Living a life of virtue
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“Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
heart The Catechism of the Catholic Church says, “A virtue is a habitual and firm disposition to do the good. It allows the person not only to perform good acts, but to give the best of himself. The virtuous person tends toward the good with all his sensory and spiritual powers; he pursues the good and chooses it in concrete actions.” The practice of virtues leads us to live lives of integrity, goodness, and holiness. We aspire to conform our hearts to Jesus’s and live as he lived. Virtues shape our character and direct our actions toward the pursuit of the good. When we live a life of virtue, we make decisions and behave in a way that increases human flourishing in our lives and the lives of others.
St. Augustine defined virtues as habitual dispositions to do the good. They are qualities of character that enable us to act following God’s will and to pursue righteousness in our thoughts, words, and actions. The most important virtues are called theological virtues: faith, hope, and charity. Faith is the grace of believing in God’s love for us and his revealed truths. Hope is the virtue that helps us see the kingdom of heaven and eternal life with Christ as the ultimate happiness. We hope with all of our hearts to one day share in the beatific vision, and thus, we submit our minds and wills to the will of God. Charity is the grace that moves us to love God intensely, and we manifest that love by loving others as ourselves. At the end of the day, all Christian beliefs, practices, devotions, sacraments, etc., are to help us love as Jesus loves the Father and as he loves us. As St Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 13:13, “So faith, hope, and charity abide these three. But the greatest of these is charity.” As part of my morning prayers, I always ask God to help me grow in faith, hope, and charity.
Other virtues are called moral virtues because they help us live as Jesus taught us. The most important ones are prudence, justice, temperance, and fortitude. Prudence helps us discern our true good and helps us make the right decisions to achieve that good. Justice helps us respect the rights of others and assists us in treating others equitably. Temperance helps us subdue our attraction to pleasures and adequately use God’s creation. Fortitude helps us persevere despite temptations to sin and despair. We can view it as the courage to act in the pursuit of the good in the face of challenges. Other moral virtues include humility, patience, diligence, kindness, obedience, piety, and veracity. One way to think of moral virtues is that they give us the antidotes against the seven deadly sins.
Virtues are essential for our spiritual pilgrimage for several reasons. Firstly, they reflect the image of God within us, enabling us to participate in his divine life and to reflect his goodness and holiness to the world. Secondly, they guide us in discerning and choosing the good amid moral complexities and temptations, helping us to navigate life’s challenges with wisdom and integrity. Finally, they help us build communities by fostering harmony, justice, and flourishing for all. Just look at the evening news on most nights, and it’s evident that we need to build more just and virtuous communities.
“Virtues are formed by prayer. Prayer preserves temperance. Prayer suppresses anger. Prayer prevents emotions of pride and envy. Prayer draws into the soul the Holy Spirit and raises man to Heaven.” -- St. Ephraem
Prayer: Holy Spirit, infuse me with the virtues of faith, hope, charity, and all other virtues so that I may reflect your goodness and walk in the path of righteousness. Please grant me the grace to practice virtue in my interactions with others and to be a witness to your transformative power. Guide me along this pilgrimage journey, shaping my character and directing my actions toward the pursuit of holiness. Amen.
Here is related blog post I wrote: Growing in Faith, Hope, and Charity: Collaborating with God in our Spiritual Life
