Theological Virtues and Cardinal Virtues A virtue is a habitual and firm disposition to do good. It allows a person not only to perform good acts but also to give the best of himself/herself. The term “virtue” comes from the Latin virtus, meaning “courage” or bravery” especially that of a soldier. Virtus is derived from vir which means “man”. Hence, literally speaking, virtue means “manliness” The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) classifies virtues as either theological of human. The theological virtues are faith, hope and charity (love) while the human virtues (also called moral virtues) include, among others, the four cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance. The Three Theological Virtues The theological virtues relate directly to God. Their immediate object is God. They dispose Christians to live in a relationship with the Holy Trinity. They have the on and triune God for their origin and motive. The Theological virtues are the foundation of all Christian moral activities; they animate these activities and give them their special characters. The theological virtues inform and give life to all the moral virtues. They are infused by God into the souls of the faithful to make the latter capable of acting as His children and of inheriting eternal life. These virtues are the pledge of the presence and action of the Holy Spirit in the faculties of the human being. The Virtue of Faith Faith is the theological virtue by which we believe in God and all that he said and revealed to us—and all that the Holy Church proposes for our belief—because he is the truth Himself. Vatican II’s document Dei Verbum states that by faith, one freely commits his /her entire self to God. (#5). For this reason, the believer seeks to know and do God’s will: “The righteous shall live by faith. Living works through charity” (Rom. 1:17; Gal. 5:6). The disciple of Christ must not only keep the faith and live it but also profess it, confidently bear witness to it and spread it: “All whoever must be prepared to confess Christ before men and to follow Him along the way amidst the persecutions which the cross never lacks” (LG, 42). Service and witness to the faith are necessary for salvation: So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my father who is in ; but whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny before My Father in who is in heaven” Tim. 3:6-7). Faith is a personal encounter with Christ who invites a person into an intimate relationship with God. Since “belief seems to have grown outmoded in the life and language of our “modern” world because it sounds naïve, every Christian, therefore, should confront himself/herself with the question: What do I really mean when I confess that I believe.” Faith involves the whole person and occupies the center of one’s life. Sometimes an individual is so preoccupied with things that condition his/ her life. These are presented to him/her as absolute concerns that demand a total giving of himself/herself. Examples of these concerns are food, shelter, and health. Faith must be understood in this concept of ultimate concerns. Thus, a person needs to discern what constitutes his\her ultimate preoccupation. He/she needs to know what is absolute from what is merely relative, authentic faith from idolatrous faith. Faith does not mean that one should believe without a reason. We believe because there are signs of credibility. The first step to faith is to understand the credibility of God—the God revealed in history and in Jesus. The document Dei Verbum clarifies this point. It states: “In his goodness and wisdom, God chose to reveal Himself and to make known to us the hidden purpose of his will… Through this revelation, therefore, the invisible God, out of abundance of His love speaks t men as friends and lives among them, so that he may invite and take them into fellowship with Himself” (#2). In faith, God takes the initiative. He manifests himself through signs, words, and deeds. These signs are not imposed. These are invitations, or vocations. Grace calls and demands the answer of faith to be as such. The Virtue of Hope Hope is the theological virtue by which we desire the kingdom and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ’s promises and relying not on our strength but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit. St. Paul exhorts us: “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promise d is faithful” (Heb. 10:23). Meanwhile, in this letter to Titus, St. Paul states: “The Holy Spirit… He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our savior, so that we might be justified by His grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life” (Tim. 3:6-7) The virtue of hope keeps a person from discouragement, sustains him/her during times of abandonment, and opens his/her heart in expectation of eternal beatitude. Buoyed up by hope, the person is preserved from selfishness and led to the happiness that flows from charity. The New Testament is so rich with teaching s about hope: “Hoping against hope, Abraham believed, and thus became the father of many nations.” (Rom. 8: 18) Through the merits of Jesus Christ and of his passion, God keeps us in the hope that does not disappoint.” (Rom. 5: 5) Hope is a weapon that protects us from struggle for salvation: “Let us… put on the breastplate of faith and charity, and the helmet of hope of salvation” (1Thes. 5: 8). We can, therefore, hope in the glory of heaven promised by God to those who love Him. And do his will. In every circumstance, each one of us should hope, with the grace of God, to persevere to the end and obtain the joy of heaven—God’s eternal reward for the good works ac- complished with the grace of Christ. Hope is the virtue, made possible by grace of God, by which man/woman expects the fullness of salvation and the means to attain it, confident of the omnipotent aid of God. Hope, therefore, considers God as its object. God is the one for whom a person hopes and waits. Hope gives a glimpse of the future—it embraces all things including death. Hope is gratuitous, a gift of the grace and mercy of God. Therefore, we must not trust our own means but god’s alone and the power of his grace. Hope is active and it helps Christians transform the world because through it, God’s justice and peace reach their progressive realization. Hope is patient; it strengthens man/woman to continue waiting what God has promised him/her, knowing that “God could do whatever He promised” (Rom. 4:21) and “hope does not leave us disappointed” (Rom. 5:5) The Virtue of Charity Charity is the theological virtue y which we love God above all things for his own sake, and by which we love our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God. God manifest himself in various ways but the perfect and concrete manifestation of his love in Jesus Christ (Jn. 3:16). In turn, Jesus manifested His love for us through his death on the cross. During his life on earth, Jesus made charity the new commandment. By loving his own “to the end” (Jn. 13:1), Christ manifests the Father’s love which he receives. Christ declares: As the father has sent me, so have I loved you, abide in my love… This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you” (Jn. 15:9, 12). “Love your neighbor as you love yourself” (Mt. 22: 39). –this is the new commandment of Jesus. This commandment is already in the Old Testament but Christ gives a new and authentic meaning. The love of neighbor consists of loving others as Jesus loved us. The divine love is the measure of our love for others. The Lord Jesus asks us to love as he does, to love even our enemies, to make ourselves the neighbor of those farthest away, and to love the children and the poor as Christ himself. St Paul gives an incomparable depiction of charity and its characteristics: “Charity (love is patient; charity is kind; it is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude; it is not self-seeking, it is not prone to anger; neither it does brood over injuries; it does not rejoice of what is wrong but rejoices with the truth. Charity bears all things. Believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (1 Cor. 13: 4-7) “If I have... all other things... but have not love.” Says St. Paul, “I am nothing. Whatever my privilege, service, or even virtue, if I … have no charity, I gain nothing.” Charity is superior to all other virtues; it is the first of the theological virtues: “So faith, hope and charity abide, these three. But the greatest of these is charity” (1 Cor. 13:13). The practice of all the virtues is animate and inspired by charity which “binds everything together in perfect harmony.” It articulates and orders the virtues among themselves. It is the source and goal of our Christian living. Charity upholds and purifies our human ability to love, and raises to the supernatural perfection of divine love. The practice of moral life animated by charity gives us the spiritual freedom as children of God. We no longer stand for God as a slave but as children responding to the love of God who “first loved us” (cf. 1Jn. 4:19). Charity never ends. The more it is manifested and shown to others, the more it endures forever. The primary manifestation of love of neighbor is the work of mercy—both the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. Love shows itself in many forms. The corporal works of charity or mercy are: Feeding the hungry, Giving drink to the thirsty, Giving home to the homeless, Clothing the naked Visiting the sick, Visiting the prisoners, and burying the dead (Mt. 5:35ff; Tb. 1:17) The spiritual works of charity are the following: instructing the ignorant counseling the perplexed consoling persons in sorrow correcting erring persons forgiving persons who have caused one’s injuries bearing injustice patiently and praying for the living and the dead All these works remain valid even today, though their scope has to be expanded. The Four Moral / Cardinal Virtues Moral virtues are habits that are concerned with acts as means to the ultimate end. They help us lead a moral and good lives. They also bring our actions in agreement with the law of God and make us pleasing to him. The moral virtues include, among others, the four cardinal virtues, namely, prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance. The Virtue of Prudence Prudence is the moral virtue that disposes practical reason to discern our true good in every circumstance, and to choose the right means of achieving it. As the Holy Bible says, “the prudent man looks where he is going” (Prv. 14:15) St. Thomas explains that prudence is right reason inaction. Prudence steers our actions and passions by directing all the other moral virtues to what is good according to reason. It guides the other virtues by setting rules and standards. The prudent person determines and directs his/her conduct in accordance with the judgement of conscience. Prudence makes us see what we should do and avoid in order to save our soul. The Virtue of Justice Justice is the moral virtue that inclines the will to give everybody his/her due. It is the constant and firm will to give what is due to God and neighbor. Justice toward God is called “virtue of religion.” Justice toward s a neighbor disposes a person to respect the rights of others and establish in human relationships the harmony that promotes equity with regard to individuals and to the common good. The practice of justice observes these essential requirements: The demands of justice on principle are enforceable if the matter is sufficiently grave. The demands of justice are of definite and determinable nature. Violated claims of justice on principle demand restitution, or at least compensation if the damage inflicted cannot be repaired. Justice therefore, recognizes each and everyone’s rights that belong to an individual. If we obey our parents. If we do not cheat or steal from our neighbor, then, we are practicing justice. The Virtue of Fortitude Fortitude is the moral virtue that ensures firmness or resoluteness in difficulties and constancy in pursuit of the good. It strengthens our patience to tolerate what is unpleasant and strive for what is difficult. It also steels to resolve to resist temptations and to overcome obstacles in our moral life. It enables us to conquer fear—even fear of death—and to face trial and per- secutions. It disposes us to even renounce and sacrifice our lives in defense of a just cause. The Lord tells us that He has overcome the world where we experience tribulations. As the holy Bible says: “The Lord is my strength and my song”. (Ps. 118:14). By enduring the “trials” sent by God to test, strengthen, and purify our spirit, we gradually realize our true nature and goal in life. Now and hereafter. A common example of a person who has no fortitude is one who does not go to Mass because his/her barkada will ridicule him/her. The Virtue of Temperance Temperance is the moral virtue that moderates the attraction of pleasure and provides balance in the use of material things. It regulates, repress, or controls impulses, such as sexual urges, that impel one to do something which is opposed to reason. It ensures the will’s mastery over instincts and keeps desires within the limit of what is honorable. The worst vices resulting from lack of moderation in sensual pleasure include: Gluttony. It is an inordinate desire for food—for pleasure’s sake and not for the preservation of life. Drunkenness or inordinate use of alcoholic drinks. It deprives a person of his /her unique distinction from the brutes. This is also a serious immoral act; it increases criminality, delinquency, and other forms of immorality in society. The effects of intoxication vary according to the amount of alcohol taken and the organic resistance to it. These effects include a) weakening of the reasoning power and self-control; b) boisterous or aggressive behavior; c) loss of coordination and sense of perception; d) violent emotional behavior; and e) complete unconsciousness. Drug addiction. Worse that drunkenness, addiction to prohibited drugs is one of the major causes of rape, murder, and other heinous crimes. Other Moral Virtues Filial piety—it helps us to honor, love, and respect our parents and country Obedience—it helps us to do the will of our superiors Veracity—it helps us to tell the truth Patience—it helps us to bear trials Humility—it helps us to acknowledge our limitations Chastity—it helps us to be pure in soul and body The Virtues of St. John Baptist de La Salle St. La Salle used his freedom in choosing the good for the people of his time. As teacher and founder of the FSC, he taught us how to be true examples of good Christian living. He encouraged all the brother-teachers to acquire the 14 virtues characteristic of the Christian teacher. Piety. It is the capacity to relate with the transcendent. Teachers who direct and mold the youth to become good Christians must be men and women of prayer. Zeal. It is an ardor in the pursuit of any desirable goal to accomplish the best results. This pursuit is characterized by enthusiasm and fervor. Zeal is generous giving what it has, giving what it can, and giving itself. Prudence/Discretion. It is the ability to see, judge, and act appropriately, and strike the right balance. Self-control, self-analysis and reflection are necessary to develop this virtue. Patience. It is the ability to control oneself. It is an open and accepting attitude. Successful teachers are those who have the patience to lead their students through a long series of repeated failures until the latter learn the right way to do the right thing. Wisdom. Wise teachers understand that education means more that imparting knowledge. They strive daily to cultivate in themselves the virtues of truth, love and honor. Behaviors that weaken this attitude include boredom, disinterest in reading, long hours for leisure activities and rest, and ignorance in some areas of education. Meekness. It is the ability to keep oneself in check. This is the external manifestation of charity. A string of educational honors does not guarantee a teacher’s success in the classroom. It we do not have a Christ-like meekness in our relationship with others, our efforts are wasted. Humility. It is the virtue that considers others as coequal with or superior than oneself. It leads to esteem, friendship, and kindness. Only humble teachers can admit their own mistakes and have sufficient resolve t correct them. Gravity. It is the ability to b serene, confident, and respectful. The Christian teacher is grave without affection and dignified without haughtiness. A confident teacher has a healthy sense of self-worth which enables him/her to affirm goodness in himself/herself as well as the goodness in others. Vigilance. It is the ability to be watchful and attentive to the student. Techers should be generally aware of the student’s behavior under all circumstances at all times at all places. They should pay special attention to their students, especially those who need it most. They should watch over their students with love and zeal, and guide their students towards good behavior by serving as examples. Balanced Judgment. Teachers should be leaders who must first learn selfdiscipline, self-subordination, and reliability. The virtue of balanced judgment is a summation of these qualities. It is the subordination of selfinterest and suppression of ones desires for the common good. Silence. It is the ability to converse properly. It is a virtue which guides a person when to speak and when to keep quiet. Silence is not so much a matter of speechlessness as it is of discrimination in utterance and careful use of language. It is also obtaining information before making judgments. Generosity. It is the ability to work with and for others. It is the love and esteem for the educational mission to which one has been called. It is the selfless devotion to educational work by sacrificing personal interests for the good of others. Generous teachers glory in their work. Behaviors that weakens this trait includes leading a life which relies on praise and applause, harboring grudges, and prioritizing owns own interests than those of the students. Firmness. It is the moral strength that one has when confronted with certain challenges and trial in life. It presupposes the courage to direct activities with a firm and steady hand, to give way without hesitation, and to fulfill one’s promises. Behaviors that weakens this attitude are repression, lack of flexibility, and intimidation. Constancy. It is the perseverance in understanding, of the ability to keep on going in spite of difficulties. Behaviors that weaken this attitude are instability and constantly changing without justification.
