A Lenten Reflection on that Predominant Fault You Haven't Conquered Yet

Sloth from The Seven Deadly Sins by Hieronymus Bosch

Have you ever considered the question, "What is my predominant sin/fault and how can I subdue it?" There are seven deadly sins and most of us are tempted more strongly by some vices than others. And, of course, at different seasons of life, some hold more sway. 

Where are you right now? What is your most challenging temptation? And what is the best method to overcome it?

Making a big general intention like, I'll try to be a better person, is less likely to show results than to work on a particular challenge with concrete methods. For example, whenever I have an unkind thought about someone, I will immediately say a Hail Mary for them.

Let's start with a practical observation. We all know what our predominant hand and arm is.  So let's use that as a metaphor. Suppose you are right handed and suddenly you have an accident that requires you to immobilize your right hand and arm. You aren't allowed to use it for weeks. That happened to me when I fell and injured my rotator cuff. After corrective surgery I was told to keep my right arm immobilized for about a month. I couldn't pick anything up or write anything using my right hand or even shake hands with anyone. I was in a sling with my arm close to my body -- extremely inconvenient. I had to keep that predominant hand and arm quiet and depend completely on my non-dominant left hand and arm.

What a challenge! My writing for that month was pretty illegible. It improved with practice, but took a lot of concentration and attention.

Something similar is required when we recognize our most challenging vice and the effort to quell it by practicing the opposite virtue. 

There are seven deadly sins. Each one has an opposing virtue. To quiet the vice, we need to practice the virtue.  Do you know which one is your greatest challenge and how to meet that challenge by striving for the opposing virtue?

Lust -- Chastity

Pride -- Humility

Envy -- Kindness

Sloth -- Diligence

Greed -- Generosity

Gluttony -- Temperance

Anger -- Meekness

Gluttony from The Seven Deadly Sins by Hieronymus Bosch

If you think about the saints, recognizing their predominant virtue can help you identify what was probably their predominant fault and give you a model to follow. St. Francis de Sales probably spent his life fighting against anger since he was such a model of meekness and patience. He was once chided for being too gentle with a sinner, but responded that he could not jeopardize his own peace of soul. He urged souls to control their anger by practicing gentleness every day and guarding our hearts against wrath. If a person recognizes his anger and makes a determined effort to control it at the moment it flares up, he is more likely to respond with calmness and gentleness. According to St. Francis, we are to collect ourselves gently and seriously at the first sign of anger. And he himself prayed this prayer:

O Lord, with Your help, I want to practice gentleness in daily encounters and annoyances. As soon as I realize that anger is kindled in me, I will collect myself, not with violence, but gently, and I will seek to restore my heart to peace. Knowing that I can do nothing alone, I will take care to call on You for help, as the Apostles did when they were tossed by the raging sea. Teach me to be gentle with all, even with those who offend me or are opposed to me, and even with myself, not burdening myself because of my faults. When I fall, in spite of my efforts, I will gently pick myself up and say: “Come on, my poor heart, let’s get up and leave this pit forever. Let’s have recourse to the mercy of God, and He will help us.” Amen.

Every one of the seven deadly sins can be warred against in the same way. And, believe me, it is a war! Satan can read us like a book. He knows how to stir up that sinful inclination, even if we've fought against it for years. The key is to persevere and never wave the white flag; which, in this case, is really the black flag of surrender. And don't forget you have special friends to help -- your guardian angel, patron saints, and those saints to whom you have particular devotion, with the Blessed Mother leading the way. 

May this Lent lead us all on the road to virtue and victory in the race for virtue.

O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee.