Many years ago, when I was teaching a Confirmation class, I came up with an activity to teach about the Seven Deadly Sins, the Seven Virtues, and the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit using music. In essence, I identified “contemporary” songs that speak to each of these items—yes, 21 songs. The gist of the activity is for catechists to play segments of these songs and invite the young people to match them to the appropriate deadly sin, virtue, or gift of the Holy Spirit.
While, in fact, some of the songs in the activity are “timeless classics,” and some really hit the nail on the head, I thought it would be fun and helpful to update many of the songs to reflect more of what might be considered “contemporary” to today’s young people. Here is the original chart:
|
Deadly Sins |
Virtues |
Gifts of the Spirit |
|
Pride: excessive focus on self Alice Cooper: “I’m the Coolest” |
Faith: focus on God U2: “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” |
Courage: the strength to focus on God in the face of challenges Bob Marley: “Get Up, Stand Up” |
|
Envy: resentment of others Hilary Duff: “Who’s That Girl?” |
Charity: love of God and others Black Eyed Peas: “Where Is the Love?” |
Right Judgment: seeking the advice of others, giving advice to others The Beatles: “Help!” |
|
Anger: uncontrolled hatred, acting without thinking Nickelback: “Just For” |
Prudence: the ability to think before acting Carrie Underwood: “Lessons Learned” |
Knowledge: learning to think as God thinks George Harrison: “My Sweet Lord” |
|
Avarice: excessive desire for wealth and abundance Beatles: “Money” |
Justice: a desire to make sure all can share in God’s abundance USA for Africa: “We Are the World” |
Wonder and Awe: marveling at the abundance of God’s love Lee Ann Womack: “I Hope You Dance” |
|
Gluttony: excessive desire for food and drink Dave Matthews Band: “Trippin Billies” |
Temperance: balancing what you want with what you need Goo Goo Dolls: “Better Days” |
Wisdom: recognizing what God wants for us and others The Byrds: “Turn, Turn, Turn” |
|
Lust: sexual desires that disrespect the dignity of others John Mayer: “Your Body is a Wonderland” |
Fortitude: the strength to resist excessive desires Aaliyah: “Journey to the Past” |
Reverence: respect for God and others Jagged Edge: “Respect” |
|
Sloth: lack of hope in God’s goodness Reliant K: “Apathetic Way to Be” |
Hope: confidence in God’s goodness REM: “Everybody Hurts” |
Understanding: recognizing God’s goodness Johnny Nash: “I Can See Clearly Now” |
I think the best way to update this activity is through a little bit of catechist crowdsourcing, especially since I am even more out of touch with contemporary music than I was when I created the original activity! I invite you to suggest songs that today’s young people would consider “contemporary,” while being sure, of course, that the songs do not contain any explicit lyrics (even though some of the songs, especially for the seven deadly sins, may have negative messages). Suggest as many or as few songs as you choose. You may even consider assigning this to your young people as a project, since they know the musical landscape better than most of us!
Please use the “Leave a Reply” feature below to share your suggestions. If and when I get enough solid new suggestions, I’ll re-issue the chart.
Thank you so much for all you do. I am going to enjoy doing this activity with my students and I will pass it on to others.
Peace and Good
Great Maxine! Let me know what “new” songs you and your students come up with!
What a fabulous idea!
Before I retired from teaching full time, one of our community building events included an activity to introduce in a creative way someone you admired. I chose my best friend who had a brain bleed in 2001 and was not expected to survive but today lives with personal care support 22 years later. I focused on her courage and perseverance in my presentation. All this explanation to tell you that the first song that comes to mind is Andra Day’s Rise Up. It reminds me of my friend each time I hear it. It was first played in 2016 so it’s not as current as some you might receive but certainly conveys the meaning of Courage. One more aside, on August 10, 2023 we gathered for the 22nd annual celebration of “The Day Stephen Saved Lynne’s Life” (Stephen was her neurosurgeon and, unbeknownst to him at the time, she was his first grade teacher!). God wasn’t done writing her story.
Thanks for the inspiring story of your friend Lynne and for the song suggestion! May the annual celebrations continue for years to come!
thank you for your suggestions. Most of all thank you for the inspiration you give. God bless you.
Ev