Vol. 15, No. 4, November, 2010

From the Editor
Sr. Jan Nattermann, S.N.C.

The next capital sin we'll look at is the "L" in PALE GAS--LUST. In other words, impurity. We can commit sins of lust in the mind, with the eyes, by touch, pictures, by ourselves, with others, even in marriage. One's sexual nature is something that must continually be battled in order to keep in check. Sins of impurity (lust) are considered by the Doctors of the Church and the great theologians to cause the loss of more souls than any other form of sin. Just look at the high volume of pornographic traffic online.

The way to achieve purity is through modesty: modesty in dress, of the eyes, in our speech, in our thoughts, in entertainment. One needs to be a person of prayer, frequenting the sacraments, distrusting our strength to resist temptations against purity. When confronted by temptations to sins of lust, always act quickly to get oneself out of that near occasion of these sins. To do so, is to avoid these sins; if we do not, we shall commit them. As Sirach 3:26 says, "Whoever loves danger will parish by it."

It pays to be alert, mindful of what I am seeing, doing, thinking, so that I can be in charge of what I do rather than just slipping into what I later wished I hadn't. "Be sober, be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking some one to devour" (1 Peter 5:8).