Sin and Virtue

In the previous blogs, I wrote about the Seven Deadly Sins. These are the chief sins from which all other sins spawn. This number and list came from St. Gregory Dialogos, a sixth century Roman Pope. There are others who say that there are Eight Deadly Sins. St. John of the Ladder, St. Evagrios the Solitary, and St. John Cassian said that there are eight, but their lists of sins are not completely identical with each other. In this blog, I will talk more about sin and virtue.

Sin is the absence of good. It is the absence of virtue. There are three Theological Virtues and four Cardinal Virtues. The absence of any one of these is sin.

The three Theological Virtues are mentioned in the thirteenth chapter of St. Paul's First Epistle to the Corinthians. They are faith, hope, and love. (I Cor. 13:13)

The four Cardinal Virtues are in the eighth chapter of the Wisdom of Solomon. They are self-control, prudence, justice, and courage. (Wisdom 8:7)

The virtue faith (Greek, pistis) includes belief and trust as well as faithfulness. To have pistis in someone is to believe that person, trust that person, and stay faithful to that person. That is what it means to "believe in Christ." Anyone who truly believes in Christ will believe what Christ taught, trust Christ to do what He said He would do, and faithfully keep His commandments and serve Him.

Faith is always accompanied by hope and love. The absence of either of these other virtues would indicate the absence of the theological virtue of faith. St. Paul said that "faith worketh by love." (Gal. 5:6, KJV) He also said that faith is "the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Heb. 11:1, KJV)

A faith that does not produce works done out of love is a dead faith. St. James said, "What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him?" (James 2:14, KJV) The answer to these questions is that such a man does not have a genuine faith, but a dead one. No, such a faith as this cannot save him. (James 2:17,26)

So, faith and faithfulness are always accompanied by the virtues of love and hope.

In the Wisdom of Solomon, love (Greek, agape) is defined as "the keeping of her laws," that is, the laws of Wisdom — an Old Testament name for the Second Person of the Godhead. (Wisdom 6:18; see also I Cor. 1:24.) St. Paul in his Epistle to the Romans, likewise, defined love as "the fulfilling of the Law." (Rom. 13:10) Love is obedience to God.

St. Paul in his First Epistle to the Corinthians describes love. He says:

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. (I Cor. 13:4-8, NKJV)

From this text, we see that patience (makrothumia), kindness (chrestotes), humility, courteousness, unselfishness, purity of thought, joy in truth, faith (pistis), and hope (elpis) are characteristics of love (agape). Love "bears all thing" and "endures all things" because it is assured that God is in control and governs everything well. That is what Clement of Alexandria said.

Although visited with ignominy and exile, and confiscation, and above all, death, he will never be wrenched from his freedom, and signal love to God. “The charity which bears all things, endures all things” (I Cor. 13:7), is assured that Divine Providence orders all things well. (The Stromata, Book IV, chapter 7, by Clement of Alexandria, 153-217 A.D., vol. 2, p. 418, Ante-Nicene Fathers)

St. Jerome wrote:

Charity is the mother of all virtues, and the apostle’s words about faith hope and charity (I Cor. 13:13) are like that threefold cord which is not quickly broken. (Eccl. 4:12) We believe, we hope, and through our faith and hope we are joined together in the bond of charity. (Col. 3:14) (Letter LXXXII, by St. Jerome, 345-420 A.D., vol. 6, p. 175, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series)

Wherever there is love (agape), there will also be the other two theological virtues: faith (pistis) and hope (elpis). Faith and hope produce love. When the apostle says love "believes all things," he was not saying that we should believe anything at all whether it be true or false. Blessed Augustine explains this text this way:

Since faith, then, is in our power, inasmuch as every one believes when he likes, and, when he believes, believes voluntarily; our next inquiry, which we must conduct with care, is, What faith it is which the apostle commends with so much earnestness? For indiscriminate faith is not good. Accordingly we find this caution: “Brethren, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God.” (I John 4:1) Nor must the clause in commendation of love, that it “believeth all things” (I Cor. 13:7), be so understood as if we should detract from the love of any one, if he refuses to believe at once what he hears. For the same love admonishes us that we ought not readily to believe anything evil about a brother; and when anything of the kind is said of him, does it not judge it to be more suitable to its character not to believe? Lastly, the same love, “which believeth all things,” does not believe every spirit. Accordingly, charity believes all things no doubt, but it believes in God. Observe, it is not said, Believes in all things. It cannot therefore be doubted that the faith which is commended by the apostle is the faith whereby we believe in God. (Rom. 4:3) (On the Spirit and the Letter, chapter 55, by Blessed Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.), vol. 5, p. 107, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series)

When St. Paul said that love "hopes all things," he was saying that we should hope for the good things to come in the age to come and hope for the best for everyone. St. John Cassian wrote:

As then Christ is our head, we ought always in all temptations and persecutions to protect it with the hope of future good things to come, and especially to keep faith in Him whole and undefiled. (The Conferences, Part I, Conference VII: The First Conference of Abbot Serenus, chapter 5, by St. John Cassian, 360-436 A.D., vol. 11, p. 364, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series)

The sins of impatience, meanness, envy, pride, arrogance, disbelief, distrust, despair, selfishness, joy in sin, joy in falsehood and error, and lack of endurance in hardship and trials indicate the absence of love.

Hope consists of desire and expectation. When we hope for immortality, we desire to be resurrected with our bodies changed into immortal, youthful, healthy, incorruptible ones and we expect that that will actually happen one day if we continue to persevere on the path of salvation. When we hope to live in a renewed universe where there is no sin or evil, we desire it and we expect it to be ours one day. We look at the stars believing and knowing that we will one day be able to see other worlds that orbit those stars. Immortals have plenty of time to do many things.

Hope moves us on to obedience to God. Love, as we have already seen, is the keeping of God's commandments. So, hope produces love.

People who have their hearts set on temporal pleasures and sensual delights have a difficult time keeping God's commandments. To them, God's commandments are burdensome and an impediment to their experience of joy in iniquity. Sin is more pleasurable to them because they are short-sighted and unable to see beyond this life to the glorious joys of the next.

To those who have hope in better things to be revealed to them after Christ's Second Coming, God's commandments are not burdensome. They are the means to obtaining the likeness of God and becoming whole human beings. They are the means to acquiring eternal wealth and a joy that will last forever.

The Christian should remember that God is paying him to keep His commandments. Even though he will be an "unprofitable and unworthy servant" if he keeps them all (St. Luke 17:10), he will still receive his reward at the end of this present age.

The absence of the cardinal virtue of self-control (sophrosune) is lack of self-control. The person who lacks self-control is one who is incapable of saying no to oneself.

The absence of the cardinal virtue of prudence (phronusis) is imprudence. Such persons who lack this virtue do not think ahead. They do not consider what will be the outcome of their actions. In Proverbs, it says, "Do all things with counsel." (Prov. 26:3, LXX) In Ecclesiasticus, it says:

Do nothing without advice, and when thou hast once done, repent not. (Ecclus. 32:19, KJV)

One needs wisdom before one acts. One needs to find out from the Bible, holy books and writings, and from godly people what to do, before doing something significant.

See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise. (Eph. 5:15, NKJV)

The cardinal virtue of justice is in Greek dikaiosune. This word is also translated righteousness. One becomes righteous by first being forgiven and then by practicing God's commandments. Sin is the absence of righteousness. Injustice is the absence of justice. Being fair with others and not abusing them or showing partiality is how justice is exhibited.

The cardinal virtue of courage is in Greek andria. This word is derived from the Greek word for man, aner or andros. To have courage means to be manly. God placed man at the top of his creation but a little lower than the angels. (Gen. 1:26; Heb. 2:7) To behave without fear, but to behave righteously is what andria means. Jesus said:

And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. (St. Matt. 10:28, NKJV)

St. John said:

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. (I John 4:18, NKJV)

Fear is the absence of courage. It is also the absence of love. Courage is, therefore, a characteristic of love.

Love is the mother of all virtues, as St. Jerome said. Practice love for God and love for others and you will practice all of the other virtues as well. (St. Matt. 22:37-40) However, the love of God is poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. (Rom. 5:5) Love comes from God. Therefore, all the virtues, which are all derived from love, come from God, too. Jesus said:

Without Me you can do nothing. (St. John 15:5, NKJV)

We need to be united to Christ in order to do any spiritual good. This union with Jesus Christ occurs sacramentally. (Rom. 6:3-8; Gal. 3:27; St. John 6:56) So, the unregenerate person has a difficult time doing any spiritual good because he has not been united to Christ and is devoid of God's Spirit.

Pelagius, an ancient heretic, taught that it is possible for someone to keep all of God's commandments without having received any of the Sacraments in the Church. He falsely taught that the Sacraments are unimportant. He taught salvation without grace.

We still need God's grace. We still need the Sacraments. We are all spiritual cripples and need spiritual crutches in order to walk aright.

In conclusion, there are three Theological Virtues and four Cardinal Virtues. One cannot have any one of the three Theological Virtues without having the other two. Love is the mother of all virtues. Anyone who has love has the four Cardinal Virtues as well. We need to receive the Sacraments in the Church so that we can more easily keep God's commandments. Love is obedience to God. If we refuse to obey God, then we refuse to love Him. Sin is the absence of virtue.

Steve

Bibliography

Ante-Nicene Fathers, edited by Alexander Roberts, D.D. & James Donaldson, LL.D., volumes 1-10, Hendrickson Publishers, Peabody, Massachusetts

Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, edited by Philip Schaff, D.D., LL.D., volumes 1-14, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., Peabody, Massachusetts

Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, edited by Philip Schaff, D.D., LL.D. & Henry Wace, D.D., volumes 1-14, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., Peabody, Massachusetts

Working Away Sloth

The next sin I wish to deal with is sloth. Sloth is the absence of diligence. It is the absence of attentiveness, effort, and industry. There is spiritual sloth and there is physical sloth. Both are sins.

For attribute click here.

The man who works hard, but never has time for God or church is slothful in his spiritual life. He is lazy, but in a different way from the man who refuses to work. A man can be one who prays, but makes excuses for why he should not work. He might say that he needs to devote himself to spiritual things, which, of course, is true. Such a man is simply trying to justify his slothfulness and is also failing spiritually.

God created man to work. In Genesis, after God had created everything but man, it says regarding the Garden of Eden:

There was not a man to cultivate it. (Gen. 2:5, LXX)

After God created man, He put man in the garden "to cultivate and keep it." (Gen. 2:15, LXX) In Isaiah, there is a prophecy of the afterlife — life in God's kingdom after the general resurrection from the dead. In this prophecy, it says:

They shall build houses, and themselves shall dwell in them; and they shall plant vineyards, and themselves shall eat the fruit thereof. (Isaiah 65:21, LXX)

Further on, it says:

They shall by no means build, and others inhabit; and they shall by no means plant, and others eat: for as the days of the Tree of Life shall be the days of My people, they shall long enjoy the fruits of their labours. (Isaiah 65:22, LXX)

There is this connection between man and the ground. According to Genesis, God created man from the dust of the earth. Man, therefore, must till the soil and grow things. This connection between man and the earth will continue on into the afterlife according to the prophecy in Isaiah. Man will plant vineyards. I think that man will plant other things besides grapes, too.

There is also this connection between man and building construction. Jesus Christ, the Last Adam, was the stepson of a carpenter. (I Cor. 15:45; St. Matt. 13:55) He built houses. According to the prophecy in Isaiah, man will continue to build houses and live in them.

So, man was created for physical work and will continue to work physically after his body has been resurrected from the ground in which it was buried.

St. Evagrios the Solitary said that we are supposed to do physical work for two reasons: to not be a burden to others and to have something so that we can give to those in need. He wrote:

Provide yourself with such work for your hands as can be done, if possible, both during the day and at night, so that you are not a burden to anyone, and indeed can give to others, as Paul the Apostle advises. ("Outline Teaching on Asceticism and Stillness in the Solitary Life," by St. Evagrios the Solitary, The Philokalia, vol. 1, p. 35)

St. Paul wrote:

For you remember, brethren, our labor and toil; for laboring night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, we preached to you the gospel of God. (I Thess. 2:9, NKJV)

He said that we should follow his example as he followed Christ's example.

Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ. (I Cor. 11:1, NKJV)

So, one reason for working is to not be a burden to anyone as St. Paul taught in this passage from I Thessalonians. If we obey the apostle's command to imitate him, we will do the same. In his second letter to the Thessalonian Christians, he told them:

For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you; nor did we eat anyone’s bread free of charge, but worked with labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, not because we do not have authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us. For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. (II Thess. 3:7-10, NKJV)

St. Paul also wrote:

Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. (Eph. 4:28, NKJV)

This is the other reason the apostle gives for working: "to have something to give him who has need." He also said in this verse, "working with his hands what is good." So, we are to be employed doing honest work.

Man was also created for spiritual work, too. In Isaiah it says that God created man for His glory. (Isaiah 43:7) In the 49th Psalm, it says:

The sacrifice of praise will glorify Me. (Psalm 49:23, LXX; Psalm 50:23, Hebrew)

Worship is one way to glorify God and one of the reasons for which God created man. We must pray and we must worship our Creator. God created man for Himself. (Col. 1:16)

There are other spiritual activities that we should be practicing. Some of them are fasting, reading the Bible, and obeying the teachings of the Bible. We need to seek to understand how the Church interprets the Bible, too. The Church is "the pillar and ground of the truth." (I Tim. 3:15)

Sometimes, laziness or sloth is caused by malnutrition. People might feel lethargic due to insufficient amounts of B vitamins and protein in their diets. From what I have read, vitamin B-12 is the energy vitamin.

Also, vegetarians need to be careful that they get enough protein from the foods they eat. Plants have incomplete proteins. Anyone who abstains from meat needs to be eating beans and grains, such as wheat, corn, and oats. Beans have part of the protein and the grains have the other part. From what I have read, rice has a lesser degree of protein than wheat, corn, and oats. That is to say, the proteins in rice are more incomplete than those in the other grains mentioned. Nuts also have incomplete proteins. They also need to be supplemented with beans and grains so that one can get complete proteins in one's diet.

To work away sloth, we need to work. We need to work so that we are not a burden to others and so that we can have something to give to those in need. God created us to do physical work and spiritual work. We need to pray, worship God, fast, read the Bible, seek to understand how the Church interprets the Bible, and obey the teachings of the Bible. We need to make sure that we eat foods with sufficient amounts of the nutrients our bodies need. Otherwise, we will feel lethargic.

Steve

Bibliography

The Philokalia, volumes 1-4, compiled by St. Nikodimos of the Holy Mountain and St. Makarios of Corinth, translated by G.E.H. Palmer, Philip Sherrard, and Kallistos Ware, Faber and Faber, London, UK, copyright 1979 The Eling Trust

Deliverance from Envy

The next vice I wish to discuss is that of envy. Envy is also called jealousy. This vice is, according to St. John of the Ladder, engendered by pride and greed. People who seek status among others and seek to amass more wealth and material possessions have a tendency to develop the sin of envy. They become envious of those who have more status and more wealth than they do.

The way to rid oneself of envy, therefore, is to rid oneself of pride and greed. To do this one must practice the remembrance of death. One must become more aware of one's massive debt to God and how small one really is in God's presence. One needs to reflect on his past sins and failings, not because those sins were not forgiven but because they indicate how much dependence one needs on God in order to remain forgiven and how inferior one is to God's standard of absolute perfection and holiness. One needs to learn the virtue of detachment. God has already promised everything to His faithful children. It is not necessary for any of them to become so desirous of more wealth and possessions. Jesus said, "One's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses." (St. Luke 12:15, NKJV) St. Paul told the Corinthian Christians, "All things are yours." (I Cor. 3:21, NKJV) St. John in the Book of Revelation wrote, "He who overcomes shall inherit all things." (Rev. 21:7, NKJV)

Some people because envious of others who possess more knowledge than they do. Anyone who is planning on living a life of immortality in the Kingdom of God should know that he has an entire eternity to spend learning something new. There is no need to envy someone who knows more than you do.

Some people become envious of another who has a better spouse. One should realize that marriage is a temporary phenomenon for this age only. Marriage is for mortals. Jesus told the Sadducees, "The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage. But those who are counted worthy to attain to that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection." (St. Luke 20:34-36, NKJV) St. Paul told the Corinthian Christians, "The time is short, so that from now on even those who have wives should be as though they had none." (I Cor. 7:29, NKJV) This teaching on the absence of marriage in the afterlife should be counterbalanced with what the other passages of Scripture say about man, woman, and procreation. St. Paul said that God created woman for man (I Cor. 11:9) and God said in the beginning, "It is not good for man to be alone. I will make him a helper comparable to him." (Gen. 2:18, SAAS) It is logical to assume, then, that although the institution of marriage will cease to exist, the existence of heterosexual unions will not. So, regardless how much better one person's spouse is to another's, it really does not matter to those who have their hopes set on the blessings of the age to come. No man in the Kingdom of God will ever be without a gorgeous, godly gal and no woman will be without a handsome, holy hunk. As for procreation, God was never against it in the beginning, why should anyone think that He will be against it in the end? (See Gen. 1:28; Isaiah 11:8,9, LXX; Isaiah 65:17-25, LXX; Wisdom 3:13; Eph. 3:21, NKJV, Heb. 6:12-18.) I believe that some other system will replace marriage. Whatever that system is we can only speculate about it now. There is really no need, therefore, for anyone who is seeking the Kingdom of God to become jealous over another person's spouse. Just "seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (St. Matt. 6:33)

The remembrance of death, the pursuit of humility, and setting one's hope on future blessings are some ways to battle envy. St. Maximos the Confessor told about another way of doing it. He wrote:

As for your own envy, you will be able to check it if you rejoice with the man whom you envy whenever he rejoices, and grieve whenever he grieves, thus fulfilling St. Paul's words, "Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep." (Rom. 12:15) ("The Third Century on Love," section 91, by St. Maximos the Confessor, The Philokalia, vol. 2, p. 98)

Learn to become happy for those whom you envy when things turn out good for them. Rejoice when they rejoice. When circumstances turn out unfavorable for them, weep when they weep. St. Maximos also said that one can rid oneself of envy by practicing love. He wrote:

It is natural for spiritual knowledge to produce conceit and envy, especially in the early stages. Conceit comes only from within, but envy comes both from within and from without — from within when we feel envious of those who have knowledge, from without when those who love knowledge feel envious of us. Love destroys all three of these failings: conceit, because love is not puffed up; envy from within, because love is not jealous; and envy from without because love is "longsuffering and kind." (I Cor. 13:4) ("The Fourth Century on Love," section 61, by St. Maximos the Confessor, The Philokalia, vol. 2, p. 107)

I have briefly touched on this subject of overcoming the sin of envy in this blog. I have mentioned various things one should practice in order to gain the ultimate victory over this vice. Since pride and greed breed envy, it is wise to work on ridding oneself of those other two vices using those methods I have mentioned in previous blogs. God has already promised His children immense wealth and happiness in the afterlife. There is no need, therefore, for anyone to become jealous of another in this life. Just keep on seeking God's kingdom and His righteousness. Desiring the happiness of those whom we envy is another way to check envy. "Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep." (Rom. 12:15) Loving those whom we envy is another way. Once one has learned to love those of whom he is envious, he dispels all envy from his heart. Love is not jealous. (I Cor. 13:4)

I hope that this blog helps someone who suffers from this horrible vice of envy.

Steve

Bibliography

The Philokalia, volumes 1 and 2, compiled by St. Nikodimos of the Holy Mountain and St. Makarios of Corinth, translated by G.E.H. Palmer, Philip Sherrard, and Kallistos Ware, Faber and Faber, London, UK, copyright 1979 The Eling Trust

The Ladder of Divine Ascent, by St. John Climacus, translated by Colm Luibheid and Norman Russell, Paulist Press, New York, copyright 1982 by the Missionary Society of St. Paul the Apostle

Eating Less

The next sin I want to discuss is that of gluttony. Gluttony is a sin which pertains to the appetitive aspect of the soul like lust. Being mortal we all need food to survive. Without food we would die. Gluttony is overeating. The glutton does with food what the alcoholic does with beer and wine.

In our modern American culture, gluttony is not viewed as being quite the same thing as alcoholism. Nevertheless, in order to look more attractive to others, there is a tendency in our culture to encourage obese people to lose weight. There are various campaigns against obesity, just as there are campaigns against alcoholism.

Sometimes, people who become conscious about their weight lose so much weight that they develop another eating disorder, anorexia. They do not eat enough. Eating disorders like these may result in death. Obesity can result in death, too. Obese people may develop high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart conditions. In Sirach (also called Eccesiasticus), it says:

Healthy sleep depends on moderate eating; he rises early, and feels fit. The distress of sleeplessness and of nausea and colic are with the glutton. (Sirach 31:20, RSV)

It is important that we eat neither too much, nor too less to maintain good health.

Eating too much is a sin according to Biblical standards of morality. St. Paul talked about those whose "god is their belly" (Phil. 3:19) and those who serve their own bellies instead of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Rom. 16:18) This sin of gluttony may fuel other sins such as anger and lust. Gluttons may become angry with others more frequently. They might also have a more difficult time controlling their sexual desires since this sin affects the appetitive aspect of the soul.

The practice of fasting is essential to learn to conquer the sin of gluttony as well as other sins. St. Jerome taught that fasting is a tool for preventing the commission of sexual sins.

You will tell me, perhaps, that, high-born as you are, reared in luxury and used to lie softly, you cannot do without wine and dainties, and would find a stricter rule of life unendurable. If so, I can only say: “Live, then, by your own rule, since God’s rule is too hard for you.” Not that the Creator and Lord of all takes pleasure in a rumbling and empty stomach, or in fevered lungs; but that these are indispensable as means to the preservation of chastity. Job was dear to God, perfect and upright before Him (Job 2:3); yet hear what he says of the devil: “His strength is in the loins, and his force is in the navel.” (Job 40:16)

The terms are chosen for decency’s sake, but the reproductive organs of the two sexes are meant. (Letter XXII, section 11, by St. Jerome, 345-420 A.D., vol. 6, p. 26, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series)

And yet after the Saviour had fasted forty days, it was through food that the old enemy laid a snare for Him, saying, “If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.” (St. Matt. 4:3) Under the Law, in the seventh month after the blowing of trumpets and on the tenth day of the month, a fast was proclaimed for the whole Jewish people, and that soul was cut off from among his people which on that day preferred self-indulgence to self-denial. (Lev. 23:27-29) In Job it is written of behemoth that “his strength is in his loins, and his force is in the navel of his belly.” (Job 40:16) Our foe uses the heat of youthful passion to tempt young men and maidens and “sets on fire the wheel of our birth.” (James 3:6, RSV margin) He thus fulfils the words of Hosea, “they are all adulterers, their heart is like an oven” (Hosea 7:4, Vulgate); an oven which only God’s mercy and severe fasting can extinguish. (Letter CXXX, section 10, by St. Jerome, 345-420 A.D., vol. 6, pp. 266-267, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series)

St. John of the Ladder called gluttony "the prince of the passions." He said that when one sits down to eat, he should think about death and the last judgment.

The fallen Lucifer is the prince of demons, and gluttony is the prince of the passions. So when you sit at a well-laden table, remember death and remember judgment, and even then you will manage to restrain yourself a little. ("Step 14: On Gluttony," The Ladder of Divine Ascent, by St. John of the Ladder, p. 169)

Like St. Jerome, St. John of the Ladder encouraged the use of fasting as a tool for overcoming lust.

To fast is to do violence to nature. It is to do away what whatever pleases the palate. Fasting ends lust, roots out bad thoughts, frees one from evil dreams. ("Step 14: On Gluttony," The Ladder of Divine Ascent, by St. John of the Ladder, p. 169)

Overeating leads to lust which, in turn, leads to other sexual sins, such as fornication and adultery. St. Maximos the Confessor called gluttony "the mother and nurse of unchastity."

I think that greed in this case means gluttony, because this is the mother and nurse of unchastity. ("First Century on Love," section 84, by St. Maximos the Confessor, The Philokalia, vol. 2, p. 63)

Overeating also engenders the sin of pride. St. John of the Ladder said:

Begrudge the stomach and your heart will be humbled; please the stomach and your mind will turn proud. ("Step 14: On Gluttony," The Ladder of Divine Ascent, by St. John of the Ladder, p. 168)

The remembrance of death is one way to fight against the sin of gluttony. In Ecclesiasticus (also called Sirach), it says:

Whatsoever thou takest in hand, remember the end, and thou shalt never do amiss. (Ecclesiasticus 7:36)

This verse of Scripture is often quoted by the Church Fathers and the spiritual Fathers of the Church in connection with the practice of remembering death, that is, living every day as if it might be the last day of your life. Jesus the Son of Sirach mentions the remembrance of death in other places in his book, too.

Remember that death will not be long in coming, and that the covenant of the grave is not shewed unto thee. (Ecclesiasticus 14:12)

Remember thy end, and let enmity cease; [remember] corruption and death, and abide in the commandments. (Ecclesiasticus 28:6)

No one, except some terminally ill individuals, actually knows the day of his death. Death often comes to people unexpectedly. Since gluttony is a sin that produces other sins, one should eat his meals in moderation remembering that any day could be the last day of his life. St. John of the Ladder wrote:

Gluttony says: "...The thought of death is my enemy always, but nothing can really wipe me out." ("Step 14: On Gluttony," The Ladder of Divine Ascent, by St. John of the Ladder, p. 170)

Thinking of one's past sins is a tool for fighting against pride and also against gluttony.

Gluttony says: "...The thought of past failings is an obstacle to me, but hardly overcomes me." ("Step 14: On Gluttony," The Ladder of Divine Ascent, by St. John of the Ladder, p. 170)

St. John of the Ladder says that praying to the Holy Spirit against the sin of gluttony is also an aid in conquering this sin.

Gluttony says: "...He who has received the Paraclete prays to Him against me; and the Paraclete, when entreated, does not allow me to act passionately. But those who have never tasted Him inevitably seek pleasure in my sweetness." ("Step 14: On Gluttony," The Ladder of Divine Ascent, by St. John of the Ladder, p. 170)

St. Paul spoke of the Holy Spirit's assistance in "putting to death the deeds of the body."

For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. (Rom. 8:13, NKJV)

So, St. John of the Ladder is right in saying that we need the Holy Spirit's assistance to fight against gluttony.

Spiritual knowledge and obedience to God are also weapons against gluttony. St. Maximos the Confessor wrote:

The passion of gluttony kills all the divine offspring of the virtues. But that passion itself is killed through the spiritual knowledge acquired by the grace of faith and obedience to the divine commandments. ("Fifth Century on Various Texts," section 58, by St. Maximos the Confessor, The Philokalia, vol. 2, p. 274)

We can obtain spiritual knowledge and wisdom through reading and studying the Bible and the Church Fathers. We can also obtain spiritual wisdom from obedience to God and through prayer.

And that from a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. (II Tim. 3:15)

If thou desire wisdom, keep the commandments, and the Lord shall give her unto thee. (Ecclesiasticus 1:26)

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. (James 1:5,6)

Although we must seek to overcome the sin of gluttony by various means, we still need to be careful that we do not develop spiritual pride while doing so. Spiritual success, although desirable, is also a possible door to spiritual pride. St. Thalassios wrote:

In cutting out gluttony, beware lest you seek the esteem of others, making a display of the pallor of your face. ("Fourth Century," section 30, by St. Thalassios, The Philokalia, vol. 2, p. 327)

So, whenever we fast to root out the sin of gluttony, we must do so in a way that appears inconspicuous to others and practice humility. Remember your past sins and failings, remember the immense debt that you owed God, remember that there is always someone else in this world who is better than you, think of yourself as the chief of sinners, and esteem others to be better than yourself. Do these things while you fast and even after you have rooted out the sin of gluttony.

So, to sum up, gluttony leads to other sins. It leads to the sins of lust and sexual immorality. It leads to the sins of pride and anger. St. John of the Ladder called gluttony "the prince of the passions." It is important that we root out the sin of gluttony and learn to eat in moderation. Fasting, the remembrance of death, the remembrance of past failings, spiritual knowledge, obedience to God's commandments, and prayer to the Holy Spirit against this sin are weapons to be used to fight against gluttony. One must also be careful that one does not develop spiritual pride after gaining some measure of success in one's warfare against this sin. So, the continued practice of humility is essential in the ongoing struggle toward God-likeness.

Steve

Bibliography

Ante-Nicene Fathers, edited by Alexander Roberts, D.D. & James Donaldson, LL.D., volumes 1-10, Hendrickson Publishers, Peabody, Massachusetts

Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, edited by Philip Schaff, D.D., LL.D., volumes 1-14, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., Peabody, Massachusetts

Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, edited by Philip Schaff, D.D., LL.D. & Henry Wace, D.D., volumes 1-14, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., Peabody, Massachusetts

The Philokalia, volumes 1 and 2, compiled by St. Nikodimos of the Holy Mountain and St. Makarios of Corinth, translated by G.E.H. Palmer, Philip Sherrard, and Kallistos Ware, Faber and Faber, London, UK, copyright 1979 The Eling Trust

The Ladder of Divine Ascent, by St. John Climacus, translated by Colm Luibheid and Norman Russell, Paulist Press, New York, copyright 1982 by the Missionary Society of St. Paul the Apostle