A Reflection On Virtue
By Tiffany Riebel
Jesus said, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20).
Jesus, the Divine Counselor, His virtuous Mother Mary, and the guiding light of the Holy Spirit lead us in offering Faith, Hope, and Love. There is a special grace when we choose to put into action the Gifts of wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and awe of the Lord. Strengthened in us by our Confirmation, the dove of peace descends, and lights the way. The Gifts of the Spirit complete and perfect the virtues of those who receive them. Let your good spirit lead me on a level path (Psalm 143:10).
Interconnected in spiritual bounty, “The fruits of the Spirit are perfections that the Holy Spirit forms in us as the first fruits of eternal glory. The tradition of the Church lists twelve of them: "charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, chastity” Gal. 5:22-23 (Vulg.). (CCC, 1832)
The Cardinal Virtues: prudence, justice, fortitude, temperance are the primary pedagogy in teaching spirit and virtue, along with the Theological and Human Virtues.
Being virtuous is an act of Will, in which one chooses or wills what is virtuous, and the grace is gained to follow God. “A virtue is an habitual and firm disposition to do the good [or to do the right thing]. 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; they pursue the good and choose it in concrete actions” (CCC, 1803). “With God's help, they forge character and give facility in the practice of the good. The virtuous person is happy to practice them “(CCC, 1810).
In Summa Theologica (Sect. 40), Thomas Aquinas asserts the following correspondences between the virtues and the Gifts of the Holy Spirit:
The gift of wisdom corresponds to the virtue of charity; the gifts of understanding and knowledge correspond to the virtue of faith; the gift of counsel corresponds to the virtue of prudence; the gift of fortitude corresponds to the virtue of courage; the gift of fear of the Lord corresponds to the virtue of hope; the gift of reverence corresponds to the virtue of justice.
Linked by humility of insight into one’s intentions, contemplation: deep reflective thought, or the act of looking at something thoughtfully for a long time, requires an objective humility of discernment.
St. Ignatius of Loyola is a saint that offers instruction in conscience examine. And so, you might consider: Could I have been more patient with my child? Could I have been more prudent at work? Should I have been more modest? Had a more peaceful temperament? Been more generous?
G.K. Chesterton, in Orthodoxy says that, “Decision is the whole business here. It means becoming a source of virtuous action—always in conjunction with others—in service to the common good.” Identify which of your actions and virtues could be improved, or what you could do to help others, seek out good causes, or help to put an end to the bad in our world.
“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience” (Colossians 3: 12).
As we are taught, “human virtues are firm attitudes, stable dispositions, and habitual perfections of intellect and will that govern our actions, order our passions, and guide our conduct according to reason and faith. They make possible ease, self-mastery, and joy in leading a morally good life. The virtuous persons are those who freely practice the good. The moral virtues are acquired by human effort. They are the fruit and seed of morally good acts; they dispose all the powers of the human being for communion with divine love” (Human Virtues, CCC 1804).
“Recognizing that the complexity of modern life confronts each of us with many value choices, the proponents of values clarification advocate a process for arriving at personal values in a rational and justifiable way.”
I urge all people to take up prayer and devout faith: for yourselves, for your communities, and for the broader world.
His Life is a Light that shines through the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. “God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5).
