THE CAPITAL SINS 71 



which keeps a man in his proper place both with 

 respect to God and his fellowmen. Humility is 

 highly recommended by our Divine Lord as 

 the fundamental virtue of the Christian life, 

 and He has set Himself up as a model thereof. 

 Matth. XI, 29: "Learn of me, because I am 

 meek and humble of heart." 12 



II. Covetousness. — Covetousness or avarice 

 {avaritia, philargyria) is an inordinate love of 

 earthly things, an immoderate desire to possess, 

 keep, and increase them (tenacitas). With re- 

 gard to no other sin is it so difficult to draw a line 

 of demarcation between what is licit and what is 

 forbidden as with regard to avarice, which loves 

 to hide under the cloak of duty, frugality, and 

 other virtues. It is sinful to attach one's heart 

 to earthly goods, to serve Mammon instead of 

 God, 13 to be niggardly toward one's fellowmen 

 and unscrupulous in the choice of means to sat- 



12 Cfr. Ecclus. X, 15; Matth. V, superbia, quam amor propriae excel- 



3; XVIII, 3; Luke XIV, i; John V, lentiae? . . . Qui ergo plene veri- 



14; James IV, 6. — St. Bernard, tatem in se cognoscere curat, necesse 



Tract, de Gradibus Humilit. et Su- est ut semota trabe superbiae, quae 



perbiae, IV, n. 14 sq.: "Trabes in oculum arcet a luce, ascensiones in 



oculo grandis et grossa (Mt. vii, corde suo disponat, per quas seipsum 



5) superbia in mente est, quae qua- in se ipso inquirat, et sic . . . pri- 



dam corpulentia sui vana, non mum veritatis gradum pertingat." 



sana, tumida, non solida, oculum (Migne, P. L., CLXXXII, 949). 



mentis obscurat, veritatem obum- 13 Cfr. Matth. VI, 21, 24; Eph. 



brat, ita ut, si tuam occupaverit V, 5; Col. Ill, 5. — Cfr. St. Polycarp, 



mentem, iam tu te videre, iam te Epist. ad Philipp., c. 11: 'Ed? tis 



talem, qualis es vel qualis esse potes, fi-q d7rex r ? T < : » TV* (pi\apyvplas. vird 



non possis sentire, sed qualem te eldo/KoXarpeias fiiavOriaeTai Kal 



amas, talem te vel putes esse vel ucirepel ev rol iOveoiv \oyia6riae- 



speres fore. Quid enim aliud est rau otrives ayvoovaiv icplaiv 



