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Category |
Quotation |
Against
Bodily Destruction |
"Furthermore,
Christian doctrine establishes, and the light of human reason
makes it most clear, that private individuals have no other power
over the members of their bodies than that which pertains to their
natural ends; and they are not free to destroy or mutilate their
members, or in any other way render themselves unfit for their
natural functions, except when no other provision can be made for
the good of the whole body." (Pope Pius XI, "Casti
Connubii", 1930)
"You
are a portrait, O man, a portrait painted by your Lord God. Yours
is a good artist and painter. Do not deface the good picture"
(St. Ambrose of Milan, Doctor of the Church, c. 387 A.D.)
Also
See: Sterilization
| Suicide
| Tattoos
(Topical Scripture)
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Anger |
"You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, 'You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.'
But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother,
'Raqa,' will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, 'You fool,' will be liable to fiery
Gehenna." (Our Lord Jesus Christ, Mt. 5:21-22)
"All bitterness, fury, anger, shouting, and reviling must be removed from you, along with all malice."
(Eph. 4:31)
"But now you must put them all away: anger, fury, malice, slander, and obscene language out of your mouths."
(Col. 3:8)
"Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun set on your
anger, and do not leave room for the devil." (Eph. 4:26-27)
"What
was anger when it was fresh becomes hatred when it is aged."
(St. Augustine, Doctor of the Church)
"If
an angry man raises the dead, God is still displeased with his
anger." (St. Agatho)
"There
is no sin or wrong that gives a man such a foretaste of hell in
this life as anger and impatience." (St. Catherine of Siena,
Doctor of the Church)
"You
will effect more by kind words and a courteous manner, than by
anger or sharp rebuke, which should never be used by in
necessity." (St. Angela Merici)
"As
a general thing, self-control and contempt for calumny and evil
reports are more successful remedies than resentment, disputes and
revenge." (St. Francis de Sales, Doctor of the Church)
"If
one of you should be cross with another because of some hasty
word, the matter must at once be put right and you must betake
yourself to earnest prayer." (St. Teresa of Avila, Doctor of
the Church)
"Above
all everyone should in conversation try to avoid anger or bad
temper, or showing he is annoyed with someone, and no one should
hurt another in word or deed, or in any way." (St. Vincent de
Paul)
"Dismiss
all anger and look into yourself a little. Remember that he of
whom you are speaking is your brother and, as he is in the way of
salvation, God can make him a saint, in spite of his present
weakness." (St. Thomas of Villanova)
"The
memory of insults is the residue of anger. It keeps sins alive.
Hates justice, ruins virtue, poisons the heart, rots the mind,
defeats concentration, paralyzes prayer, puts love at a distance,
and is a nail driven into the soul." (St. John Climacus)
"If
we did like St. Remigius, we should never be angry. See, this
saint, being questioned by a Father of the desert as to how he
managed to be always in an even temper, replied: 'I often consider
that my guardian angel is always by my side" (St. John
Vianney)
"Just
as the surest cure for lying is to unsay a falsehood as soon as we
are conscious of having told it, so the best cure for anger is to
make immediate reparation in meekness; for, as the proverb says,
fresh wounds are always the easiest to heal." (St. Francis de
Sales, Doctor of the Church)
Also
See: Forgiveness
| Hatred
| Anger
(Topical Scripture)
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Bad
Thoughts |
"It
is not the bad thought, but the consent to it, that is
sinful." (St. Alphonsus Liguori, Doctor of the Church)
"Just
as you cannot stop air from coming into your chest, you cannot
stop evil thoughts from coming into your mind. Your part is to
resist them." (St. Poemen)
"If
any bad thought comes to you, make the sign of the cross, or say
an Our Father, or strike your breast, and try to think of
something else. If you do that, the thought will actually be
winning you merit, because you will be resisting it." (St.
Teresa of Avila, Doctor of the Church)
"Do
not argue with perverse thoughts or evil desires, but when they
attack you, occupy your mind vigorously with some profitable
meditation and plan until they vanish away. No thought or
intention is ever expelled from the heart except by some other
thought or intention incompatible with it." (St. Anselm of
Canterbury, Doctor of the Church)
Also
See: Sinful
Desires Forbidden
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Blasphemy |
"Therefore, I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven."
(Our Lord Jesus Christ, Mt. 12:31)
"But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile. For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery,
unchastity, theft, false witness, blasphemy.
These are what defile a person, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile."
(Our Lord Jesus Christ, 15:18-20)
"Some, by rejecting conscience, have made a shipwreck of their faith, among them Hymenaeus
and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme."
(St. Paul, 1 Tm. 1:19-20)
"Be
warned, my friends, that if blasphemy reigns in your homes, all
therein will perish." (St. John Vianney)
Also
See: Cursing
| Language
/ Speech
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Cursing |
"Bless those who persecute (you), bless and do not curse them."
(St. Paul, Rom. 12:14)
"For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. This need not be so, my brothers. Does a spring gush forth from the same opening both pure and brackish water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, produce olives, or a grapevine figs? Neither can salt water yield fresh."
(Jms. 3:7-12)
"I
tell you again that you must never curse your children, your
animals, your work, or the weather, because in curing all these
things, you are cursing what Almighty God has done by his holy
will." (St. John Vianney)
Also
See: Anger
| Blasphemy
| Language
/ Speech
| Against Swearing and Cursing (A MyCatholicSource.com 'Exclusive Article')
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Despair |
"We are afflicted in every way, but not constrained; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body."
(2 Cor. 4:8-10)
"When
tempted to despair, I have only one recourse: to throw myself at
the foot of the Tabernacle like a little dog at the feet of his
master." (St. John Vianney)
Also
See: Affliction
| Suffering
| Trials
& Tribulations | Our
Father's Love (Reflections)
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Envy |
"You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male or female slave, nor his ox or ass, nor anything else that belongs to him."
(Ex. 20:17)
"Rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, insincerity, envy, and all slander; like newborn infants, long for pure spiritual milk so that through it you may grow into salvation, for you have tasted that the Lord is
good." (1 Pt. 2:1-3)
"Let us not be conceited, provoking one another, envious of one another."
(Gal. 5:26)
"I
do not believe there is a more ugly and dangerous sin than envy
because it is hidden and often covered by the attractive mantle of
virtue or of friendship." (St. John Vianney)
Also
See: Sin
| Vice
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Fornication |
"Do you not know that the unjust will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor boy prostitutes nor practicing homosexuals nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor robbers will inherit the kingdom of God."
(1 Cor. 6:9)
"[F]ornications...are unlawful connections between persons, not bound by
marriage" (Gloss)
"[A]s
chastity is the way that leads to God, so fornication is the way
that leads to the Devil" [Pseudo Chrys (as quoted by St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church)]
"[T]he sin of fornication is grievous."
(St. Cyprian of Carthage)
"Hast thou been a fornicator? Abstain from fornication, and apply chastity to the wound."
(St. John Chrysostom, Doctor of the Church)
"...the
act of fornication is always evil." (St. Thomas Aquinas,
Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the history
of the Church")
"There
is nothing polluted in the human frame except a man defile this
with fornication and adultery" (St. Cyril of Jerusalem,
Doctor of the Church)
"He that is chaste before marriage, much more will he be chaste after it; and he that practiced fornication before, will practice it after marriage."
(St. John Chrysostom, Doctor of the Church)
"For thus, according to the holy apostle, the sin of fornication is perpetrated against the body, as involving also sin against the temple of God."
(St. Irenaeus of
Lyons)
"Or to put the matter in a different light: other sins are outside of us; and whatever we do we do against others. But fornication defiles the fornicator both in conscience and body"
(St. Jerome, Doctor of the Church)
"He who believes that his body shall remain to rise again, is careful of his robe, and defiles it not with fornication; but he who disbelieves the Resurrection, gives himself to fornication, and misuses his own body, as though it were not his own."
(St. Cyril of Jerusalem, Doctor of the Church)
"He said not,
'abstain from fornication,' but 'Flee:' that is, with all zeal make to yourselves deliverance from that evil.
'Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own
body.'" (St. John Chrysostom, Doctor of the Church)
"Simple
fornication is contrary to the love of our neighbor, because it is
opposed to the good of the child to be born...since it is an act
of generation accomplished in a manner disadvantageous to the
future child." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and
"greatest theologian in the history of the Church")
"For though he might in deep indignation have dealt with the fornicator, he doth not so; but with fearful words he first represses the swelling pride of the man, since in truth, what had occurred was a twofold sin, fornication, and, that which is worse than fornication, the not grieving over the sin committed. For not so much does he bewail the sin, as him that committed it and did not as yet repent."
(St. John Chrysostom, Doctor of the Church)
"The
fornicator is said to sin against his own body, not merely because
the pleasure of fornication is consummated in the flesh, which is
also the case in gluttony, but also because he acts against the
good of his own body by an undue resolution and defilement
thereof, and an undue association with another" (St. Thomas
Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the
history of the Church")
"Further,
nothing but mortal sin debars a man from God's kingdom. But
fornication debars him, as shown by the words of the Apostle (Gal. 5:21), who after mentioning fornication and certain
other vices, adds: 'They who do such things shall not obtain the
kingdom of God.' Therefore simple fornication is a mortal
sin." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and
"greatest theologian in the history of the Church")
"The
sin of fornication is contrary to the good of the human race, in
so far as it is prejudicial to the individual begetting of the one
man that may be born...Moreover, fornication is a sin against God,
not directly as though the fornicator intended to offend God, but
consequently, in the same way as all mortal sins. And just as the
members of our body are Christ's members, so too, our spirit is
one with Christ, according to 1 Corinthians 6:17, 'He who is
joined to the Lord is one spirit.'" (St. Thomas Aquinas,
Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the history
of the Church")
"The
gravity of a sin may be measured in two ways, first with regard to
the sin in itself, secondly with regard to some accident. The
gravity of a sin is measured with regard to the sin itself, by
reason of its species, which is determined according to the good
to which that sin is opposed. Now fornication is contrary to the
good of the child to be born. Wherefore it is a graver sin, as to
its species, than those sins which are contrary to external goods,
such as theft and the like; while it is less grievous than those
which are directly against God, and sins that are injurious to the
life of one already born, such as murder." (St. Thomas
Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the
history of the Church")
"What, for instance, is more offensive than fornication? And if this is not perceived at the time of its commission, yet, after it is committed, its offensive nature, the impurity contracted in it, and the
curse, and the abomination of it is perceived. So it is with all sin. Before it is committed it has something of pleasure, but after its commission, the pleasure ceases and fades away, and pain and shame succeed. But with righteousness it is the reverse. At the beginning it is attended with toil, but in the end with pleasure and repose. But even here, as in the one case the pleasure of sin is no pleasure, because of the expectation of disgrace and punishment, so in the other the toil is not felt as toil, by reason of the hope of reward."
(St. John Chrysostom, Doctor of the Church)
"The
sin of the fornicator receiving Christ's body is likened to Judas
kissing Christ, as to the resemblance of the sin, because each
outrages Christ with the sign of friendship, but not as to the
extent of the sin...And this resemblance in crime applies no less
to other sinners than to fornicators: because by other mortal
sins, sinners act against the charity of Christ, of which this
sacrament is the sign, and all the more according as their sins
are graver. But in a measure the sin of fornication makes one more
unfit for receiving this sacrament, because thereby especially the
spirit becomes enslaved by the flesh, which is a hindrance to the
fervor of love required for this sacrament." (St. Thomas
Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the
history of the Church")
"The single are to be admonished not to think that they can have intercourse with disengaged women without incurring the judgment of condemnation. For, when Paul inserted the vice of fornication among so many execrable crimes, he indicated the guilt of it, saying, Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor
extortioners, shall possess the kingdom of God (1 Cor. vi. 9, 10). And again, But fornicators and adulterers God will judge (Heb. xiii. 4). They are therefore to be admonished that, if they suffer from the storms of temptation with risk to their safety, they should seek the port of wedlock. For it is written, It is better to marry than to burn (1
Cor. vii. 9)."
(Pope St. Gregory the Great, Doctor of the Church)
"And once when I was discoursing of this to a certain one, and saying, that love makes men
unblamable, and that love to our neighbor does not suffer any entrance of transgression, and in my discourse going over, and pursuing all the
rest - some one of my acquaintance interposing himself said, What then of fornication, is it not possible both to love, and to commit fornication? And it is indeed from love that this springs. Covetousness indeed, and adultery, and envy, and hostile designs, and everything of this sort can, from love of one's neighbor, be stopped; but how fornication? he said. I therefore told him, that even this can love stop. For if a man should love a woman that commits fornication, he will endeavor both to draw her off from other men, and not himself also to add to her sin. So that to commit fornication with a woman is the part of one exceedingly hating her with whom he commits the fornication, but one who truly loved her would withdraw her from that abominable practice. And there is not, there is not any sin, which the power of love, like fire, cannot consume. For it is easier for a vile faggot to resist a great pile of fire, than for the nature of sin to resist the power of love."
(St. John Chrysostom, Doctor of the Church)
"Without
any doubt we must hold simple fornication to be a mortal
sin...[E]very
sin committed directly against human life is a mortal sin. Now
simple fornication implies an inordinateness that tends to injure
the life of the offspring to be born of this union. For we find in
all animals where the upbringing of the offspring needs care of
both male and female, that these come together not
indeterminately, but the male with a certain female, whether one
or several; such is the case with all birds: while, on the other
hand, among those animals, where the female alone suffices for the
offspring's upbringing, the union is indeterminate, as in the case
of dogs and like animals. Now it is evident that the upbringing of
a human child requires not only the mother's care for his
nourishment, but much more the care of his father as guide and
guardian, and under whom he progresses in goods both internal and
external. Hence human nature rebels against an indeterminate union
of the sexes and demands that a man should be united to a
determinate woman and should abide with her a long time or even
for a whole lifetime. Hence it is that in the human race the male
has a natural solicitude for the certainty of offspring, because
on him devolves the upbringing of the child: and this certainly
would cease if the union of sexes were indeterminate. This union
with a certain definite woman is called matrimony; which for the
above reason is said to belong to the natural law. Since, however,
the union of the sexes is directed to the common good of the whole
human race, and common goods depend on the law for their
determination...it follows that this union of man and woman, which
is called matrimony, is determined by some law...Wherefore, since
fornication is an indeterminate union of the sexes, as something
incompatible with matrimony, it is opposed to the good of the
child's upbringing, and consequently it is a mortal sin. Nor does
it matter if a man having knowledge of a woman by fornication,
make sufficient provision for the upbringing of the child: because
a matter that comes under the determination of the law is judged
according to what happens in general, and not according to what
may happen in a particular case." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor
of the Church and "greatest theologian in the history of the
Church")
Also
See: Legitimate
/ Illegitimate Children | Living
Together Without the Sacrament of Matrimony | Chastity
| Modesty/Proper
Dress [Pg.]
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Gluttony |
"If you are dining with a great man, bring not a greedy gullet to his table,
Nor cry out, 'How much food there is here!' Remember that gluttony is evil."
(Sirach 31:12-13)
"Distress and anguish and loss of sleep, and restless tossing for the glutton! Moderate eating ensures sound slumber and a clear mind next day on rising."
(Sirach 31:20)
"Be not drawn after every enjoyment, neither become a glutton for choice foods, For sickness comes with overeating,
and gluttony brings on biliousness. Through lack of self-control many have died, but the abstemious man prolongs his life."
(Sirach 37:28-30)
"The
forerunner of impurity is over-eating."
"For excess in eating is the mother of lust; a belly that is distended with food and saturated with draughts of wine is sure to lead to sensual passion."
(St. Jerome, Doctor of the Church)
"Now
it behooves us not to indulge in delights which fattening the body
make lean the soul, and bring a heavy burden upon it, and spread
darkness over it, and a thick covering, because in pleasure our
governing part which is the soul becomes the slave, but the
subject part, namely the body, rules. But the body is in need not
of luxuries but of food, that it may be nourished, not that it may
be racked and melt away. For not to the soul alone are pleasures
hurtful, but to the body itself, because from being a strong body
it becomes weak, from being healthy diseased, from being active
slothful, from being beautiful unshapely, and from youthful
old." (St. John Chrysostom, Doctor of the Church)
Also
See: Temperance
| Abstinence
| Fasting
| Mortification
| Renouncing
One's Self | Gluttony
(Topical Scripture)
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Hatred |
"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors
do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the
same? So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect."
(Our Lord Jesus Christ, Mt. 5:43-48)
"You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end
will be saved." (Our Lord Jesus Christ, Mt. 10:22)
"Then they will hand you over to persecution, and they will kill you. You will be hated by all nations because of my
name." (Our Lord Jesus Christ, Mt. 24:9)
"You will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved."
(Our Lord Jesus Christ, Mk. 13:13)
"You will be hated by all because of my name" (Our Lord
Jesus Christ, Lk. 21:17)
"Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude and insult you, and denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice and leap for joy on that day! Behold, your reward will be great in heaven. For their ancestors treated the prophets in the same way."
(Our Lord Jesus Christ, Lk. 6:22-23)
"If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you."
(Our Lord Jesus Christ, Jn. 15:18-19)
"Now the works of the flesh are obvious: immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions, occasions of envy,
drinking bouts, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God."
(Gal. 5:19-21)
"Let love be sincere; hate what is evil, hold on to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; anticipate one another in showing honor."
(Rom. 12:9-10)
"For
as long as we live in hatred for our neighbors we are hating our
own selves, because hatred deprives us of divine charity. How
stupidly blind not to see that with the sword of hatred for our
neighbors we are killing ourselves." (St. Catherine of Siena,
Doctor of the Church)
Also
See: Anger
| Love
/ Charity | Hatred
(Topical Scripture)
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Homosexuality
Also See:
Homosexuality (Topic Page)
|
"You
shall not lie with a male as with a woman; such a thing is an
abomination." (Lev. 18:22)
"Do
you not know that the unjust will not inherit the kingdom of God?
Do not be deceived; neither fornicators nor idolaters nor
adulterers nor boy prostitutes nor practicing homosexuals nor
thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor robbers
will inherit the kingdom of God. That is what some of you used to
be; but now you have had yourselves washed, you were sanctified,
you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the
Spirit of our God." (1 Cor. 6:9-11)
"I
wish to remind you, although you know all things, that (the) Lord
who once saved a people from the land of Egypt later destroyed
those who did not believe. The angels too, who did not keep to
their own domain but deserted their proper dwelling, he has kept
in eternal chains, in gloom, for the judgment of the great day.
Likewise, Sodom, Gomorrah, and the surrounding towns, which, in
the same manner as they, indulged in sexual promiscuity and
practiced unnatural vice, serve as an example by undergoing a
punishment of eternal fire." (Jude 1:5-7)
"Basing itself on Sacred
Scripture, which presents
homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity, tradition has always declared
that 'homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered.' They are
contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift
of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual
complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be
approved." (Catechism of the Catholic Church)
"Homosexual
persons are called to chastity." (Pontifical Council for
the Family)
Also
See: Sodomy
| Striving
Against Nature | Order
of Things Established by God | Against
Cross Dressing
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Living
Together Without the Sacrament of Matrimony |
"Lastly, since We well know that
none should be excluded from Our charity, We commend, venerable
brothers, to your fidelity and piety those unhappy persons who,
carried away by the heat of passion, and being utterly indifferent
to their salvation, live wickedly together without the bond of
lawful marriage. Let your utmost care be exercised in bringing
such persons back to their duty; and, both by your own efforts and
by those of good men who will consent to help you, strive by every
means that they may see how wrongly they have acted; that they may
do penance; and that they may be induced to enter into a lawful
marriage according to the Catholic rite." (Pope Leo XIII,
"Arcanum")
"It
is a grievous sin for unmarried men to have concubines; but it is
a most grievous sin, and one committed in special contempt of this
great sacrament, for married men also to live in this state of
damnation, and to have the audacity at times to maintain and keep
them at their own homes even with their own wives. Wherefore, the
holy Synod, that it may by suitable remedies provide against this
exceeding evil, ordains that these concubinaries, whether
unmarried or married, of whatsoever state, dignity, and condition
they may be, if, after having been three times admonished on this
subject by the Ordinary, even ex officio, they shall not have put
away their concubines, and have separated themselves from all
connexion with them, they shall be smitten with excommunication;
from which they shall not be absolved until they have really
obeyed the admonition given them. But if, regardless of this
censure, they shall continue in concubinage during a year, they
shall be proceeded against with severity by the Ordinary,
according to the character of the crime. Women, whether married or
single, who publicly live with adulterers or with concubinaries,
if, after having been three times admonished, they shall not obey,
shall be rigorously punished, according to the measure of their
guilt, by the Ordinaries of the places, ex officio, even though
not called upon to do so by any one; and they shall be cast forth
from the city or diocese, if the Ordinaries shall think fit,
calling in the aid of the Secular arm, if need be; the other
penalties inflicted on adulterers and concubinaries remaining in
their full force." (Council of Trent)
Also
See: Fornication
| Legitimate
/ Illegitimate Children | Marriage
Note:
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Materialism |
"The
eclipse of the sense of God and of man inevitably leads to a
practical materialism, which breeds individualism, utilitarianism
and hedonism. Here too we see the permanent validity of the words
of the Apostle: 'And since they did not see fit to acknowledge
God, God gave them up to a base mind and to improper conduct' (Rom
1:28). The values of being are replaced by those of having. The
only goal which counts is the pursuit of one's own material
well-being. The so-called 'quality of life' is interpreted
primarily or exclusively as economic efficiency, inordinate
consumerism, physical beauty and pleasure, to the neglect of the
more profound dimensions - interpersonal, spiritual and religious
- of existence. In such a context suffering, an inescapable burden
of human existence but also a factor of possible personal growth,
is 'censored', rejected as useless, indeed opposed as an evil,
always and in every way to be avoided. When it cannot be avoided
and the prospect of even some future well-being vanishes, then
life appears to have lost all meaning and the temptation grows in
man to claim the right to suppress it. Within this same cultural
climate, the body is no longer perceived as a properly personal
reality, a sign and place of relations with others, with God and
with the world. It is reduced to pure materiality: it is simply a
complex of organs, functions and energies to be used according to
the sole criteria of pleasure and efficiency. Consequently,
sexuality too is depersonalized and exploited: from being the
sign, place and language of love, that is, of the gift of self and
acceptance of another, in all the other's richness as a person, it
increasingly becomes the occasion and instrument for
self-assertion and the selfish satisfaction of personal desires
and instincts. Thus the original import of human sexuality is
distorted and falsified, and the two meanings, unitive and
procreative, inherent in the very nature of the conjugal act, are
artificially separated: in this way the marriage union is betrayed
and its fruitfulness is subjected to the caprice of the couple.
Procreation then becomes the 'enemy' to be avoided in sexual
activity: if it is welcomed, this is only because it expresses a
desire, or indeed the intention, to have a child 'at all costs',
and not because it signifies the complete acceptance of the other
and therefore an openness to the richness of life which the child
represents. In the materialistic perspective described so far,
interpersonal relations are seriously impoverished. The first to
be harmed are women, children, the sick or suffering, and the
elderly. The criterion of personal dignity - which demands
respect, generosity and service - is replaced by the criterion of
efficiency, functionality and usefulness: others are considered
not for what they 'are', but for what they 'have, do and produce'.
This is the supremacy of the strong over the weak." (Pope
John Paul II)
Also
See: Riches
/ Wealth | Envy
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Mediums |
"Do
not go to mediums or consult fortune-tellers, for you will be
defiled by them. I, the LORD, am your God." (Lev. 19:31)
"[Question:]
Whether it is permitted through a medium, as they call him, or
without a medium, with or without the application of hypnotism, to
be present at spiritistic conversations or manifestations of any
kind, even though these phenomena present the appearance of
honesty or piety, whether by interrogating souls or spirits, or by
listening to responses, or only by looking on, even with a tacit
or expressed protestation that one does not wish to have anything
to do with wicked spirits. - Reply: In negative in all
cases." (Reply of the Holy Office, 1917
A.D.)
Also
See: Satan
/ Devil | Horoscopes
/ Divination / Necromancy / Soothsayers (Topical Scripture)
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Pleasure
is Momentary |
"Pleasure
is momentary, but the punishment due to it is eternal." (St.
Gregory Nazianzen, Doctor of the Church)
Also
See: Sin
| Vice |
Reward
/ Punishment | Tough
Love in the New Testament | Judgment
(Topical Scripture)
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Pride
/ Vanity |
"When pride comes, disgrace comes; but with the humble is wisdom."
(Prov. 11:2)
"More and more, humble your pride; what awaits man is worms."
(Sirach 7:17)
"For pride is the reservoir of sin, a source which runs over with vice; Because of it God sends unheard-of afflictions and brings men to utter ruin."
(Sirach 10:13)
"God resists the proud, but gives grace to the
humble." (Jms. 4:6)
"Beware
of vanity. Remembrance of the past is a good antidote." (St.
Claude de la Colombiere)
"Pride
is an illusion, a lie and a theft. And since it is a truth of
faith that we are nothing, he who esteems himself and thinks that
he is someone is a seducer who deceives himself." (St. John
Eudes)
"Nothing
is harder to bear than those things which wound our self-love; but
if we thought of the humiliations suffered by Jesus Christ at
Bethlehem, should we ever dare to complain?" (St. John
Vianney)
"Oh,
whenever the tempter wants you to be puffed up with pride, say to
yourself: all that is good in me I have received from God on loan
and I should be a fool to boast of what is not mine." (St.
Padre Pio of Pietrelcina)
"You
must ask God to give you power to fight against the sin of pride
which is your greatest enemy - the root of all that is evil, and
the failure of all that is good. For God resists the proud."
(St. Vincent de Paul)
"Those
who talk often of themselves, discover that they are deeply
infected with the disease of the devil, which is pride, or with
the poison of vanity, its eldest daughter. They have no other
reward to expect, but what they now receive, the empty breath of
sinners. Even this incense is only affected hypocrisy. For men, by
that base passion which they betray, become justly contemptible
and odious to those very persons whose vain, applause they seem to
court." (Butler)
"God
was so displeased with pride that He did not spare to drive down
into hell the noble, high, excellent angels out of heaven for the
sake of their pride. So who in this wretched world could have a
status so high that he would not have serious cause to tremble and
quake in every joint of his body as soon as he feels a high, proud
thought enter his heart?" (St. Thomas More)
Also
See: Sin
| Vice |
Self-Love
/ Sin | Humility
| Modesty
/ Proper Dress [Pg.] | Pride
(Topical Scripture)
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Self-
Centeredness |
"The
root of all evils is self-centeredness just as, on the other hand,
the root of all virtues is charity. As long as this poisonous root
remains in the depths of the soul, even though some of the twigs
on the surface may be pruned back, others will inevitably continue
to sprout from the invigorated base until the very root from which
these pernicious shoots spring up has been utterly torn out and
nothing more remains." (St. Aelred of Rievaulx)
Also
See: Pride
/ Vanity | Self-Love
/ Sin | Sin
| Vice |
Looking
to the Good of Others | Renouncing
One's Self
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Self-Love
/ Sin |
"[I]nordinate
love of self is the cause of every sin." (St. Thomas Aquinas,
Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the history
of the Church")
Also
See: Pride
/ Vanity | Self-Centeredness
| Sin
| Vice |
Looking
to the Good of Others | Pride
(Topical Scripture)
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Sin
Also See:
Sin (Topic Page)
|
"Virtue exalts a nation, but sin is a people's disgrace."
(Prov. 14:34)
"In whatever you do, remember your last days, and you will never sin."
(Sirach 7:36)
"Delay not to forsake sins, neglect it not till you are in distress."
(Sirach 18:21)
"Flee from sin as from a serpent that will bite you if you go near it; Its teeth are lion's teeth, destroying the souls of men."
(Sirach 21:2)
"If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into
Gehenna. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into
Gehenna." (Our Lord Jesus Christ, Mt. 5:29) [Reminder:
Interpretation and application of Scripture should not be contrary
to the perennial, official teaching of the Roman Catholic Church.
Do not take Scripture passages out of context. Do not inflict harm
on yourself or others, break laws, take unsuitable/incautious or
inappropriate/drastic actions, or take figurative items
literally.] "Woe to the world because of things that cause sin! Such things must come, but woe to the one through whom they come!"
(Our Lord Jesus Christ, Mt. 18:7)
"If your
brother sins (against you), go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother. If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that 'every fact may be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses.' If he refuses to listen to them, tell the church.
If he refuses to listen even to the church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax
collector."
(Our Lord Jesus Christ, Mt. 18:15-17)
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
(Rom. 6:23)
"Therefore, just as through one person sin entered the world, and through sin, death, and thus death came to all, inasmuch as all
sinned - for up to the time of the law, sin was in the world, though sin is not accounted when there is no law. But death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin after the pattern of the trespass of Adam, who is the type of the one who was to come. But the gift is not like the transgression. For if by that one person's transgression the many died, how much more did the grace of God and the gracious gift of the one person Jesus Christ overflow for the many. And the gift is not like the result of the one person's sinning. For after one sin there was the judgment that brought condemnation; but the gift, after many transgressions, brought acquittal. For if, by the transgression of one person, death came to reign through that one, how much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of justification come to reign in life through the one person Jesus Christ.
In conclusion, just as through one transgression condemnation came upon all, so through one righteous act acquittal and life came to all. For just as through the disobedience of one person the many were made sinners, so through the obedience of one the many will be made righteous."
(Rom. 5:12-19)
"Consequently, you too must think of yourselves as (being) dead to sin and living for God in Christ Jesus.
Therefore, sin must not reign over your mortal bodies so that you obey their desires. And do not present the parts of your bodies to sin as weapons for wickedness, but present yourselves to God as raised from the dead to life and the parts of your bodies to God as weapons for righteousness. For sin is not to have any power over you, since you are not under the law but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? Of course not! Do you not know that if you present yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?"
(Rom. 6:11-16)
"If we sin deliberately after receiving knowledge of the
truth, there no longer remains sacrifice for sins but a fearful prospect of judgment and a flaming fire that is going to consume the adversaries."
(Heb. 10:26-27)
"He himself bore our sins in his body upon the cross, so that, free from sin, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you had gone astray like sheep, but you have now returned to the shepherd and guardian of your
souls." (1 Pt. 2:24-25)
"Everyone who commits sin commits lawlessness, for sin is
lawlessness. You know that he was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who remains in him sins; no one who sins has seen him or known him.
Children, let no one deceive you. The person who acts in righteousness is righteous, just as he is righteous.
Whoever sins belongs to the devil, because the devil has sinned from the beginning. Indeed, the Son of God was revealed to destroy the works of the devil. No one who is begotten by God commits sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot sin because he is begotten by
God. In this way, the children of God and the children of the devil are made plain; no one who fails to act in righteousness belongs to God, nor anyone who does not love his brother."
(1 Jn. 3:4-10)
"Death,
but not sin!" (St. Dominic Savio)
"[Let]
us declare war on sins" (St. Jerome, Doctor of the Church)
"Run
from places of sin as from the plague." (St. John Climacus)
"We
have only one evil to fear, and that is sin." (St. Alphonsus
Liguori, Doctor of the Church)
"You
should permit yourself to be tormented by every kind of martyrdom
before you would allow yourself to commit a mortal sin." (St.
Louis IX of France)
"[Satan]
is 'a murderer from the beginning', is also 'a liar and the father
of lies' (Jn 8:44). By deceiving man he leads him to projects of
sin and death, making them appear as goals and fruits of
life." (Pope John Paul II)
Also
See: Vice | Tough
Love in the New Testament | Reward
/ Punishment | Forgiveness
| Holiness
/ Virtue [Pg.] | Sin
(Topical Scripture) | Catholic
Basics Section
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Sinful
Desires Forbidden |
"But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart."
(Our Lord Jesus Christ, Mt. 5:28)
"To
abstain from sinful actions is not sufficient for the fulfillment
of God's law. The very desire of what is forbidden is evil."
(St. Jean Baptiste de la Salle)
Also
See: Sin
| Vice
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Sins
& Shortcomings of Others |
"One
is often carried away over the sins and shortcomings of others. It
would be far better to talk less about them and to pray
more." (St. John Vianney)
Also
See: Prayer
| Should
One Correct / Rebuke a Fallen Away Catholic?
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Sodomy
Also See:
Homosexuality (Topic Page)
Warning: Contains graphic language |
"I
wish to remind you, although you know all things, that (the) Lord
who once saved a people from the land of Egypt later destroyed
those who did not believe. The angels too, who did not keep to
their own domain but deserted their proper dwelling, he has kept
in eternal chains, in gloom, for the judgment of the great day.
Likewise, Sodom, Gomorrah, and the surrounding towns, which, in
the same manner as they, indulged in sexual promiscuity and
practiced unnatural vice, serve as an example by undergoing a
punishment of eternal fire." (Jude 1:5-7)
"[A]
thing is said to be natural, if it agrees with nature, and
unnatural, if it disagrees." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of
the Church and "greatest theologian in the history of the
Church")
"[C]opulation
with an undue sex, male with male, or female with female, as the
Apostle states (Romans 1:27)...is called the vice of sodomy."
(St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest
theologian in the history of the Church")
"[C]ertain
special sins are said to be against nature; thus contrary to
sexual intercourse, which is natural to all animals, is unisexual
lust, which has received the special name of the unnatural
crime." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and
"greatest theologian in the history of the Church")
"Wherefore
just as in speculative matters the most grievous and shameful
error is that which is about things the knowledge of which is
naturally bestowed on man, so in matters of action it is most
grave and shameful to act against things as determined by nature.
Therefore, since by the unnatural vices man transgresses that
which has been determined by nature with regard to the use of
venereal actions, it follows that in this matter this sin is
gravest of all [sins belonging to lust]...Just as the ordering of
right reason proceeds from man, so the order of nature is from God
Himself: wherefore in sins contrary to nature, whereby the very
order of nature is violated, an injury is done to God, the Author
of nature. Hence Augustine says (Confessiones iii,8): 'Those foul
offenses that are against nature should be everywhere and at all
times detested and punished, such as were those of the people of
Sodom, which should all nations commit, they should all stand
guilty of the same crime, by the law of God which hath not so made
men that they should so abuse one another. For even that very
intercourse which should be between God and us is violated, when
that same nature, of which He is the Author, is polluted by the
perversity of lust.'" (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the
Church and "greatest theologian in the history of the
Church")
Also
See: Homosexuality
| Striving
Against Nature | Order
of Things Established by God | Against
Cross Dressing
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Sterilization
Also See:
Pro-Life (Topic Page)
|
"To
the question proposed to the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the
Holy Office; 'Whether direct sterilization, either perpetual or
temporary, is permitted on a man or a woman,' the Most Eminent and
Reverend Fathers, Doctors, and Cardinals, appointed to guard
matters of faith and morals, on Thursday, the 21st day of
February, 1940, have decided that the following answer must be
given: 'In the negative, and indeed that it is prohibited by the
law of nature, and that, insofar as it pertains to eugenic
sterilization, it has already been disapproved by the decree of
this Congregation, on the 21st day of March, 1931." (Decree
of the Holy Office, February 24, 1940 A.D.)
"It would be more than a mere lack of readiness in
the service of life if an attack made by man were to concern not
only a single act but should affect the organism itself to deprive
it, by means of sterilization, of the faculty of procreating a new
life. Here, too, you have a clear rule in the Church's teaching to
guide your behavior both interiorly and exteriorly. Direct
sterilization - that is, whose aim tends as a means or as an end
at making procreation impossible - is a grave violation of the
moral law and therefore unlawful. Not even public authority has
any right, under the pretext of any 'indication' whatsoever, to
permit it, and less still to prescribe it or to have it used to
the detriment of innocent human beings. This principle is already
proclaimed in the... [Encyclical of Pope Pius XI on marriage,
Casti Connubii]. Thus when ten years or so ago sterilization came
to be more widely applied, the Holy See saw the necessity of
expressly and publicly declaring that direct sterilization, either
perpetual or temporary, in either the male or the female, is
unlawful according to natural law, from which, as you well know,
not even the Church has the power to dispense." (Pope Pius XII,
Allocution To Midwives, 1951 A.D.)
Also
See: Against
Bodily Destruction | Fornication
| Marital
Relations | Marriage
|
Contraception
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Suicide |
"Moreover
if to murder another is the greatest temporal injustice a man can
commit against a neighbor, life being of all temporal blessings
the greatest and most noble, suicide is a crime so much more
enormous, as the charity which every one owes to himself,
especially to his immortal soul is stricter, more noble and of a
superior order to that which he owes to his neighbor." (Butler)
"To
concur with the intention of another person to commit suicide and
to help in carrying it out through so-called 'assisted suicide'
means to cooperate in, and at times to be the actual perpetrator
of, an injustice which can never be excused, even if it is
requested. In a remarkably relevant passage Saint Augustine writes
that 'it is never licit to kill another: even if he should wish
it, indeed if he request it because, hanging between life and
death, he begs for help in freeing the soul struggling against the
bonds of the body and longing to be released; nor is it licit even
when a sick person is no longer able to live'." (Pope John
Paul II)
"Suicide
is always as morally objectionable as murder. The Church's
tradition has always rejected it as a gravely evil
choice...[S]uicide, when viewed
objectively, is a gravely immoral act. In fact, it involves the
rejection of love of self and the renunciation of the obligation
of justice and charity towards one's neighbor, towards the
communities to which one belongs, and towards society as a whole.
In its deepest reality, suicide represents a rejection of God's
absolute sovereignty over life and death, as proclaimed in the
prayer of the ancient sage of Israel: 'You have power over life
and death; you lead men down to the gates of Hades and back again'
(Wis 16:13; cf. Tob 13:2)." (Pope John Paul II)
Also
See: Suicide
(Life Issues Pg). | Adversity
| Affliction
| The
Cross / Crosses | Necessity
of / Reasons for Suffering | Pain
| Sickness
/ Illness | Sorrow
/ Sorrows | Suffering
| Trials
& Tribulations | Words
of Advice (Suffering) | Words
of Encouragement (Suffering) | How
One Dies is How One Remains Forever
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Temptation |
"Blessed is the man who perseveres in temptation,
for when he has been proved he will receive the crown of life that he promised to those who love him.
No one experiencing temptation should say, 'I am being tempted by
God'; for God is not subject to temptation to evil, and he himself tempts no one. Rather, each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire conceives and brings forth sin, and when sin reaches maturity it gives birth to death."
(Jms. 1:12-15)
"To
those who are just and upright, temptations become helps."
(St. Ephraem the Syrian, Doctor of the Church)
"Blessed
are they that are tempted! It is when the devil sees that a soul
is tending towards union with God that he redoubles his
efforts." (St. John Vianney)
"(In
our struggle against temptations) our Lord is there quite close to
us, looking on us with kindness, smiling at us and saying: 'So you
do love Me!'" (St. John Vianney)
"Offer
your temptations for the conversion of sinners. When the devil
sees you doing this, he is beside himself with rage and makes off,
because then the temptation is turned against himself." (St.
John Vianney)
"To
resist every temptation, it is sufficient to pronounce the names
of Jesus and Mary; and if the temptation continues, let us
continue to invoke Jesus and Mary, and the Devil shall never be
able to conquer us." (St. Alphonsus Liguori, Doctor of the
Church)
"Wherefore
whosoever hath entered a virtuous course, let him prepare his mind
for all manner of temptation, for we know that the devil will
never agree with those who in God's cause are his enemies,
howsoever he fawned upon them while they were in his power."
(St. Robert Southwell)
"Don't
let temptations frighten you; they are the trials of the souls
whom God wants to test when he sees they have the necessary
strength to sustain the struggle, thus weaving the crown of glory
with their own hands." (St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina)
"A
powerful remedy against temptations of the flesh, and all sins of
impurity, is to flee idleness; for no one is more exposed to such
temptations than he who has nothing to do, who spends his time in
gazing at people out of the window, or in chatting with his
friends." (St. Robert Bellarmine, Doctor of the Church)
"In
the moment of temptation have you not sought to deceive yourself
by foolish reasonings on the justice of God, and on his mercy?
Have you not sought to persuade yourself that sin is not so great
an evil - that God is too good to punish you? And is it not true
that it was only after the sin that your blindness ceased, and
that your eyes were opened to the light?" (St. Ignatius
Loyola)
"Satan, however, is overcome not by
indolence, sleep, wine, revelling, or lust; but by prayer, labor,
watching, fasting, continence and chastity. Watch ye and pray,
that ye enter not into temptation...is the admonition of our Lord.
They who make use of these weapons in the conflict put the enemy
to flight; for the devil flees those who resist him."
(Catechism of the Council of Trent)
"For
whether we desire it or not we shall be tempted. If we do not
struggle, we shall not be victorious, nor shall we merit the crown
of immortal glory which God has prepared for those of us who are
victorious and triumphant. Let us fear neither the temptation nor
the tempter, for if we make use of the shield of faith and the
armor of truth, they will have no power whatsoever over us."
(St. Francis de Sales, Doctor of the Church)
"When
you are tempted by the enemy, the best remedy is to hasten with
all speed to the Cross, and to see Christ thereon, covered with
wounds, torn, disfigured, streaming with blood. Then reflect that
the chief reason why he is there is to destroy sin; and so, with
all devotion, beg him not to allow what is so abominable, and what
he sought, with such labor to overthrow, ever to reign in our
hearts." (St. Peter of Alcantara)
"The
faithful should also reflect who is their leader against
temptations of the enemy; namely, Christ the Lord, who was
victorious in the same combat. He overcame the devil; He is that
stronger man who, coming upon the strong armed man, overcame him,
deprived him of his arms, and stripped him of his spoils. Of
Christ's victory over the world, we read in St. John: Have
confidence: I have overcome the world; and in the Apocalypse, He
is called the conquering lion; and it is said of Him that He went
forth conquering that He might conquer, because by His victory He
has given power to others to conquer." (Catechism of the
Council of Trent)
Also
See: Satan
/ Devil | Trials
& Tribulations |
Tribulations /
Temptations (Increase Holiness Reflections) | Sin
| Increase
Holiness Section
Note:
Categories are subjective and may overlap. For more items related
to this topic, please review all applicable categories. For more
'Reflections' and for Scripture topics, see links below.
Top |
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Catg.
| Help
|
Vice |
"When
we are assailed by some vice we must, as far as possible, embrace
the practice of the contrary virtue." (St. Francis de Sales,
Doctor of the Church)
"He
who wants to overcome vices should fight with the arms of love,
not of rage." (St. Peter Chrysologus, Doctor of the Church)
Also
See: Sin
| Life's
Battle | Renouncing
One's Self | Renouncing
the World | Holiness
/ Virtue [Pg.] | Reward
/ Punishment
Note:
Categories are subjective and may overlap. For more items related
to this topic, please review all applicable categories. For more
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|
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