After spending the last several weeks of Lent reflecting on the seven deadly vices according to St. Thomas Aquinas and how they lead us to sin, the hope is that our hearts have been moved to change our habits and behaviors into more virtuous ones. While these changes cannot take place without us putting in the work, we know it is not only by our own power that we become more holy, but also, and primarily, by the grace of God, who offers us his assistance. We have all the tools we need at our disposal: prayer, Scripture, the sacraments, the teachings of the magisterium, and the example of Jesus Christ. Now that we have reached Palm Sunday, we can enter into Holy Week reflecting on how the deadly sins and/or their opposing virtues show up in Scripture throughout the Passion narrative to provide us with a more vivid illustration of how they work in practice.

Beginning with Palm Sunday, Jesus immediately sets the tone with a disposition of humility. The people cry out, “Hosanna!” and “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” as he enters Jerusalem on a donkey. The Gospel of John even has the people noting the distinction of his status versus his appearance out loud, stating, “See, your king comes, seated upon an ass’s colt” (Jn 12:15). Jesus does not suffer from vainglory or pride. He knows he is the Son of God, all-powerful, who has been preaching, healing, and performing miracles publicly for three years, yet he deliberately chooses to pass through an exalting crowd by the humblest means possible. For us, this would be like the CEO of a major corporation, or the president of a global superpower country, driving up in a used jalopy and handing his keys to the valet without shame. Are we willing to crush our attachment to vainglory or pride with the same level of humility that Jesus did?

We next see the sin of avarice in Judas, who betrays Jesus. He approaches the chief priests and asks, “What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?” (Mt 26:15). In this instance, this sin is deadly in the literal, earthly sense because it is Judas’ greed that directly leads to the murder of Jesus. Judas later regrets his decision and tries to return the 30 pieces of silver, but it is too late. What’s done is done. Judas’ ultimate error was failing to trust in God’s mercy and forgiveness, which led him to despair. Hopefully, each of us knows that we can always repent, go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and amend our lives, but the lesson here is not to let any deadly vice take us to the point of mortal sin in the first place. This is why we ought to continuously strive to grow in virtue.

Moving on to the Passover meal, Jesus gives us the antidote to gluttony in the Eucharist. The Passover meal was a celebration and a feast, featuring many decadent and savory dishes. It was nothing to be ashamed of and was part of Jewish tradition. Jesus doesn’t do away with the feast or tell his disciples not to enjoy themselves when they celebrate special occasions. He simply redirects their focus to something more important: the Bread of Life. While lamb may be delicious, it is in simple bread and wine – transformed into the body, blood, soul, and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ – that truly nourishes and sustains us.

Wrath appears during Jesus’ arrest when Simon Peter’s temper causes him to lose control and he cuts off the ear of the Roman soldier (cf Mt 26:51, Mk 14:47, Lk 22:50, Jn 18:10). Jesus essentially identifies Peter’s wrath as a deadly sin, saying, “Put your sword back into its sheath, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword” (Mt 26:52). Jesus then explains that if he wanted to, he could call upon twelve legions of angels to rescue him, but that it is the will of his Father that the Scriptures be fulfilled. Here, Jesus reminds us that there is no need for us to be filled with wrath, because God is always in charge. We are called to hunger and thirst for righteousness, but we shouldn’t let injustice lead us to sinful rage and violence because God will see to matters in his own time and in his own way.

After his arrest, Jesus is brought before the Sanhedrin. The greatest tragedy of Jesus’ Passion and crucifixion was his innocence. He did nothing wrong, much less anything worthy of such a punishment. The Jewish hierarchy was suffering from the deadly sin of envy. We see this envy begin to stir up earlier when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. The chief priests and Pharisees gathered and said, “What are we going to do? This man is performing many signs. If we leave him alone, all will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our land and our nation” (Jn 11:47-48). Later, as they were bringing Jesus to Pilate, scripture states, “For he knew that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy” (Mk 15:10, Mt 27:18). The chief priests had grown accustomed to the power and influence they had attained, along with the creature comforts it provided them. Jesus was a threat to all of that. They were attached to the things of the world, not realizing that God is the source of everything we have. If our eyes are fixed on heaven and we are detached from worldly things, we have no need to be envious of others and will be better able to accept whatever God wills for us.

Unable to sentence him to death themselves, the chief priests brought Jesus to Pontius Pilate to achieve their goal. Pilate is the embodiment of sloth. He is fully aware that Jesus has not committed any crime but is unwilling to take a stand or make any decision whatsoever. His wife even asks him to have nothing to do with the situation, calling Jesus “righteous,” yet he does not heed her warning (cf Mt 27:19). Further demonstrating his sloth, he takes water, washes his hands, and verbally states, “I am innocent of this man’s blood. Look to it yourselves” before letting Barrabas, a jailed criminal, be released (Mt 27:24). Pilate shows us that sloth isn’t limited to physical activity. We can be lazy in many ways, with dramatic consequences. We ought to be diligent in all our actions.

And while lust does not appear in the Passion narrative, what does appear is Jesus’ spousal love, fidelity, and faithfulness to his bride, the Church, which is us. What we see in the Passion is a spouse who loves each and every one of us so very much that he is willing to do whatever it takes to help us get to heaven. He is willing to suffer extreme humiliation, torture, and even death on a cross for our sake. He remained faithful through the suffering to the bitter end. This is how we are all called to love God and one another. When we love as Christ loves and will the ultimate good for others, there is no room for lust. We ought to see each individual person as someone who Jesus thought was worthy of dying for and treat them as such. In response to Jesus’ fidelity and faithfulness, we ought to strive to return the same fidelity and faithfulness back to him by rejecting sin and growing in virtue.

This Holy Week, imagine yourself in the Passion narrative and observe how the different characters practice vice and virtue. Read the Passion narrative again and note how many other instances of vice and virtue are included that are not mentioned in this reflection. What do those examples reveal to you about your own struggles and successes? How are you inspired to grow? On Good Friday, allow the reality of the crucifixion to penetrate your heart, convict your conscience, and lead you to change.

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