Three lists that are often confused
The number "nine" is used for two different things in Christian tradition, and both differ from the "seven gifts". Telling them apart prevents misunderstanding.
| List | Number | Basis | Nature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gifts of the Holy Spirit | 7 | ; CCC | Permanent dispositions of a soul in grace that perfect the virtues |
| Charisms (charismata) | 9 | ; CCC , | Special graces for the service of the Church, distributed as the Spirit wills |
| Fruits of the Spirit | 9 (); the CCC lists 12 | ; CCC | Results that show in a life, not abilities one possesses |
The seven gifts: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord (). The nine charisms: the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, faith, gifts of healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment of spirits, tongues and the interpretation of tongues ().
This article uses all three: the gifts and the fruits as remedies for personal sin, the charisms as a sign that the struggle is also for the common good ().
The seven capital sins
The capital sins are not the gravest sins; they are the "heads" from which other sins are born. CCC names them: pride, avarice, envy, wrath, lust, gluttony and sloth (acedia). The list comes from St. John Cassian and St. Gregory the Great. According to CCC , sin creates a proclivity to sin and strengthens evil habits.
1. Pride (superbia)
Placing oneself above God and neighbour; by tradition the root of all sins. See CCC and 2540 (envy often comes from pride).
- Verses: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble" (; ). .
- Remedy: humility, the fear of the Lord (), the example of Christ who emptied himself ().
2. Avarice (avaritia)
An unlimited desire to amass goods. CCC .
- Verses: ; ; .
- Remedy: generosity, almsgiving, willingness to share ().
3. Envy (invidia)
Sadness at another's good and the wish to seize it. CCC calls it a capital sin, and a mortal sin when it wishes grave harm to a neighbour; CCC advises fighting it with good will and humility.
- Verses: the story of Cain and Abel (); ; .
- Remedy: rejoicing with those who rejoice (), fraternal charity.
4. Wrath (ira)
Anger that wills revenge. CCC : anger is sinful when it desires to take revenge or deliberately wish harm on a neighbour.
- Verses: ; ; .
- Remedy: patience, gentleness, forgiveness ().
5. Lust (luxuria)
Sexual desire cut off from love and covenant. CCC defines lust as disordered desire for, or inordinate enjoyment of, sexual pleasure.
- Verses: ; ; .
- Remedy: purity, self-control, prayer and the sacraments.
6. Gluttony (gula)
Excess in eating, drinking or bodily pleasure. CCC says temperance disposes us to avoid every kind of excess.
- Verses: ; ; .
- Remedy: fasting and abstinence, thanksgiving, self-control.
7. Sloth (acedia)
Not just laziness at work but reluctance towards spiritual things and the joy that comes from God. CCC lists it (with indifference, ingratitude and lukewarmness) among sins against God's love; see also CCC (acedia in prayer).
- Verses: ; ; ; .
- Remedy: perseverance, daily prayer, joy in the Lord (), faithful work.
The pairing map: sin, virtue, gift, fruit
CCC teaches that vices can be classified according to the virtues they oppose. Matching them with the seven gifts, as below, is a common pastoral approach in catechesis, not a dogmatic formula of the Church; St. Thomas Aquinas himself relates gifts and virtues in a more complex way (Summa Theologiae I-II, q. 68).
| Capital sin | Opposing virtue | Gift of the Spirit that helps | Fruit of the Spirit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pride | Humility | Fear of the Lord | Gentleness |
| Avarice | Generosity | Knowledge | Goodness |
| Envy | Fraternal charity | Piety | Love |
| Wrath | Patience | Fortitude | Patience and peace |
| Lust | Chastity | Understanding () | Self-control |
| Gluttony | Temperance | Counsel | Self-control |
| Sloth | Perseverance and zeal | Wisdom | Joy |
The remaining fruits, faithfulness and kindness, grow from all these struggles together.
The nine charisms and the struggle against sin
Charisms are not personal rewards and do not replace holiness. St. Paul stresses that they are given to each for the common good (), and that without love they profit nothing (). CCC teaches that charisms, whether extraordinary or simple, are ordered to the building up of the Church and must be tested by her shepherds.
The capital sins distort the use of charisms:
- Pride turns a gift into a personal stage (prophecy, tongues, healing).
- Avarice turns service into a source of profit.
- Envy rejects the gifts of others in the community ( on one body with many members).
- Wrath and sloth divide and weaken service.
So the discernment of spirits (; ) is first of all useful for examining one's own heart: where does this impulse come from, the Spirit or one of the capital sins?
Practical exercises
- Choose the capital sin that appears most often; pray once a day for the opposing gift (for example, fear of the Lord against pride).
- Read one verse from the sections above each morning and repeat it when temptation comes.
- Examine your conscience in the evening: when today was I proud, envious, angry or unwilling to pray?
- Celebrate the Sacrament of Penance regularly; mortal sins must be confessed before receiving Communion (CCC , ).
- Fast and give alms as training against gluttony and avarice ().
A short prayer: Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Give us the gifts of wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord, so that we may resist sin and live in love.
Sources
- Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) 799-801, 1830-1832, 1865-1866, 2003, 2094, 2290, 2302-2303, 2351, 2536, 2539-2540, 2733, 1385, 1456 (tap a number to read the text).
- Scripture: ; 1 Corinthians 12-13; ; and the other verses linked above.
- St. Gregory the Great, Moralia in Job XXXI, 45 (list of capital sins; cited in CCC ).
- St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae I-II q. 68 (gifts of the Holy Spirit), q. 84 (capital sins), II-II q. 35 (acedia), q. 162 (pride).
- St. John Cassian, Conferences and Institutes (the eight evil thoughts, origin of the list of capital sins).
- Second Vatican Council, Lumen Gentium 12 and Apostolicam Actuositatem 3 (charisms).