PRO EXAMEN

PER VITIA CAPITALIA · DE AVARITIA

Capital Sins - Avarice

Avarice (avaritia) is the inordinate love of riches, which St. Paul calls 'the root of all evils' (1 Timothy 6:10). From it flow fraud, deceit, perjury, hardness of heart toward the poor, and excessive anxiety about temporal goods. Its contrary virtue is liberality (generosity).

LATINE
Avaritia est inordinatus amor divitiarum.
Num de pecunia et possessionibus nimis sollicitus fui?
Num erga pauperes avarus fui vel eleemosynas dare omisi?
Num de rebus temporalibus anxius fui?
Num in negotiis inhonestus fui vel alios fraudavi?
Num bona iniuste acquisivi?
Num bona spiritualia propter lucrum materiale neglexi?
Num commoditatis et convenientiae servus fui?
Num securitatem meam in divitiis potius quam in Deo posui?
Domine, adiuva me ut primum quaeram regnum tuum et iustitiam tuam,
sciens quod haec omnia adiicientur mihi.
A cupiditate,
libera me, Domine.
ENGLISH
Avarice is the inordinate love of riches.
Have I been excessively concerned about money and possessions?
Have I been stingy with the poor or failed to give alms?
Have I been anxious about temporal things?
Have I been dishonest in business or defrauded others?
Have I acquired goods unjustly?
Have I neglected spiritual goods for the sake of material gain?
Have I been a slave to comfort and convenience?
Have I placed my security in wealth rather than in God?
Lord, help me to seek first Thy kingdom and Thy justice,
knowing that all these things shall be added unto me.
From covetousness,
deliver me, O Lord.
NOTA
FONS
Summa Theologiae II-II, q. 118; Formulae Traditionalis Examinis
USUS
Examination by capital sins
CONTEXT
Our Lord warned more about the dangers of wealth than almost any other sin. The rich young man went away sad because he had great possessions.