A Lenten Series on the Seven Deadly Sins - Part 2: Sloth & Envy

03-01-2026Weekly ReflectionJen Arnold, M.A.

Last week, we began our Lenten series with an introduction to St. Thomas Aquinas’ approach to the seven deadly sins and why he thought the sin of pride was in a category all its own. Now, we can begin diving into each of the seven deadly sins, or vices, individually and see how we might combat them in our own lives. Again, for this series, I am using practical insights from the book The Seven Deadly Sins: A Thomistic Guide to Vanquishing Vice and Sin by Kevin Vost, Psy.D.

We will begin with the deadly sin of sloth. Often, when we think of sloth, we think of bodily laziness. We neglect our chores, don’t want to exercise, or binge-watch television over the weekend. While it is true that those things constitute sloth, there is another, deadlier form of sloth — spiritual sloth. St. Thomas describes sloth as “a sluggishness of the mind which neglects to do good” (ST, II-II, Q. 35, art. 1). These good things can be anything from good deeds, to prayer, to seeing the beauty of creation and finding joy in it. Spiritual sloth leads one to be lukewarm, whom God says he will spit out of his mouth (cf. Rev 3:16). What’s worse is that the absence of bodily sloth can be an indicator or a means to spiritual sloth. Examine your own life. Are you a workaholic or busy to the detriment of your prayer life? Does your smartphone keep you from having meaningful interactions with others around you? Do you find yourself discouraged over the state of the world?

Spiritual sloth can creep in unannounced. It takes intentional observation of your daily activities to realize how your habits impede your growth in virtue. Do you see times when you choose something worldly over something spiritually edifying? Enjoying the world is okay, but we shouldn’t do it if it negatively impacts our spiritual life.

Of course, all sacraments combat all deadly sins, but some are more specific than others. If you are experiencing sloth, resolve to frequent the Sacrament of Reconciliation. To first resolve and then actually go to confession are acts of the will to turn your attention and r heart back to God with contrition, seeking his forgiveness and healing grace.

Like Confession, any form of prayer is a direct affront to spiritual sloth because it is an intentional act of turning one’s attention to God. Praying the psalms is a helpful tool because they focus on your relationship with God, help you focus on his goodness, and encourage you to express your praise and gratitude. The monastic philosophy of Ora et labora – prayer and work – is also effective because it combats physical and spiritual sloth together. Offer all of your work, even the most menial tasks, as acts of love and sacrifice to the Lord. Finally, when things are particularly difficult, you can add a simple prayer or sign of the cross throughout your day.

The virtue directly opposed to sloth is diligence, which is persistence in putting in effort. Vost lists three sub-virtues that help us cultivate diligence. The first is gratitude. We should be grateful to God for the good he has given us and grateful to others for the good they bring to our lives. The second is piety, which is giving God reverence as our Creator and our Father. The third is religion, which is to give God what he is due to the best of our ability in the form of worship, prayer, and almsgiving.

Our physical environment contributes significantly to how we respond to the temptation of sloth. We ought to manage our environment when possible. We can remove technology or set aside specific times of day for technology-free time. We can put religious art in our homes or on our office desks. We can play religious music, such as Gregorian Chant, or Mozart’s Requiem Mass. We can listen to Catholic radio or pray the rosary while driving. Be creative and find simple ways to change your environment to direct your attention to God.

Finally, recognize that Christ’s crucifixion was the ultimate antithesis of sloth. He loves us so much that he was willing to die on a cross for us. There is no room for sloth when we imitate Christ and love like that.

Now we’ll move on to the deadly sin of envy. First, let’s distinguish between envy and jealousy. Envy is a negative reaction to someone else’s good, while jealousy is a negative reaction to losing, or the possibility of losing, one’s own good. While jealousy can be a vice, envy is deadly. The easiest way to discern if you are experiencing envy is to note your initial emotional response to someone else’s good fortune. Whether it be good news, an achievement, or a spiritual gift, how do you feel? Do you immediately want to rejoice with that person in their good, or do you feel an immediate sadness or discomfort? Do you gossip about them, share their faults, or diminish their accomplishments?

Like sloth, the Sacrament of Reconciliation directly combats envy by confronting its root – our pride. Going to confession and admitting we are envious is an act of humility and therefore an antidote. Baptism also works against envy since it makes us all members of the body of Christ and the Communion of Saints. Any good that one member of the body has comes from the head – Christ – and benefits the entire body. Use the truth of Baptism to genuinely rejoice in the good that comes to others.

Envy tends to be an involuntary or knee-jerk reaction or feeling, but not necessarily a sin. To notice how this vice leads you to sin, start to become aware of those initial feelings in your gut. Remember, according to St. Thomas, vice is a habit, but sin is a choice to respond to that habit in your actions. When you feel those envious feelings, pause before taking any action.

If you are envious of a person, the best way to direct your prayer is by praying for him or her. Not only that, but also to thank God for giving that person whatever it is you are envious of and ask him to continue to give that person good things. The more you focus on being grateful for the good things others have, the less envy you will feel.

The first virtue to combat envy is kindness. This recalls what I said earlier about choosing how you act. If you repeatedly choose acts of kindness over sinful acts, your habitual disposition will become one of kindness. The second virtue to practice is humility. In this context, humble yourself to recognize your place in this world. God decides who receives what blessings and when they receive them. If you are humble, you will be thankful for whatever he has given you. Lastly, practice the virtue of charity. When you truly love your neighbor, you love any good gift they receive and are happy they receive it. Practicing acts of charity will help build that virtue.

To conquer envy, immerse yourself in the Communion of Saints. Reflect on how we are all interconnected members of the body of Christ, and rejoice in the shared benefits of our collective gifts. The more we treat each other with love, the more that love grows. Recall the stories of the saints who provide us with examples of holiness from places of humility, gratitude, joy, and the proper use of spiritual gifts. Finally, pray for the souls in purgatory who have not yet obtained heaven. Rather than putting your energy into being envious of others, use it to help souls achieve the greatest good.

Jesus was often the subject of envy. In his infancy, Herod was envious of the newborn king; the Scribes and Pharisees were envious of his influence, and the thief on his left at the crucifixion was envious of his goodness as he taunted him. Jesus handled all of these encounters with great humility and never ceased pouring out acts of kindness everywhere he went.

This week, consider how the vices of sloth and envy may play a role in your life and consider ways in which you can implement a battle plan to combat them.

Keys to Combating the Seven Deadly Sins

• Examination of conscience
• Embracing the sacraments
• Watching the steps of our movements toward sin
• Practicing prayer
• Cultivating virtue
• Immersion in the world of the spirit
• Imitation of Christ