“Covetousness,” the same as avarice, greed, etc., is an inordinate desire for worldly goods.  “Inordinate,” because it is not avarice to prudently provide for the future either for ourselves or others.  Covetousness comes under the Tenth Commandment, and is forbidden by it.  We must be content with what we have or can get honestly.  The followers of covetousness are:  Want of charity, dishonest dealing, theft, etc.

“Lust” is the desire for sins of the flesh; for impure thoughts, words, or actions.  It comes under the Sixth and Ninth Commandments, and includes all that is forbidden by those Commandments.  It is the habit of always violating, or of desiring to violate, the Sixth and Ninth Commandments.  Lust and impurity mean the same thing.  The followers of lust are, generally, neglect of prayer, neglect of the Sacraments, and final loss of faith.

“Anger” comes under the Fifth Commandment.  It is followed by hatred, the desire of revenge, etc.

“Gluttony” is the sin of eating or drinking too much.  With regard to eating, it is committed by eating too often; by being too particular about what we eat, by being too extravagant in always looking for the most costly things, that we think others cannot have.  With regard to drinking, it is generally committed by taking too much of intoxicating liquors.  The drunkard is a glutton and commits the sin of gluttony every time he becomes intoxicated.  Gluttony, especially in drink, comes in a manner under the First Commandment, because by depriving ourselves of our reason we cannot give God the honor and respect which is His due.  Think of how many sins the drunkard commits.  He becomes intoxicated, which in itself is a sin.  He deprives himself of the use of reason, abuses God’s great gift, and becomes like a brute beast.  Indeed in a way he becomes worse than a beast; for beasts always follow the laws that God has given to their nature, and never drink to excess.  They obey God, and man is the only one of God’s creatures that does not always keep His laws.  Think too of the number of insane persons confined in asylums, who would give all in this world for the use of their reason, if they could only understand their miserable condition.  Yet the drunkard abuses the gift that would make these poor unfortunate lunatics happy.  Again, the drunkard injures his health and thus violates the Fifth Commandment by committing a kind of slow suicide.  He loses self-respect, makes use of sinful language; frequently neglects Mass and all his religious duties, exposes himself to the danger of death while in a state of sin, gives scandal to his family and neighbors, and by his bad example causes some to leave or remain out of the true Church.  By continued intemperance, he may become insane and remain in that condition till death puts an end to his career and he goes unprepared before the judgment seat of God.  Besides all this he squanders the money he should put to a better use