Posts Tagged ‘Cardinal Virtues’
Cardinal Virtues: Fortitude – the Courage to Face Evil
The cardinal virtues help us to form our character so that we live a fully human life. Fortitude is the cardinal virtue of standing up for what is right and good even in the face of difficulty or fear. In many ways, fortitude is the battle virtue. It is the part of spiritual growth that…
Read MoreDoes Spiritual Growth Mean Being Poor?
What exactly is the role of money in God’s plan for our spiritual growth? The Second Vatican Council warned us about the growing gap between our faith and our everyday lives. As disciples of Christ, we are called to sanctify every aspect of life for the authentic† development of human life and for the glory…
Read MoreSupernatural Temperance and the Joy of Steak
Spiritual growth includes becoming fully human, and that is why we need the virtue of natural temperance. Natural temperance is the virtue of balancing our desires for created goods according to our needs. As a natural virtue, temperance exercises our free will over our physical desires. It, therefore, leads to greater freedom and helps us…
Read More4 Myths About the Cardinal Virtue of Fortitude
Fortitude, the cardinal virtue of moral courage, is an important but largely neglected part of spiritual growth. We often assume that some people are born with fortitude and other people are not. Or we assume that courage is only necessary for specific, limited circumstances. So let’s begin our exploration of fortitude by busting a few…
Read MoreThe Virtue of Prudence: Choosing the Greatest Good
What does it mean to nurture the moral virtue of prudence? A big part of it is to carefully consider and intentionally move toward the best possible good. Prudence is the cardinal virtue of identifying authentic human good and making a plan to attain it. There are three stages of prudence: Step 1: Examining your…
Read MoreThe Cardinal Virtue of Temperance: Finding Your Sweet Spot
Part of spiritual growth is to live a fully human life by adopting a life of virtue. That means that we are more than animals. Animals are driven by instinct and desire. Their main purpose in life is to preserve their physical life and to continue their species. Now, there is no doubt that human…
Read More6 Areas of Your Life Damaged By Being Too Busy
My life is still too busy, but I have found the concepts of Overload and Margin to be not only useful but nearly transforming in my life. Reading Dr. Richard Swenson’s book was a true awakening for me. “Oh, that’s my problem!” Like many, I assumed that my life was out of my control.…
Read MoreSeven Deadly Sins, Seven Lively Virtues
The Seven Deadly Sins are not particular sins at all. Rather, they are vices – or patterns of immoral choices. Most of them are the abuse of something that is otherwise good. They are defined by the phrase “inordinate desire,” meaning a desire that is “out of order” with human health, happiness and holiness. The…
Read MoreWhat Virtues Make a Well-Ordered Life Second Nature?
A habit is a tendency to perform an action readily and easily. Virtues are good habits – habits that resonate with who we are meant to be. Habits are formed by doing something over and over again. This repeated action literally forms a path in our brain that connects a need or desire to the…
Read MoreWhy Virtues are the Secret to Transforming Your Life
Could the secret to the life transformation you seek lie in the depths of ancient Catholic teaching? Yes! The ancient Catholic teaching on good moral habits can be life-changing! Character development is a very important part of Catholic spiritual growth – becoming who God created us to be. None of us are really satisfied with…
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