hard; through earnest effort, prayer, and grace from God, we can grow more fully into the person he calls us to be.