Booklet Provides Methods for Overcoming the Seven Deadly Sins

As a pastor and confessor, Father Joshua Johnson, pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Baton Rouge, helps penitents identify their core vices. By addressing those vices, they can find freedom from them. This fueled his desire to give people a practical tool to do this on their own, motivating him to write “The Pocket Guide to Overcoming the Seven Deadly Sins."

Years ago, Father Johnson and Father Mike Schmitz, author, speaker, and podcaster, wrote a book called “The Pocket Guide to the Sacrament of Reconciliation.” The book was about encouraging people to go to confession and understand the sacrament of reconciliation. 

"It bore a lot of fruit. A lot of people gave positive feedback. They told us after they read the book that they were inspired to go back to confession for the first time in many years," said Father Johnson. “We knew the book was of the Lord.”

Ascension Press contacted Father Johnson a couple of years ago to see if he felt God was calling him to write a follow-up book to the first one. He told them he did.

The seven deadly sins, which the church also terms seven capital sins, are lust, greed, gluttony, wrath, envy, pride, and sloth. They are the fountainhead of every other sin, Father Johnson emphasized, and have the potential of cutting people off from their friendship with Jesus.

To help people develop a plan to eradicate those vices, Father Johnson wrote the book with two separate audiences in mind.

“One audience was my brother priests. I wanted it to be a gift to the priests. If they had the book with them in the confessional as they are hearing about sins, they might be able to go to the book and find practices, biblical remedies that might help those who are struggling with virtue and vice.  I (also) wanted a book for any Christian who wants to be a saint and any Christian who is struggling with sins on their own to be able to find biblical remedies that can help them determine their vices and to fight against those vices.”

People must go “a little bit deeper” to discover the underlying sources of their vices, according to Father Johnson.

“I think sometimes we remain on the surface. I hope and desire that we will be more intentional about examining our consciences and examining our relationships and our weaknesses. Sins don’t always ‘just happen.’ There are always things that precede us falling into sin.

“If we could be just a little more intentional with examining our hearts and our minds, I think we can be more available to the abiding grace of God.”

In the book, Father Johnson guides readers through “the three Rs” of rooting out vice and sin: resolve to read Scripture; renounce the lie that you cannot overcome the vices that are operating in your life; and remember God wants to be in a relationship with you.

Father Johnson includes Scripture passages in the book. He notes that “anytime we read Scripture, it illuminates us.”

“When I read Scripture, the Bible certainly inspires and motivates me,” Father Johnson noted. “But I’m also convicted every single day because the word of God shows me where I am abiding in my relationship with God and where I have a lot of room to grow.”

Reading the Bible can be a “wakeup call,” in the same way as looking in the mirror in the morning after waking up.  People see their hair messed up and other things they would not want others to see, Father Johnson pointed out.

Lent is one of the liturgical seasons when the church encourages people to go to confession, stressed Father Johnson.

“This book can help them to make the best confession of their lives so when they come to church at Easter, they are ready to receive those Easter graces,” Father Johnson stated.

The book can be ordered at ascensionpress.com. Father Johnson also has videos and podcasts based on the book to overcoming the seven deadly sin. To access those, CLICK HERE.