The Seven Holy Virtues

1. HUMILITY - is defined as, "A quality by which a person considering his own defects has a humble opinion of himself and willingly submits himself to God and to others for God's sake." St. Bernard defines it as, "A virtue by which a man knowing himself as he truly is, abases himself. Jesus Christ is the ultimate definition of Humility."

2. CHARITY - means an unlimited loving-kindness toward all others. The term should not be confused with the more restricted modern use of the word charity to mean benevolent giving.

3. KINDNESS - is the act or the state of being kind and marked by charitable behaviour, marked by mild disposition, pleasantness, tenderness and concern for others.

4. PATIENCE - is the state of endurance under difficult circumstances, which can mean persevering in the face of delay or provocation without acting on annoyance/anger in a negative way; or exhibiting forbearance when under strain, especially when faced with longer-term difficulties. It is also used to refer to the character trait of being steadfast.

5. CHASTITY - is sexual behavior of a man or woman acceptable to the moral norms and guidelines of a culture, civilization, or religion. In Jewish, Christian and Islamic religious beliefs, acts of sexual nature are restricted to the context of marriage. For unmarried persons therefore, chastity is identified with sexual abstinence. Sexual acts outside or apart from marriage, such as adultery, fornication and prostitution, are considered sinful. Chastity therefore requires marital fidelity.

6. TEMPERANCE - (Sophrosyne in Greek is defined as “moderation in action, thought, or feeling; restraint.” It is considered a virtue, a core value that can be seen consistently across time and cultures. It is considered one of the four Cardinal Virtues, for it is believed that no virtue could be sustained in the face of inability to control oneself, if the virtue was opposed to some desire. Temperance is generally defined by control over excess, so that it has many such classes , such as abstinence, chastity, modesty, humility, prudence, self-regulation, and forgiveness and mercy; each of these involves restraining some impulse, such as sexual desire, vanity, or hatred.

7. DILIGENCE - is a zealous and careful nature in one's actions and work, exemplified by a decisive work ethic, budgeting of one's time, monitoring one's own activities to guard against laziness, and putting forth full concentration in one's work.

with Permission from: Ismael Ayles. Facebook

The Seven Deadly Sins

1. ANGER OR WRATH - may be described as inordinate and uncontrolled feelings of hatred and anger. Anger, in its purest form, presents with self destructiveness, violence, and hate that may provoke feuds that can go on for centuries. Anger may persist long after the person who did another a grievous wrong is dead.

2. ENVY - may be characterized by an insatiable desire; they differ, however, for two main reasons. First, greed is largely associated with material goods, where as envy may apply more generally. Second, those who commit the sin of envy resent that another person has something they perceive themselves as lacking, and wish the other person to be deprived of it.

3. GREED - also known as avarice or covetousness, is, like lust and gluttony, a sin of excess. However, greed is applied to a very excessive or rapacious desire and pursuit of wealth, status, and power.

4. GLUTTONY - meaning to gulp down or swallow, gluttony (Latin, gula) is the over-indulgence and over-consumption of anything to the point of waste.

5. LUST or LECHERY - is usually thought of as excessive thoughts or desires of a sexual nature. It is a craving for sexual intimacy, sometimes to the point of assuming a self-indulgent character.

6. PRIDE or HUBRIS - is considered the original and most serious of the seven deadly sins, and indeed the ultimate source from which the others arise. It is identified as a desire to be more important or attractive than others, failing to acknowledge the good work of others, and excessive love of self (especially holding self out of proper position toward God).

7. SLOTH - is defined as spiritual or emotional apathy, neglecting what God has spoken, and being physically and emotionally inactive. It can also indicate a wasting due to lack of use, concerning a person, place, thing, skill, or intangible ideal that would require maintenance, refinement, or support to continue to exist.

with Permission from: Ismael Ayles. Facebook