Maternal sins

His Holiness Pope Shenouda explains that there are “mother sins” which give birth to many other sins. Overcoming these main roots frees a person from a multitude of resulting sins.

1. Self-love
The first of the mother sins is self-love. A self-centered person falls into many errors: self-admiration, self-defense, justification, desire for prominence, and meddling in others’ affairs. Such a person troubles himself and others, whereas Christ said, “He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life for My sake will find it.”

Self-love leads to lying, excuses, and covering one’s faults. It makes a person seek praise and attention. The right path, as Christ taught, is self-denial: “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.”

2. Pride
The second mother sin is pride. Pride appears in thought (when one believes his ideas are the best), in heart (when one feels superior), and in behavior (through arrogance). It leads to stubbornness, argument, refusal of advice, over-sensitivity, and intolerance. Pride is the source of many quarrels, divisions, and even heresies, because the proud refuse to admit their mistakes.

3. Hatred
The third mother sin is hatred. Whoever hates cannot love God or others, for the Scripture says: “He who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?” Hatred produces anger, judgment, gossip, mockery, resentment, and joy over others’ failures. It separates man from God, for God is love.

Spiritual conclusion
Self-love, pride, and hatred are the roots of most sins. Whoever struggles against them is freed from countless evils. The cure lies in repentance, self-blame, humility, obedience, and love. The one who judges himself and disciplines his soul walks the path of salvation, for “He who loves his life will lose it, but he who loses his life for the Gospel’s sake will find it.”

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