Posts Tagged ‘virtues’
Physical Health & Moral Virtue
Most Catholics do not associate physical health and moral virtue. This is a large part of the virtue of Temperance. I think part of the reason we don’t make this connection is that it has been commandeered by New Age movements such as Yoga. A very large part is also that we don’t make the…
Read MoreGrowing in the Theological Virtues – Hope and Heaven
Is Your Hope Manly or Wimpy? The theological virtues are infused into our souls at the time of our baptism. In other words, if you are baptized, you have the virtue of hope. Hope is a supernatural virtue, which means that through God’s grace it strengthens our ability to have a relationship with God and…
Read MoreCatholic Prayer: The Virtue of Prudence and the Habit of Prayer
Catholic spirituality and prayer often begins with the virtue of prudence. We need to deal with our own weaknesses & bad habits in order to grow in love for God.
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 MoreGrowing in the Theological Virtues – Are You Following the Greatest Commandments?
“Meanwhile these three remain: faith, hope and love. And the greatest of these is love.” Charity is the greatest of the theological virtues. The theological virtues of hope and faith are at the service of the theological virtue of charity. The very purpose ofthe theological virtues of hope – to teach us to trust –…
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…
Read MoreLiving the Theological Virtues: Vocation and Charity
Living the theological virtues – faith, hope and charity – would be impossible without grace. But even with grace the theological virtues are difficult. Hope fully lived is complete trust in God. Do you trust God completely? Faith fully lived is deep intimacy with God. How well do you know God’s mind and heart? Charity…
Read MoreAn Introduction to Human Virtues
The main point of Catholic spiritual growth is not what we do. Spiritual growth is dependent rather on who we become and what kind of relationships we form with God and with our neighbor. That’s why virtue is so important. The human virtues and the divine virtues both make goodness part of who we are.…
Read MoreLiving the Theological Virtues and Embracing Your School of Love
God calls each of us to our vocation to help us grow in the theological virtues. We are called within our specific vocation to grow in our general vocation. Pope John Paul II called the family the “school of love.” He referred mainly to the fact that children learn what it means to love from…
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