Sin and Virtue - Rector's Rambling for March 24, 2019

As you  know by now, if you have attended St. John’s for any length of time, that I really do believe in sin, and that I find it helpful in particular to categorize what is known as The Seven Deadly Sins.  I am grateful to have learned the acronym PALEGAS (Pride Anger Lust Envy Gluttony Avarice Sloth) so that their listing is easy to recite.  It has been a mission to better understand them so that we can both be on guard against them to avoid their lure, or if we are tripped up by the temptations of the World, the Flesh, and the Devil, to be able then to repent quickly and return to the right path.

One of the better defenses is to have a good offense!  As you see on this page, there are not only Seven Deadlies, but also Seven Holy Virtues.  Each one is not only a remedy for the deadly counterpart, but when practiced for their own sake, they are a wonderful defense against the temptation to fall into sin.  If you are focusing on the positive of the virtues then the deadlies have an uphill battle to gain your attention or acquiescence.

If you haven’t attended the Adult Education Class in Lent, you are missing out on a series on Sin, and how to avoid it.  We are using two very good books as a reference: The Sinner’s Guide by Ven. Louis of Granada, O.P., and Manual for Conquering Deadly Sin by Fr.  Dennis Kolinski, SJC.  Both texts start by defining the sin, perhaps in ways that you hadn’t discerned, and explains why and how they damage you and your relationship with God.  But both books also explain their corresponding virtues, and how they are a powerful antidote (or better yet, a defense) against those things that would do so much damage.

Of course, in all of this, a good confession of sin is a great aid to your holiness.  There is a brochure in the tract rack about making a personal private confession to a priest, and Fr. Bedford and I would be honored to be of help in this way.

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Today we have a powerful testimonial that will be shared at the 10:00 AM Service.  The Dreslinskis, leaders of our healing ministry, have themselves been witness in a personal way to the healing power of God.  Testimonies such as these are a wonderful encouragement to us all that God is at work in ways subtle and sublime, as well as sometimes outwardly miraculous.  Thanks be to God!