Lust (Latin, luxuria)

Lust is usually thought of as involving obsessive or excessive thoughts or desires of a sexual nature. Unfulfilled lusts can lead to sexual or sociological compulsions and/or transgressions including (but obviously not limited to) sexual addiction, adultery, bestiality, and rape.

Dante's criterion was "excessive love of others," which therefore rendered love and devotion to God as secondary. However, lust and love are two different things; while a genuine, selfless love can represent the highest degree of development and feeling of community with others in a human relationship, Lust can be described as the excessive desire for sexual release. The other person can be therefore seen as a "means to an end" for the fulfillment of the subject's desires, and becomes thus objectified in the process. In Purgatorio, the penitent walks within flames to purge himself of lustful thoughts.

Well, Antonio Bandaras just wasn't available to pose with chocolate covered strawberries and Champagne while wearing silk pj's, so this picture of me and my dh will just have to do for lust. I think of all the sins, this one shows up least in my life. While I do have a passing thought now and again for Antonio, it is not really Lust, because the definition of Lust is 1) excessive, and 2) sexual...I really just like looking at and listening to Antonio.

For over 23 years now, all my sexual thoughts have involved Dirk. There was a time, long ago, though when my sexual drive was stronger than his and my unfulfilled lust lead to late night chocolate raids. I doubt seriously that Dante ever thought of chocolate as sexual, but I know advertisers and many doctors understand the connection.

This is the part of the definition that really interested me: Dante's criterion was "excessive love of others," which therefore rendered love and devotion to God as secondary. This I might be guilty of fairly often. I will put others before my relationship with God most often when I am trying to avoid God. I will keep busy like Martha and complain about how I am the only one caring for everyone, while what I long to be doing is sitting at the feet of the Most High learning and soaking in the Peace Which Passes All Understanding.

I have always been taught that caring for others is putting God first, but like all other things it is also about priorities and perspective. When you start worshipping the creation instead of the Creator, things are out of whack.

Since that was the last sin, I will have to come up with 'seven' more things to ponder upon now...any suggestions?