Guardian Angel II 20
I used a different style to draw this page, let me know which you prefer and your likes and dislikes. :)
Our girl is back at Mass again, but still struggling with vanity. She's also paying a lot more attention to the people around her and how she looks to them than to the Mass. Then she visits with a few people she knows after Mass and tries to establish herself in their thoughts as a holy person. Just so you know - our Guardian Angels do not leave us, I just did not draw hers in on this page.
Now that she's starting to pray more and recenter herself in God, our girl is facing the temptation to make it something at which she will apparently excel and therefore win the admiration of others. In her head, she plays out situations in which she is the good, kind, saintly friend that everyone loves and admires. This is one of the sneaky ways vanity can manifest itself. When we do turn our lives to God, we are tempted to make a show of being holy. Then we are not truly doing things for God, but still for ourselves. The repeating question of vanity is, "What will they think of me?"
The Catechism of the Catholic Church identifies 7 deadly sins from which all other sins spring. These 7 can also be traced back to 3 root sins - 3 main ways in which people are tempted. They are Pride, Vanity and Sensuality. We can better guard against sin when we identify the root. These lists were made by Fr. John Bartunek of Roman Catholic Spiritual Direction to help identify roots sins. He says to quickly read over these lists and see which manifestations are particularly common or strong in your life. It may be difficult. Chances are, there will be one root sin which is particularly predominant.
COMMON MANIFESTATIONS OF VANITY
COMMON MANIFESTATIONS OF SENSUALITY
-Meg
She's doing slightly better now, but still concerned about her appearance. The temptation has begun to shift into a temptation to vanity by appearing holy to others.
Our girl is back at Mass again, but still struggling with vanity. She's also paying a lot more attention to the people around her and how she looks to them than to the Mass. Then she visits with a few people she knows after Mass and tries to establish herself in their thoughts as a holy person. Just so you know - our Guardian Angels do not leave us, I just did not draw hers in on this page.
Now that she's starting to pray more and recenter herself in God, our girl is facing the temptation to make it something at which she will apparently excel and therefore win the admiration of others. In her head, she plays out situations in which she is the good, kind, saintly friend that everyone loves and admires. This is one of the sneaky ways vanity can manifest itself. When we do turn our lives to God, we are tempted to make a show of being holy. Then we are not truly doing things for God, but still for ourselves. The repeating question of vanity is, "What will they think of me?"
The Catechism of the Catholic Church identifies 7 deadly sins from which all other sins spring. These 7 can also be traced back to 3 root sins - 3 main ways in which people are tempted. They are Pride, Vanity and Sensuality. We can better guard against sin when we identify the root. These lists were made by Fr. John Bartunek of Roman Catholic Spiritual Direction to help identify roots sins. He says to quickly read over these lists and see which manifestations are particularly common or strong in your life. It may be difficult. Chances are, there will be one root sin which is particularly predominant.
COMMON MANIFESTATIONS OF VANITY
- always seeking admiration and praise, worrying about not getting it
- excessive concern about physical appearance
- being guided by the opinions of others rather than principle (this is sometimes called “human respect”)
- some types of shyness
- sacrificing principles in order to fit in
- placing too much a premium on popularity and acceptance
- easily discouraged at my failures
- taking pleasure in listening to gossip and hearing about others’ failures
- always wanting to be the center of attention, at times stretching the truth, or lying outright, or being uncharitable in my words in order to achieve this
- too high an opinion of myself
- annoyance with those who contradict me, brooking no contradictions
- anger if I don’t get my way or am not taken into account
- easily judgmental, putting others down, gossiping about them
- slow to recognize my own mistakes, or to see when I hurt others, and inability to seek and give forgiveness
- rage when others don’t thank me for favors
- unwillingness to serve, rebellion against what I don’t like
- impatience, distance, brusqueness in my daily contact with others
- thinking I am the only one who knows how to do things right, unwillingness to let others help
- inflated idea of my own intelligence and understanding, dismissing what I do not understand or what others see differently
- not feeling a need for God, even though I do say prayers
- nursing grudges, even in small matters
- never taking orders
- inflexible in preferences
- always putting myself and my things first, indifference towards others and their needs, never putting myself out for them
- centering everything (conversation, choices..) on myself and my likes
- calculating in my relations with God and with others
COMMON MANIFESTATIONS OF SENSUALITY
- laziness
- always the most comfortable, what requires least effort
- not going the extra mile for others
- procrastination, last-minute in everything
- shoddiness, complaining, excessively affected by minor discomforts
- inability to sacrifice
- not doing my part at home
- expecting everyone else to serve me always
- behavior and decisions ruled by my feelings and moods instead of my principles
- daydreaming a lot with self at center
- unable to control my thoughts when they attract me, even if they are not good
- doing only what I enjoy (choice of food, work, etc)
- uncontrolled and overpowering curiosity, wanting to see and experience everything and every pleasure
- my senses and impulses overrule what I know is right and wrong
- acting out my feelings (frustrations, desires…) with no regard for my conscience, God or others
- only working with those I like, being easily hurt
- fickleness and inconstancy
- can never finish what I start
-Meg
She's doing slightly better now, but still concerned about her appearance. The temptation has begun to shift into a temptation to vanity by appearing holy to others.