VIRTUES

WHAT IT A VIRTUE? A virtue is “a habit that perfects the powers of the soul and disposes you to do ‘good’”. Through the goodness of God humans have grace, which allows them to do the right thing. As humans we need God’s help, guidance and wisdom to recognize the value of the right thing. Virtues are already placed in us by God; we just have to learn how to perfect them. Catholics believe that virtues prepare people to recognize, accept, and cooperate with God’s grace.

There are 4 Cardinal (or Moral) virtues. These 4 virtues are the basis for moral life. We try to develop these and become a person of good moral character, just like Jesus.

PRUDENCE Knowing the appropriate time, place and manner in which to conduct oneself. It is the ability to know and judge when to speak and when to stay quiet. Prudence is the opposite of being impulsive – making moral decisions impulsively can get you into trouble. You need to approach moral decisions with caution and use good judgment and reason in making decisions. Prudence helps you to stop and think before you act.

JUSTICE seeking to promote fairness and equality among all; rewarding goodness. ▫Commutative –fairness in relationships between individuals (ex. Restitution) ▫Distributive – fairness between an individual and a group (ex. A government’s responsibility to it’s people) ▫Social – fairness between individuals/groups and one another (ex. Common good and public welfare) This concerns giving both God and neighbour their due – thinking about the needs of others before your own and acting on what you know to be fair. Justice is about loving your neighbour

TEMPERANCE Using balance in life between pleasure and self- control. It means knowing your limits and keeping them; establishing, respecting and enforcing boundaries. Temperance is about having balance in life – the pleasures of life must be balanced with moderation Self-control in all areas of life

FORTITUDE Persevering in times of trouble; having courage to do the right thing no matter what the outcome. This moral virtue strengthens us to overcome obstacles to living morally – it helps you overcome all types of temptation

These virtues are our source of energy for perfecting our relationship with God. By accepting these virtues and using them, we are drawn into a deeper understanding and relationship with God. Faith, Hope and Love flow from God ad back to God, creating an eternal power source of divine energy.

FAITH Belief in God as a gift and a response. Faith invites us to believe in God and also to accept or reject Him ▫We believe in God and believe all that God has revealed to us ▫We freely commit our entire selves to God ▫We seek to know and do God’s will

HOPE Enables us to live for the Kingdom and eternal life. It helps us overcome discouragement. It works with faith and love to give us confidence to live a better life. ▫We desire eternal life and the graces to merit it ▫We trust in Christ’s promises and rely on the help of the Holy Spirit ▫God has placed the desire for happiness in the heart of every person: hope responds to this desire

LOVE/CHARITY Is the greatest of all the theological virtues (1 Cor 13:13); it is the commandment to love all things, including one’s neighbour. God is Love, and Love is God. Love makes all things possible. ▫We love God above all things and our neighbour as ourselves for the love of God. ▫By loving one another we imitate the love of Jesus which we receive ▫Inspires the practice of all the virtues ▫It upholds and purifies our human ability to love