Queen

 We all have a moral character.
 That moral character is made up of qualities, virtues, vices, talents and weaknesses that make us who we are.
 The Christian’s goal is to develop a character that is loving and deeply human.

 The four Christian CARDINAL virtues: wise judgment, justice, courage, wholeness.
 Wise judgment: prudence or an accurate vision and comprehension of the whole reality (cf. Mt. 7:24-28)
 (story from page 96)
 3 dimensions of wise judgment
 Seeing reality clearly
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Figuring out the good
Knowing her own feelings and motives

 Those good habits that reveal our inner readiness to do good
 The habits of a life of love
 Love is expressed through moral virtues
 This is acquired through practice and with God’s help
 The cardinal virtues of wise judgment, courage, and wholeness are foundational to all other moral virtues

 Take the case of the woman caught in adultery (John
8:2-11).
 Jesus understands that the punishment is too severe and that it is gender-biased.
 He also knows that they want to trick him into disobeying the Mosaic Law and arrest him.
 The answer is to confront them with their own hypocrisy.
 Consider reality and the economic bailout we are facing or the global environmental crisis)

 Traditionally called prudence
 Prudence: caution, wise judgment
 Comes first in importance because it is the ability to:
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Make decisions based on a well formed conscience
Willingness to carry out these decisions

 We often have a mix of motives for what we want to do.
Wise judgment excludes false motives.
 Case: page 106-107. Which is the wise decision?