Name: Jason B.

Aliganga Date: October 25, 2020

ReEd Schedule: MWF 3:30 - 4:30 PM

7 Deadly Sins 
By: Fr. Robert Barron

Reflection 
I was very inspired by the video of Fr. Robert Barron on Seven Deadly Sins.
Knowing how liberated the society is today, it is very good to go back to the basics and
learn again these deadly sins and to always remember what these sins are and how we
have been practicing it everyday. As I have watched the video, I’ve come to realize that
sin is really inevitable to all of us but this should not be a reason for us to continue
committing it. Fr. Barron also presented well his speech with additional sarcasm and
jokes which makes his speech fun. With that, I was able to focus on his speech and
what he wants to convey to the audience. It also seems that Fr. Barron is an
approachable person. He is also very relatable which makes him different from other
priests.
His speech started with the subject, pride, as the most significant sin among the
seven deadly sins. He defined pride as irrigating to oneself the distinct prerogatives of
God. According to Dante it is being “cave in around oneself.” My personal take on this,
as a prideful person that I am, is pride really takes out all the good vibes in you as it will
bring negativity to your mindset. It is like carrying a monkey in the back all the time, as
said. It is heavy in our hearts. That is why the antidote of pride is humility. We must be
humble all the time and to keep our feet on the ground.
Next is envy as the second deadly sin, and the daughter of pride. Envy is best
defined by the saying, “When a friend of mine succeeds, something in me dies.” I think
this is all common to us to commit envy because at some point in our lives, we have
also compared ourselves to others. And to tell you the truth, being envious is the worst
feeling that you could have. I have felt envious at some point. I tend to compare myself
to others wherein I always think what are the things that they have that I don’t have. The
antidote of this bad trait is admiration. To always admire all the things that you have and
to be happy for others with their respective success in life.
Third deadly sin would be Anger. As defined by St. Thomas Aquinas, anger is a
passion for revenge that goes beyond the control of reason. I have alway felt angry from
time to time whenever I get things I did not wish or anticipate, or simply, things that are
disappointing. Sometimes, my emotions cloud my judgements. I react before settling
them. I agree with Dante that anger really clouds us from our vision, prevents us from
speaking to each other. That is why we must forgive everyone that has sinned us in
order to attain our shalom or peace.
Fourth is sloth. Sloth is sorrow for spiritual good defined by St. Thomas Aquinas.
In this modern generation, sloth is the most rampant sin anyone could commit. It is a
boredom of the soul or the laziness of the soul. That is why it’s antidote is zeal for the
mission. In order to get out of our boredom of the soul is to find our real purpose. For
me, I have not yet found my purpose. However, as I am finding my purpose, the least
thing that I could do is to help other human beings and to be of service to humanity.
Next is avarice, as the fifth deadly sin. Avarice is defined as unreasonable or
immoderate desire for riches by St. Thomas Aquinas. In the world of social media there
has been a lot of postings about materialism where people post about their 20 luxurious
cars or their 200 pairs of shoes. I think that people should refrain from being
materialistic and to start thinking about others because on the other side of the world,
people are experiencing hunger. Instead of buying what we don’t need, we should start
giving to people in need.
In connection with avarice is gluttony. Gluttony is the immoderate or
unreasonable pleasure for food and drink by St. Thomas Aquinas. Basically the two are
interconnected. And it only gives us one message, to be moderate about all the things
that we consume. Personally, I think I have committed this sin multiple times. Especially
when there are events or fiesta wherein I take food and drink more than what I need
thinking that this is only once in a month so I consumed more than what I need. In the
end, I have not eaten all the food I have taken nor the drinks. That is why I must be
remembered by this sin all the time.
Lastly is lust. Lust is using human beings as a means of your sexual pleasure. I
will not defend myself by saying that as a teenager it is the most common issue of us
but to confess that I also have this kind of problem. I always expose myself to
pornography every now and then and I think that this is bad in the long run. I must
always put in mind that it is a sin. I must not see certain humans only as a means of
sexual pleasure. Humans have souls and they are more than just their bodies. I must
get my sexual life in order and to practice chastity.
To wrap it all up, indeed I think I have committed all the seven deadly sins. This
is a thing I am certainly not proud of. And because of this reflection, I was able to
evaluate myself how I am with my life and how I am with God. Therefore I conclude that
I must go back to God and to seek for his guidance when I am at my darkest times.
After writing this essay, I must pray to God and ask sorry to him for all the sins that I
have committed. Not only to be sorry about it but to also refrain myself from committing
those sins again. Nevertheless, because of this activity, it shed light to my soul and I
was able to have a reflection with myself - to not always forget God in everything that I
do and to always remember Him when I am at my weakness.