Pride

February 23, 2013

The Sins of a Holy Priest

Fr. John Hardon talking with Pope John Paul, II

Fr. John Hardon talking with Pope John Paul, II

November 29, 2012

Anger – The Father of all Sins

If pride is the mother of all sins, anger is the father.  While all sins are born from pride, those same sins are often supported by anger.  Pride nurtures sin, and anger defends it.

November 18, 2012

Predominant Tendencies and Primary Faults

We were all born with a strong tendency toward pride, the mother of all sins.  Because of our fallen human nature, we were also born with a tendency toward each of the other root passions of lust, anger, avarice, envy, gluttony, and sloth; furthermore, as a result of the individual unique traits that each of us were born with, combined with the environment we grew up in and our life experiences, we each entered adolescence, and later adulthood, with a predominant tendency toward one of the other six root passions.

November 17, 2012

The Doorway to Holiness and Perfection

In her book The Way of Perfection, St. Teresa of Avila wrote, “…but it remains for us to become detached from our own selves and it is a hard thing to withdraw from ourselves and oppose ourselves, because we are very close to ourselves and love ourselves very dearly…It is here that true humility can enter.”

November 3, 2012

An Apostle Speaks Out

As you know, last week Bishop Jenky issued a directive to all the priests in the Diocese of Peoria to read a letter at each of the weekend Masses.  I have some observations about the letter, but first, here’s what Bishop Jenky wrote:

October 31, 2012

The Mother of all Sins

Of the seven root passions or sins – pride, lust, anger, avarice, envy, gluttony, and sloth – the most deadly is pride.  It was an appeal to pride that persuaded Eve to defy her Creator:  “…you shall be as Gods, knowing good and evil.”  (Genesis 3:6)

October 24, 2012

Unruly Passions

Eve responded, “Of the fruit of the trees that are in paradise we do eat: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of paradise, God hath commanded us that we should not eat; and that we should not touch it, lest perhaps we die.”  Genesis 3:2-3.  Every time a sin is committed, something within us dies.  The result of sin is always death.  This has been true from the beginning of time.

June 23, 2012

The Dark Side of Humanity

On June 13, 2012, Justin Siebenthal, a 21-year-old East Peoria, Illinois, man was shot and killed inside his home by two men.  The crime took place in the middle of the night.  Siebenthal opened his front door thinking that a man he had talked to earlier about buying some drugs was going to be standing outside the door.  Instead, there were two men armed with handguns.

June 9, 2012

Where Do You Draw The Line?

A few years ago one of my injury clients, Jane, called and told me that she had recently ended a homosexual relationship and was being harassed by her former partner, Jenifer.*  During the time they were together, Jane and Jennifer lived in Jennifer’s house and split the household expenses.  They also shared a small dog that Jennifer had given to Jane as a gift.