Reflecting on the ‘Seven Deadly Sins’ and Remembering Infinite Forgiveness, an article from the Catholic Times.
‘7’ is a number that prompts us to reflect on our sins and also reminds us of the infinite forgiveness offered through Jesus’ death on the cross.
Just as there is the expression “lucky 7,” the number 7 is generally associated with positive meanings across various cultures. For Christians, too, 7 is an important number. There are seven gifts of the Holy Spirit and seven sacraments. Since God rested on the seventh day of creation, we observe a week based on seven days, and the Jubilee Year is based on the 50th year—the year following seven cycles of seven-year sabbatical years. The reason the number 7 is frequently used within the Church is that it signifies “completion.”
However, the number 7 is not always used in a positive sense. This is evident in the fact that there are seven deadly sins. The seven deadly sins refer to the seven sins that are the root causes of many other sins: ▲ pride ▲ avarice ▲ envy ▲ wrath ▲ lust ▲ greed ▲ sloth. If we trace the roots of all the sins we confess in the Sacrament of Penance, we arrive at these seven deadly sins. For this reason, as we fulfill our penance, it is important for us to reflect on these sins when examining our own bad habits.
In particular, pride—exalting oneself above what God has given—is called the “beginning of all sins,” while avarice—excessive attachment to material things—is called the “root of all sins.” Sexual pleasure, food, and drink are necessary desires, but indulging in them without restraint leads to lust and greed. Other sins also arise from jealousy—which perceives another’s good as one’s own evil—anger, which seeks to punish others unjustly, and sloth, which refuses to do good.
The number seven also invites us to reflect on the fact that the reason we confess our sins is because God’s forgiveness precedes our confession.
The words spoken by Jesus on the cross, recorded across the four Gospels, are known as the Seven Last Words. The first of these is, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). The Council of Trent explains the sacrificial offering of Jesus, who bore our sins and was crucified on the cross, stating, “Through Your holy Passion on the wood of the cross, You have obtained for us justification”
Furthermore, the number 7 reminds us of the infinite nature of this forgiveness. Among the seven petitions contained in the “Lord’s Prayer” is the petition: “Forgive us our sins, for we forgive everyone who sins against us.” Additionally, Jesus said that if a brother sins, “you must forgive him not just seven times, but seventy-seven times” (Matthew 18:22).
