The "Forty Catholic" Virtues Part Three

This is the last small list for today, with some thoughts for meditation.

compunction

This type of remorse may be found in the writings of  St. John Chrysostom, St. Gregory the Great, St. Anselm, and St. John Climacus and St. Ignatius of Loyola.

Tears for sorrow for sin are called, collectively, compunction.

Come now, insignificant man, fly for a moment from your affairs, of mankind, alas the universal lamentation of the children of Adam! escape for a little while from the tumult of your thoughts. Put aside He groaned with fullness; we sigh with hunger. He was prosperous; now your weighty cares and leave your wearisome toils. Abandon we go begging. He in his happiness had possessions and in his misery yourself for a little to God and rest for a little in Him. Enter into the abandoned them; we in our unhappiness go without and miserably inner chamber of your soul, shut out everything save God and what do we yearn and, alas, we remain empty. Why, since it was easy for can be of help in your quest for Him and having locked the door seek him, did he not keep for us that which we lack so much?--- St. Anselm, Prosologion

continence or celibacy

You ought anxiously to consider again and again what sort of a burden this is which you are taking upon you of your own accord. Up to this you are free. You may still, if you choose, turn to the aims and desires of the world (licet vobis pro artitrio ad caecularia vota transire). But if you receive this order (of the subdiaconate) it will no longer be lawful to turn back from your purpose. You will be required to continue in the service of God, and with His assistance to observe chastity and to be bound for ever in the ministrations of the Altar, to serve who is to reign.--- Old Rite of Ordination

perseverance

I Have now to consider the subject of perseverance with greater care; for in the former book also I said some things on this subject when I was discussing the beginning of faith. I assert, therefore, that the perseverance by which we persevere in Christ even to the end is the gift of God; and I call that the end by which is finished that life wherein alone there is peril of falling. Therefore it is uncertain whether any one has received this gift so long as he is still alive. For if he fall before he dies, he is, of course, said not to have persevered; and most truly is it said. How, then, should he be said to have received or to have had perseverance who has not persevered? For if any one have continence, and fall away from that virtue and become incontinent,--or, in like manner, if he have righteousness, if patience, if even faith, and fall away, he is rightly said to have had these virtues and to have them no longer; for he was continent, or he was righteous, or he was patient, or he was believing, as long as he was so; but when he ceased to be so, he no longer is what he was. But how should he who has not persevered have ever been persevering, since it is only by persevering that any one shows himself persevering,--and this he has not done? But lest any one should object to this, and say, If from the time at which any one became a believer he has lived--for the sake of argument--ten years, and in the midst of them has fallen from the faith, has he not persevered for five years? I am not contending about words. If it be thought that this also should be called perseverance, as it were for so long as it lasts, assuredly he is not to be said to have had in any degree that perseverance of which we are now discoursing, by which one perseveres in Christ even to the end. And the believer of one year, or of a period as much shorter as may be conceived of, if he has lived faithfully until he died, has rather had this perseverance than the believer of many years’ standing, if a little time before his death he has fallen away from the stedfastness of his faith.--- St. Augustine

studiosity-the study of the faith

Further, that which makes man like to God, and which he receives from God, cannot be an evil. Now all abundance of knowledge is from God, according to Sirach 1:1, "All wisdom is from the Lord God," and Wisdom 7:17, "He hath given me the true knowledge of things that are, to know the disposition of the whole world, and the virtues of the elements," etc. Again, by knowing the truth man is likened to God, since "all things are naked and open to His eyes" (Hebrews 4:13), and "the Lord is a God of all knowledge" (1 Samuel 2:3). Therefore however abundant knowledge of truth may be, it is not evil but good. Now the desire of good is not sinful. Therefore the vice of curiosity cannot be about the intellective knowledge of truth.--- St. Thomas Aquinas

wisdom

Where faith is a simple knowledge of the articles of Christian belief, wisdom goes on to a certain divine penetration of the truths themselves. --- John Hardon, S.J.

The practice of goodness is accompanied by spontaneous spiritual joy and moral beauty. Likewise, truth carries with it the joy and splendor of spiritual beauty. Truth is beautiful in itself. Truth in words, the rational expression of the knowledge of created and uncreated reality, is necessary to man, who is endowed with intellect. But truth can also find other complementary forms of human expression, above all when it is a matter of evoking what is beyond words: the depths of the human heart, the exaltations of the soul, the mystery of God. Even before revealing himself to man in words of truth, God reveals himself to him through the universal language of creation, the work of his Word, of his wisdom: the order and harmony of the cosmos-which both the child and the scientist discover-"from the greatness and beauty of created things comes a corresponding perception of their Creator," "for the author of beauty created them."

[Wisdom] is a breath of the power of God, and a pure emanation of the glory of the Almighty; therefore nothing defiled gains entrance into her. For she is a reflection of eternal light, a spotless mirror of the working of God, and an image of his goodness. For [wisdom] is more beautiful than the sun, and excels every constellation of the stars. Compared with the light she is found to be superior, for it is succeeded by the night, but against wisdom evil does not prevail. I became enamored of her beauty.--- Catechism of the Catholic Church 2500

The Forty Catholic Virtues Part Two-The Second Twenty

The list of the second twenty Catholic virtues, (several others to be noted in Part Three); and these lists, with the previous and next one, are not exhaustive. The quotations are for your meditation:

affability or friendliness

As stated above (109, 2; I-II, 55, 3), since virtue is directed to good, wherever there is a special kind of good, there must needs be a special kind of virtue. Now good consists in order, as stated above (Question 109, Article 2). And it behooves man to be maintained in a becoming order towards other men as regards their mutual relations with one another, in point of both deeds and words, so that they behave towards one another in a becoming manner. Hence the need of a special virtue that maintains the becomingness of this order: and this virtue is called friendliness.---St. Thomas Aquinas

art and science

Art, according to the Schoolmen, signifies the right method with regard to external productions (recta ratio factibilium). Just as science perfects and directs the intellect to reason correctly with regard to its proper object in view of the attainment of truth, so also art perfects and directs the intellect in the application of certain rules in view of the production of external works, whether these be of a useful or æsthetic character. Hence the division into useful and fine arts. Art has this in common with the three speculative intellectual habits, that they are all virtues only in a restricted sense. Hence they constitute a man good only in a qualified sense, e.g. a good geometrician or a good sculptor. For the proper function of science as art, as such, is not to confer moral goodness, but to direct the intellect in its scientific or artistic processes.--- CE

The gifts of understanding and knowledge are more perfect than the knowledge of faith in the point of their greater clearness, but not in regard to more certain adhesion: because the whole certitude of the gifts of understanding and knowledge, arises from the certitude of faith, even as the certitude of the knowledge of conclusions arises from the certitude of premises. But in so far as science, wisdom and understanding are intellectual virtues, they are based upon the natural light of reason, which falls short of the certitude of God's word, on which faith is founded. --- St. Thomas Aquinas

religion

...order comes under the aspect of good, just as mode and species, according to Augustine (De Nat. Boni iii). Since then it belongs to religion to pay due honor to someone, namely, to God, it is evident that religion is a virtue.---St. Thomas Aquinas

piety, including righteousness, patriotism, and respect

what is due to God, parents, country, others...four separate virtues

There is only one salvation for you: take yourself up, and make yourself responsible for all the sins of men. For indeed it is so, my friend, and the moment you make yourself sincerely responsible for everything and everyone, you will see at once that it is really so, that it is you who are guilty on behalf of all and for all. Whereas by shifting your own laziness and powerlessness onto others, you will end by sharing in Satan's pride and murmuring against God.---The Brothers Karamazov
Book VI - The Russian Monk, Chapter 3 - Conversations and Exhortations of Father Zosima.”
― Fyodor Dostoyevsky

gratitude

May today there be peace within. May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith. May you use those gifts that you have received, And pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content knowing you are a child of God. Let this presence settle into your bones And allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us. ---St. Teresa of Avila

Ingratitude is  “the cause, beginning, and origin of all evils and sins.”---St. Ignatius of Loyola

liberality or kindness in giving things, time, attention, and money

Justice has to do with the fellowship of mankind. For the notion of fellowship is divided into two parts, justice and beneficence, also called liberality or kind-heartedness.---St. Ambrose

A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love.--- Saint Basil

decorum or modesty

1 Corinthians 14:40 Douay-Rheims  But let all things be done decently, and according to order.
Nehemiah 8:8-12 Douay-Rheims

8 And they read in the book of the law of God distinctly and plainly to be understood: and they understood when it was read.

9 And Nehemias (he is Athersatha) and Esdras the priest and scribe, and the Levites who interpreted to all the people, said: This is a holy day to the Lord our God: do not mourn, nor weep: for all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.

10 And he said to them: Go, eat fat meats, and drink sweet wine, and send portions to them that have not prepared for themselves: because it is the holy day of the Lord, and be not sad: for the joy of the Lord is our strength.

11 And the Levites stilled all the people, saying: Hold your peace, for the day is holy, and be not sorrowful.

12 So all the people went to eat and drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth: because they understood the words that he had taught them.

1 Timothy 2:9 Douay-Rheims

9 In like manner women also in decent apparel: adorning themselves with modesty and sobriety, not with plaited hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly attire...

compassion

Mary appears to Christians of all times as the one who feels deep compassion for the sufferings of humanity. This compassion does not consist only in an emotional sympathy, but is expressed in effective and concrete help when confronted with humanity's material and moral misery.
In following Mary, the Church is called to take on the same attitude towards all the earth's poor and suffering. The maternal attention of the Lord's Mother to the tears, sorrows and hardships of the men and women of all ages must spur Christians, particularly at the dawn of the new millennium, to increase the concrete and visible signs of a love that will enable today's humble and suffering people to share in the promises and hopes of the new world which is born from Easter.---St. John Paul II  General Audience on Wednesday, 22 November 1995

munificence, a subset virtue of generosity

The virtue of munificence refers to a firm habit to desire and do great works for the benefit of others. It is generally contrasted with the virtue of generosity, which is the firm disposition to sacrifice what one has for the good of others, even though what one has may be small and even though it may help only one beneficiary. Munificence, on the other hand, refers to sacrifices of great amounts for the benefit of many. Father Roger Landry

chastity

In this great pastoral effort there is an urgent need for the entire Christian community to recover an appreciation of the virtue of chastity. The integrating and liberating function of this virtue (cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2338-2343) should be emphasized by a formation of the heart, which presents the Christian understanding of sexuality as a source of genuine freedom, happiness and the fulfilment of our fundamental and innate human vocation to love. It is not merely a question of presenting arguments, but of appealing to an integrated, consistent and uplifting vision of human sexuality. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI Address to American Bishops, March 9th, 2012

abstinence and sobriety, subsets of temperance

Dear friends, what the Christian should be doing at all times should be done now with greater care and devotion, so that the Lenten fast enjoined by the apostles may be fulfilled, not simply by abstinence from food but above all by the renunciation of sin. --- Saint Leo the Great.

magnanimity, constancy, longanimity, subsets of virtue of fortitude

Fortitude has two principal acts: to undertake courageously and to endure difficult things. The Christian should endure them for the love of God; it is more difficult to endure for a long time than in a moment of enthusiasm, to undertake courageously something difficult. (9)

Fortitude is accompanied by patience to endure the sorrows of life without being disturbed and without murmuring, by longanimity which endures trials for a long time, and by constancy in good, which is opposed to obduracy in evil.
To the virtue of fortitude is also linked that of magnanimity, which leads to the lofty practice of all the virtues,(10) avoiding pusillanimity and effeminacy, but without falling into presumption, vainglory, or ambition.

The gift of fortitude adds a superior perfection to the virtue of fortitude. It disposes us to receive the special inspirations of the Holy Ghost, which are given to sustain our courage in the presence of danger and to drive out worry over not being able to accomplish a great duty or to endure trials. This gift makes us preserve, in spite of everything, "hunger and thirst after the justice of God." (11)

The heroic degree of the virtue of fortitude appears especially in martyrdom, undergone to give testimony to a truth of faith or to the grandeur of a Christian virtue. Outside of martyrdom, the virtue of fortitude, the gift of fortitude, patience, and magnanimity intervene each time that something heroic is to be accomplished or a great trial to be borne.---Garrigou-Lagrange in The Three Ages of the Interior Life

poverty

The devil does not have only one weapon. He uses many different means to defeat human beings: now with bribery, now with boredom, now with greed he attacks, inflicting mental and physical wounds equally. The kind of temptation varies with the different kinds of victim. Avarice is the test of the rich, loss of children that of parents and everyone is exposed to pain of mind or body. What a wealth of weapons is at the devil’s disposal! It was for this reason that the Lord chose to have nothing to lose. He came to us in poverty so that the devil could find nothing to take away from him. You see the truth of this when you hear the Lord himself saying:
“The prince of this world is come and has found nothing in me”John 14:30. The devil could only test him with bodily pain, but this too was useless because Christ despised bodily suffering. Job was tested by his own goods, whereas Christ was tempted, during the experience of the wilderness, by the goods of all. In fact, the devil robbed Job of his riches and offered Christ the kingdom of the whole world. Job was tested by vexations, Christ by prizes. Job the faithful servant replied: “The Lord has given and the Lord has taken away” Job 1:21 Christ, being conscious of his own divine nature, scorned the devil’s offering of what already belonged to him.

So let us not be afraid of temptations. Rather, let us glory in them saying: “When I am weak, then am I strong.” 2 Cor. 12:10. – Saint Ambrose 

to be continued... a few more to make over forty.........................................

The Forty Catholic Virtues Part One--The First Twenty

Because my guest blogger was unable to produce the natural law articles, for good reasons, I am writing this last mini-series on this blog on the virtues. There are forty according to Garrigou-Lagrange, and I have tried to find a quotation for each one for meditation. The first twenty virtues in the list make up this section.

What we need to be practicing if we want to "skip purgatory":  

some quotations are from Twelve Catholic Virtues, a great little book. Some are those I found to be appropriate.

The first list:

perfection

Perfection consists in one thing alone, which is doing the will of God. For, according to Our Lord's words, it suffices for perfection to deny self, to take up the cross and to follow Him. Now, who denies himself and takes up his cross and follows Christ better than he who seeks not to do his own will, but always that of God? Behold, now, how little is needed to become a Saint! Nothing more than to acquire the habit of willing, on every occasion, what God wills.----St. Vincent de Paul

humility

Humility is the foundation of all the virtues; therefore, in a soul where it does not exist there can be no true virtue, but the mere appearance only. In like manner, it is the most proper disposition for all celestial gifts. And, finally, it is so necessary to perfection, that of all the ways to reach it, the first is humility; the second, humility; the third, humility. And if the question were repeated a hundred times, I should always give the same answer.----St. Augustine

union with God

The object of all virtues is to bring us into union with God, in which alone is laid up all the happiness that can be enjoyed in this world. Now, in what does this union properly consist? In nothing save a perfect conformity and resemblance between our will and the will of God, so that these these two wills are absolutely alike----there is nothing in one repugnant to the other; all that one wishes and loves, the other wishes and loves; whatever pleases or displeases one, pleases or displeases the other.----St. John of the Cross

love

When one has arrived at the perfect love of God, he becomes as if he were the only man on earth. He cares no more for glory or ignominy; he despises temptations and sufferings; he loses taste and appetite for all things. Finding no support, consolation, or repose in anything, he goes constantly in search of his Beloved, without ever being weary; so that at work or at table, waking or sleeping, in every employment or conversation, his whole thought and his whole aim is to find the Beloved, for his heart is where his treasure is. In one word, he is like a lover who sighs only for the sight of his love, and whose love is his all.----St. John Chrysostom 

mortification or penance

The measure of our advancement in the spiritual life should be taken from the progress we make in the virtue of mortification; for it should be held as certain that the greater violence we shall do ourselves in mortification, the greater advance we shall make in perfection.----St. Jerome 

prayer

Virtues are formed by prayer.
Prayer preserves temperance. Prayer suppresses anger. Prayer prevents emotions of pride and envy.
Prayer draws into the soul the Holy Spirit, and raises man to Heaven.”--- St. Ephrem of Syria

Mental prayer consists in weighing and understanding what we are saying, Who it is to Whom we are speaking and who we are to have the courage to speak to so great a Lord. To have these and similar thoughts is properly to make mental prayer. Their opinion, however, is not to be followed who believe that its whole essence consists in thinking, so that if they can keep their thoughts fixed by a great effort, then they consider themselves very spiritual and men of prayer; but if they are able to do this no longer, and their attention wanders a little, even to good things, they imagine they are doing nothing. No, the substance of mental prayer, in my opinion, consists in nothing but conversing with God as with a friend. And so, to speak of this thing or of that to Him, Who, we know, loves us, is mental prayer.----St. Teresa

patience

If you see that you have not yet suffered tribulations, consider it certain that you have not begun to be a true servant of God; for the Apostle says plainly that all who choose to live piously in Christ, shall suffer persecutions.----St. Augustine 

 The way is narrow. Whoever expects to walk in it with ease must go detached from all things, leaning on the staff of the Cross; that is firmly resolving to be willing to suffer in all things for love of God.----St. John of the Cross

diligence (industry)

If man could see what reward he will have in the world above for well-doing, he would never employ his memory, understanding or will in anything but good works, without regarding at all what labor or trials he might experience in them.----St. Catherine of Genoa

simplicity

Simplicity is nothing but an act of charity pure and simple, which has but one sole end----that of gaining the love of God. Our soul is then truly simple, when we have no aim at all but this, in all we do.----St. Francis de Sales

obedience

Obedience is the summary of perfection and of the whole spiritual life, and the securest, shortest, least laborious and least dangerous way of becoming enriched with all virtues, and arriving at the goal of our desires----eternal life. ----Alvarez

meekness which includes modesty

As without faith it is impossible to please God, so without mildness it is impossible to please men and to govern them well.----St. Bernard

trust in Divine Providence

Whoever serves God with a pure heart, and setting aside all individual and human interests, seeks only His glory, has reason to hope for success in all he does, and especially under circumstances when, according to human judgment, there is no help; for the Divine works are above the sight of human prudence, and depend upon a loftier principle.----St. Charles Borromeo

faith

...faith is a habit of the mind by which eternal life begins in us, a habit which makes the intellect assent to things that are not apparent.---St. Thomas Aquinas

honesty

We have to endure the discordance between imagination and fact. It is better to say, “I am suffering,” than to say, “This landscape is ugly".-- Simone Weil

hope

I am the King's true subject, and pray for him and all the realm.... I do none harm, I say none harm, I think none harm. And if this be not enough to keep a man alive, in good faith I long not to live.... And therefore, my poor body is at the King's pleasure. Would God my death might do him some good.--- St. Thomas More

temperance

Temperance is simply a disposition of the mind which binds the passion.---St. Thomas Aquinas

prudence

Sirach 22:26-27 Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition

26 but if some harm should happen to me because of him,
whoever hears of it will beware of him.
27 O that a guard were set over my mouth,
and a seal of prudence upon my lips,
that it may keep me from falling,
so that my tongue may not destroy me!
Ecclesiastes 7:14 Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition

14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider; God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him.

 Prudence...recta ratio agibilium, right conduct--St. Thomas Aquinas

courage

Joshua 1:6-8 Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition

6 Be strong and of good courage; for you shall cause this people to inherit the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law which Moses my servant commanded you; turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. 8 This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success.

justice

Justice is the same as rectitude, not essentially but causally; for it is a habit which rectifies the deed and the will.---St. Thomas Aquinas

fortitude

For these four virtues (would that all felt their influence in their minds as they have their names in their mouths!), I should have no hesitation in defining them: that temperance is love giving itself entirely to that which is loved; fortitude is love readily bearing all things for the sake of the loved object; justice is love serving only the loved object, and therefore ruling rightly; prudence is love distinguishing with sagacity between what hinders it and what helps it.---St. Augustine

to be continued...

Considering One's Own Soul

In 1979, around Christmas time, a young male friend of mine and I were discussing dating. We were both at Notre Dame and my friend was infatuated with a beautiful, rich, blond. I asked him why he had not asked her out for a date. He did not hesitate in his answer, "She would lead me away from God."

Now, this girl was a Catholic and a good young woman, as this man was a good man. But, in his wisdom, he could see that she would not be good for him as a wife, and he was dating to find a wife.

What struck me was that this wise young man knew what he needed to get to heaven. He understood the phrase, "Love your neighbor as yourself."  One must love one's self enough to follow God's way for one to get to heaven, not merely indulge in what one wants, what one desires.

I did not know this young woman well, but later found out that she lacked the depth of spirituality that this young man needed to fulfill his own role as an excellent husband. He wanted a wife who desired a deep relationship with God as he was pursuing. He wanted a wife who was serious about becoming a saint and raising holy children. The young man knew that one did not get married in order to change or save someone.

We did not see each other after this conversation, as life separated our friendship. But, I feel certain that he found an equal mate.

The Protestants have a phrase "unequal yoking" to mean that two people got married who never should have, and are not in the same place spiritually. Sometimes, people simply do not know their mate well enough when they get married, marrying an idea rather than a real person.

Sometimes people come together because of bad habits, or bad character traits. Narcissists frequently marry narcissists, for example. Alcoholics frequently marry addictive mates. Bullies sometimes marry victim types, and so on.

Some women have a bad habit of thinking that they can change a man. This idea is silly and unrealistic.

Some men have a have a bad habit of thinking that it is the woman in the marriage who needs to go to Church and bring the family to holiness, when it is the man who is the real priest of the domestic church, not the woman.

Unequal yoking can occur when one person has a conversion, or re-version experience, and comes into the Catholic Church, while the other does not.

My young friend sensed that, although that particular young lady was attractive, she and he would be unequally yoked.

The best marriages are those wherein the couple grow in love for Christ together, helping each other become more holy through love and care.

Too often, one of the two becomes holy through heroic virtue discovered through intense suffering.

Unequal yoking can also happen when the two people are not matched intellectually or emotionally.

.

But, the real problem with unequal yoking is the danger of one or both parties falling into sin and losing even eternal life with God.

One must love one's self enough not to let the other person in the marriage cause one to sin over and over and over. A person unequally yoked can fall away from God too easily if the other person is Godless.

One must consider one's own soul.

These seem like hard words, but too often the husband or wife gives in to the weaker and less holy person, not being challenged, nor challenging the situation.

It is too easy to just go with the flow and give in to sinful behavior.

Cooperating in and with sin dulls the conscience after a time.

Not all people should be martyrs to a bad marriage, one of unequal yoking. It is obvious when God gives grace to the suffering partner, as that person lives in a deep tranquility. Interior peace is a sign of God blessing the holy person to endure the unequal yoking.

I am reminded of a man who realized he married someone who could not help him get to heaven except through his own acceptance of suffering. The woman turned out to be completely caught up in the material world of status and success. Like the Bennets in Pride and Prejudice, there was a lack of respect at first, but this man caught himself in that sin, repented, and began to accept and love the wife he had chosen when less wise. He accepted his disappointment, as he had thought she was more religious than she actually was.

She came to understand that she could not love him as he loved her, much like David with childish Dora in David Copperfield.  Dora began to understand that she could not meet David's needs. Agnes was truly, all the time, David's equal, but he had to learn the hard way not to love out of infatuation, but out of respect for a person of character.

The man's wife became grateful when she realized his great love for her despite her serious failings. Slowly, very slowly, she began to change, but not without great suffering on the part of the husband.

My young friend did not marry the Dora, but waited for the Agnes to come along.

But, what does one do when one finds one's self unequally yoked? One can make a decision to honor the marriage promise and contract, finding ways to love without any expectation of being loved in return. This is love from the will, the most perfect love of all.

When one wills to love the other, one is free to accept serious inadequacies, and the disappointment of the type of marriage one thought one was going to enjoy until death.

Wilful love is the highest form of love. God blesses those who choose to love, really love and respect the other through the will. But, one must rely entirely on God for joy, kindness, fortitude, real love.

Sadly, too many parents do not train their children to have a realistic idea of equal yoking. The old patterns of courtship have disappeared, leaving young people on their own to figure out who should be their life-long mate.

A good marriage will bring joy. A marriage of unequal yoking will bring great suffering. A marriage accepted as highly imperfect, but coupled with love of the will, can bring about great holiness, and, even gratitude in the other person receiving such love, who may come to understand this love. But, this marriage will be one of great pain.

The key to choosing a "right mate" is to consider first one's own soul. One must ask the questions, "Will this person go to heaven with me, and help me get there, as I want to help him (or her) get there? Is Christ first in that person's life?"

Another question one may ask, "Do I want to become like this person?" Marriage makes two into one, and man and wife do become like each other for better, or for worse.

Sadly, these questions  seem to be ignored by most young. and even older people, when considering marriage.

What Is Patience?

So many people in America, myself included, have grown up with instant satisfaction in some many physical ways. We turn on the air-conditioning, or heat or humidifier and our environment becomes as comfortable as we desire.

We buy food of any variety and quality, ready-cooked, or almost cooked, even delivered to our door.

We save coupons, get coupons in our e-mail, and have coupons on our smart phones to buy any amount of things whether necessary or not.

We drive where and when we want to do so, with or without whom we want to be with at any given time.

We communicate on the Net, on our phones, but less and less over coffee or drinks.

We are the fast living, fast moving people of progress and daily new items are invented to tease us into more and more comfort with less and less work.

I remember when remote controlled Venetian Blinds became popular. I knew something was terribly wrong then. Or, when the automatic lights which go on when one enters a room, perfectly tuned to one's mood or needs require no effort but settings, I suspected we had fallen from grace.

Working with one's hands has become less and less a desire or a need. But, using one's hands brings patience, and a relationship with things, with nature, which is a good.

Most of my friends hire gardeners to mow lawns, trim hedges and bushes and shovel the snow in the winter. Most people I know have every possible gadget one can imagine in their living rooms and kitchens.

When I told someone I never used a microwave until I moved into their house this past summer, she was shocked. And, I also had to share that I never used a crockpot.

I always made things the "long way".

Several friends have brought up the fact that they lack patience. I am not surprised. We are so use to having everything the way we want it NOW, that patience seems no longer necessary-except in one area of our lives-relationships.

However, more and more people cannot communicate, do not talk things out in their families, do not share either difficulties or joys. Talking about serious things must be avoided at all costs, even the cost of family unity and love.

Discussing and working out problems among people takes time and effort, plus patience.

So, the next question was, well, what is patience anyway?

The dictionaries give us these definitions:

1.
the quality of being patient, as the bearing of provocation, annoyance, misfortune, or pain, without complaint, loss of temper, irritation, or the like.
2.
an ability or willingness to suppress restlessness or annoyance when confronted with delay:
to have patience with a slow learner.
3.
quiet, steady perseverance; even-tempered care; diligence:
to work with patience.

But, patience is really humility. If one is humble, one can be uncomfortable, provoked without an angry response, enduring pain, irritation and so on.

The proud want everything "just so" and as they like it--and do not tolerate any inconveniences.

I learned humility waiting for Maltese buses.

I learned humility in Montessori training.

I learned humility by watching a long-suffering wife, who is a close friend and very old, and a saint.

But, mostly, I remind myself, when I begin to feel impatient that I am not God, I am not in control of life or other people or events. God is .

Learning patience comes with self-knowledge.

I do not get angry when driving and see mistakes of others. I have learned that road rage is pride.

Pride makes one critical of others to the point where one expects something from the other person, something the other person may not be able to effect.

Many people get impatient with phone trees on calls. This development is part of our lives, Patience is learning that we cannot change somethings to what they were in the past-like desiring good customer service from humans and not machines.

Part of learning patience is flexibility and not rigidity towards life. Those who want to be in control of every aspect of life will not only fail at becoming patient, but fail to learn to love.

People are "messy" and different and strange. Some humans guard themselves against the mess by purposefully isolating themselves from people, or by surrounding themselves with clones.

One does not learn patience in a vacuum, or in a group which seems homogeneous. 

Daily, I witness more and more anger among people-in shops, on the roads, in families. This anger reveals not only a lack of patience, but deep-seated pride. The meek are not valued anymore.

But, they will inherit the earth. And, what does that mean?

Why will the meek inherit the earth? What does it mean to inherit and what is meant by the earth?

Meekness or humility creates freedom in the soul. One become free to give up certain annoyances, and irritations. This freedom allows one to see things from different perspectives and not merely one's own.

For example, some people complain about the time they must wait in the doctor's office, an event which has sadly become more and more common.

I see waiting as an opportunity to either read an interesting book or even to pray silently.

To be able to use time which seems to be wasted is a gift from patience and from humility.

Why should my time be more valuable than someone else's time?

Meekness implies a gentleness and not an aggressivity towards others. Meekness implies that one knows how to suffer and in silence.

The meek will inherit, will be given something passed down to them, earned not by grace, but freely.

One does not earn an inheritance. One is given an inheritance as a gift. One does not deserve to inherit anything.

But, God promises us that the meek, the gentle, the humble, will be given.....what?

The earth...

Not heaven, the earth...the poor in spirit get heaven, while the meek are given the earth.

This means that those who are meek, are gentle, and humble are given the gift of loving what is around them now, at this present moment.

When Christ states this, He indicates that a peace and joy may be found now, on this earth, despite irritations, annoyances, misfortunes.

Lately, some difficult things have happened in my life. I am dealing with some difficult situations. I could get annoyed, or irritated. Or, I can learn to be gentle, humble, meek and accept these situations which are out of my control as part of God's plan for my life which I do not understand.

I live with more discomfort than most Americans could tolerate. I am not in control of so many things because I am poor, The poor become humble, if they let go of anger and frustration, through patience.

One of my favorite characters in fiction is Joe Gargery in Great Expectations. He is the opposite of the proud, wasteful Pip, who has to learn humility the hard way. Joe had married a shrew, and yet, when she is beaten by an intruder and needs care, he cares for her tenderly. Joe teaches Pip patiently, and bears with Pip's rejection, when this young man no longer wants to associate with the "lowly" blacksmith. But, when Pip needs rescuing, it is Joe who comes to aid and take care of him.

Why Joe is "saintly" is that he is humble. He has unique self-knowledge and is comfortable with who he is. He is long-suffering and finally rewarded with a good wife and Pip's deep respect, as it is fiction, as Oscar Wilde notes in The Importance of Being Earnest, "The good ended happily and the bad unhappily. That is what Fiction means."

Joe images patience because he is true to his good self. He sacrifices for others and does not place himself first. 

To learn patience, one must be willing to take second, or third, or the last place.

Lies and Misdemeanors

Deceit at every level of society seems to be stalking the land, like a giant with big boots. More and more, I am meeting people who have chosen freely to live in lies, and create sins which are misdemeanors, especially in their families.

Some young people have become so jaded and cynical that they think that all people lie and that it is ok to lie.

Some very old people have become so weary that they, too, think most people lie.

I am being told this by men and women of various levels of society. Few now believe in truly "good people", stating to me that everyone is out for themselves and so on.

Sad, sad that our society now lacks the cohesiveness of trust.

I find this trend troubling, especially among the young and the elderly. One should not be going into life jaded and one should definitely not be leaving life with cynicism.

Cynicism is a sin. It stems from two sources: hatred and pride.

Because the cynic has no grace, he or she believes that all people cannot attain nobility or greatness.

Because the cynic hates humanity, he or she hates goodness to the point of not believing goodness is possible.

Of course, the cynic has no relationship with God.

Recently, I found myself in a discussion with middle-aged people younger than myself. I was shocked at the level of cynicism revealed, and the number of lies people said, when I knew the truth of the situations they were sharing. Why people lie is mainly to avoid suffering.

Lying makes one feel safe, defended from the truth, and protected from suffering.

Truth brings clarity, but frequently, suffering.

Misdemeanors include rudeness, infidelity, malice and slander. How common these sins have become actually had saddened me, especially when I have witnessed the loss of Faith because of the lack of common courtesy.

Courtesy is politeness based on mutual respect for the dignity of individuals. The cynic, the liar, cannot be courteous. He or she cannot see the value of the other persons around them.

The courteous person is elegant, long-suffering, compliant when he or she can be. The courteous person thinks of others first, and self second. The courteous person is gentle and kind.

This ability to be courteous is fast disappearing from families. The reason may be gross individualism, relativism, or even narcissism.

But, I think the main reason that in a post-Christian society, there is no shared framework for respect.

When people no longer see themselves as brothers and sisters in Christ, what is left can be brutal.

I am sorry that I have to witness the death of truth, even among some who claim they are Christian.

I am sorry that I have to witness the growth of cynicism, lies and misdemeanors.

Great Summary of The Entire Perfection Series

"Without contemplation, no great advance will be made in virtue and we shall never be able to help others towards it. Without contemplation we shall never completely abandon our weaknesses and imperfections. We shall always remain attached to the earth and we shall never rise much above the sentiments of human nature. Never shall we be able to give God a perfect service. With contemplation, we shall do more for ourselves and others in one month, than we shall do without it in ten years." (Pere Lallemant. Spiritual Doctrine, from the Maritains' book Prayer and Intelligence.

Revealing the Sins of the Apostles

Mark 16:9-15Douay-Rheims 

9 But he rising early the first day of the week, appeared first to Mary Magdalen, out of whom he had cast seven devils.

10 She went and told them that had been with him, who were mourning and weeping.

11 And they hearing that he was alive, and had been seen by her, did not believe.

12 And after that he appeared in another shape to two of them walking, as they were going into the country.

13 And they going, told it to the rest: neither did they believe them.

14 At length he appeared to the eleven as they were at table: and he upbraided them with their incredulity and hardness of heart, because they did not believe them who had seen him after he was risen again.

15 And he said to them: Go ye into the whole world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

Today, Christ upbraids the apostles for two sins-yes, sins. 

The context is that the Eleven refused to believe both Mary Magdalen and the two disciples who met Jesus on the way to Emmaus.  

The two sins for which Christ suffered on the Cross and to which He reprimands them in this Gospel are obstinacy and the unwillingness to believe.

These two sins involve acts of the will. Obstinacy may be called in our culture "pig-headedness" or "rigidity".  This sin comes from two big sins--inordinate self-love, or selfishness, and rebellion.

The sin of rebellion was THE sin of the Jews in the Old Testament. Innumerable times do we see the prophets reprimanding the people for rebellion, for hardness of heart.

Pig-headedness just means that a person wants what they want when they want it and too bad, so sad for the consequences. Basically, this sin is one of pride, as well as the primal sin of rebellion.

The unwillingness to believe, incredulity, indicates a turning away from grace. In other words, the apostles turned away from the truth of the appearances of Christ to their own comfort zones of unbelief.

They were still acting like Old Testament Jews, instead of New Testament Christians. They had to repent, and Christ, the Son of God, severely rebuked them-the meaning of the word upbraided, or reprimanded.

No small thing to be severely rebuked by the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity-Christ, God and Man...Maybe if they listened to Him, believed in His Resurrection, the apostles would have to change their lifestyles. Big time decisions can be put off by rebellion.

We all can fall back into old patterns of sin. This is the reason for seeking out, begging God for purgation. Purification is the only way to stop the habits of sin.

In today's Epistle, we see brave and true apostles, but this is after Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit gave them the very virtues we have to go out and preach the Gospel.

Fortitude, temperance, prudence, justice--the cardinal virtues, faith, hope, love-the theological virtues, and all the gifts of the Holy Spirit....wisdom connected to prudence, perfecting love, understanding connected to justice and perfects hope, knowledge connected to prudence and perfects love, counsel connected to prudence and perfects it, fortitude adding to the virtue of fortitude--as we need more courage and the insights of this most important virtue, piety connected to temperance and justice, and fear of the Lord., also informing, connected to temperance. This information is all found in the teachings of Aquinas and commentators on the virtues throughout the history of the Church, including the catechisms. 

The gifts perfect the cardinal and theological virtues. See my other posts on these.

We have these and it is only sin which prevents us from proclaiming the Gospel to the world, as commanded (not suggested) by God.

Let God cleanse you, bringing you to purity of heart so that these virtues and gifts may be manifested in the world. More now than ever does the world need holiness...

A simple view of the Illuminative State-I

Until one reaches a daily life of true humility, as I have noted before, none of the gifts are truly free to operate. This graph, from Garrigou-Lagrange, shows the

None of the virtues can be lived day by day without the purgation which brings the necessary purity of heart.

People think they are virtuous, but in reality, they are practicing natural, not supernatural, virtues.

A few priests I have met understand this-all but two are in Ireland.

These good men, who have allowed themselves to be put through the Dark Night, understand that the virtues are blocked by even one venial sin.

Habitual venial sins definitely block virtue. The first conversion is to Christ, The second conversion is one of humility.

All the supernatural virtues and gifts then grow and are manifested, but only then. See the other posts on this.

Here is the great Dominican's own reflection on this drawing.

As the drawing on the opposite page shows, from humility, the base of this excavation resting on Christ the foundation rock, rises the first column of the edifice, the pillar of faith, as St. Paul calls it. Faith is called a fundamental virtue, not only like humility in that it removes an obstacle, but in that all the other infused virtues rest positively on it.(1) Opposite the pillar of faith is that of hope, which makes us desire God, eternal life, relying on the divine help for its attainment.

These two pillars support the cupola of charity, the highest of the virtues. The part of the cupola which rises toward heaven symbolizes charity toward God, whereas that which slopes toward the earth is a figure of fraternal charity, which makes us love our neighbor for God because he is a child of God or called to become one. The cupola is surmounted by the cross to remind us that our love ascends toward God only through Christ and the merits of His passion.

St. Augustine, speaking of the beatitudes in his commentary on the Sermon on the Mount, and St. Thomas tell us that to each of the three theological virtues corresponds a gift of the Holy Ghost; these three gifts are symbolized by three lamps. From the pillar of faith is suspended the lamp of the gift of understanding, which renders faith penetrating. By faith we adhere to the word of God; by the special inspiration of the gift of understanding we penetrate it, as for example, when assailed by temptation, we comprehend that God is truly our last end, the one thing necessary, and that we must remain faithful to Him.

From the pillar of hope is suspended the lamp of the gift of knowledge, which, according to St. Augustine and St. Thomas, makes us know things, not by their supreme cause as wisdom does, but by their proximate, defectible, and often deficient cause. For this reason, according to these doctors, the gift of knowledge shows us the emptiness of earthly things and the vanity of human helps in attaining a divine end. In this sense, the gift, which perfects faith, also perfects hope and leads us to aspire more strongly toward eternal life and to rely on the help of God, the formal motive of hope, to attain it.(2)

From the cupola symbolizing charity is suspended another lamp, the gift of wisdom, which illuminates the whole interior of the spiritual edifice and makes us see all things as coming from God, supreme Cause and last End, from His love or at least by His permission for a greater good which we shall some day see and which from time to time becomes visible here on earth. In this spiritual temple, says St. Paul, dwells the Holy Ghost and with Him the Father and the Son. They are there as in a mansion, where They may be and are from time to time quasi-experientally known and loved.

more later....

No, I have not forgotten Prudence

...I just wanted more time before I write on this last Cardinal Virtue. By the way, did you know that Prudence is frequently painted with a mirror, indicating reflection, thought, reasoning?  I think there are some medieval cathedral sculptures with Prudence and mirror as well. The mirror also symbolizes the wisdom of self-knowledge.

Prudence may be the lynchpin virtue. Again, looking at the graph as well as the wisdom of experience, one can see the necessity for Prudence in the Catholic Church.  http://supertradmum-etheldredasplace.blogspot.com/2013/09/part-five-predominant-fault-and-false.html

The great sins listed there include at least one found among certain Synod fathers--carnal prudence.

Carnal prudence is what pushes those cardinals who support sin to want to change Church doctrine. Carnal prudence makes leading Churchmen compromise.

Carnal prudence makes a person not think like a Catholic--but to live in fear and only within one's comfort zone. Self-protection and selfishness provide the fuel for carnal prudence. God asks us to use His virtue of prudence in the world to change it. Carnal prudence is worldly prudence.

St. Thomas Aquinas, and I follow his example, puts prudence as the first virtue. It is recta ratio agibilium or right reason in action. The CCC lists prudence as auriga virtutum (the charioteer of the virtues), meaning it leads the other virtues. 

The key word in this definition is "reason".  To think like a Catholic means that one has conformed one's mind to the teachings of Christ and can reason, reflect, decide according to the Mind of Christ, which is the mind of the Church.

One must know things in order to act and prudence informs action with knowledge, the general knowledge of, for example, the Church's teaching on marriage, to the specific, how one "pastors" those in irregular marriages.

Aquinas notes that the use of prudence also indicates that one has affections in order. If the passions and lower faculties are not in order, one cannot employ the virtue of prudence. Like all of the virtues, prudence can be blocked by both mortal and venial sin.

Prudence moves our entire lives, which is why it is not only a moral virtue, but an intellectual virtue.

If you are a regular reader, you may remember my comments on synderesis a while ago. Synderesis sees the end of one's actions and prudence determines how one morally gets to the end, as well as seeing that end..

I have over 203 posts on St. Thomas Aquinas, but here is one which is connected to these thoughts today. http://supertradmum-etheldredasplace.blogspot.com/2014/09/aquinas-on-natural-law-again.html

Besides carnal prudence, cunning is a sin against the virtue of prudence. Cunning  involves using deceit to get to one's end, such as lying or hiding the truth. Sadly, cunning runs the lives of too many politicians and businessmen.

Prudence is a virtue given to us freely by God, but we can also learn prudence, or hone it through experience. However, one may fall into carnal prudence and cunning from experience as well, if one does not guard one's mind and soul from anger, deceit, or pride.

A life of sin can destroy all the virtues over time so that a person becomes full of vice instead of virtue. Prudence can be ignored over and over through desire or through the avoidance of suffering until one no longer can exhibit this virtue.

For example, if one never wants to suffer, and acts accordingly to avoid discomfort, one sins against prudence, which demands that one acts in accordance to truth and fortitude (courage).

Selfishness and pride can make an person imprudent, not just negligence. We usually think of negligence, such as a person who is a spendthrift, as the emblem of imprudence. but the so-called clever man or woman, who "covers all the bases" in a worldly manner is also imprudent, preferring his or hers own version of prudence rather than God's.

One thinks of the parable of the Widow's Mite as an example of both the greatness of heart of the woman who is acting out of prudence, as opposed to those who give only out of their excess and not out of need., which is carnal prudence.

A person of prudence takes advice from his or her superiors in the Faith, such a a spiritual director or confessor. A woman of prudence would be obedient to a good, Catholic husband. Children of prudence listen and obey their good Catholic parents, and so on.

Tomorrow, I shall write on the gift of counsel which comes from the virtue of prudence, but is different.

Happy Easter!

Strong Hearts, Strong Minds

A bishop reminded me that the word "courage" comes from the Latin word for heart "cor". Courage, fortitude, steadfastness are all names for the virtue which men and women receive , along with the Theological Virtues and the other three Cardinal Virtues, at baptism.

See the posts on these virtues.

Today, thinking of the apostles cowering in the room, not knowing what to do, I am reminded that we know what to do in the face of danger.

Why? We have fortitude, or courage. All of these virtues must be used or they will go into dormancy, like unwrapped presents put back into a cupboard.

Courage does not mean one does not experience fear, which is normal, in the face of danger, but this virtue does give one the ability to act uprightly despite the feeling of fear.

One continues standing up for one's faith in the face of danger. Fortitude brings us patience and perseverance, virtues which follow fortitude. The cardinal virtues lead to other virtues, just as the capital sins lead to other sins.

Some people say to me, "Well, I would like to be a martyr, but I do not know how I would react in the face of persecution."

Why not? Why does someone not know? We are in bootcamp daily. We have to stand up for our Faith in the work place, in our families, even in our parishes.

We are given many opportunities to grow in courage, to nurture fortitude.

The Church Militant needs Her confirmed laity to become saints.

We should know ourselves well enough to know how we would react to persecution.

Daily prayer prepares us. Not compromising the Faith cleanses our minds, imaginations, wills and places fear on the back burner. We learn to walk through fear.

Since I have been very young, when I was afraid to do something, I purposefully chose to do it.

Take that first dive off the high board, enter speech contests, work in the worst of ghetto neighborhoods, get on a plane by myself, move to another continent, face those who are immoral and heretical in Catholic schools, colleges, universities, in the Church, homeschool in the face of derision, and so on...I chose to go against fear.

I was not a foolhardy, choleric child, adolescent, or adult, but reflective. Fortitude is not connected to temperaments, but is a gift from God. We all have this from baptism and strengthened in confirmation.

Practice makes perfect, literally.

Sometimes people who have been away from the Faith for years fear going back to Confession. They actually have the virtue hiding under all that sin, like a jewel under a pile of dead leaves, only needing a choice of the will to activate the virtue, which would come "fully alive" when one is free of mortal sin. God gives us the grace to re-vert. He moves reason with grace and we choose.

Choices are so much harder to make when one is in mortal sin, as reason falls into darkness. All the virtues inform reason. We need that special grace of conversion from God.

All the virtues lead us back to God and can become habits, and if we turn against the movement of the virtues, either through fear, which means that one is choosing cowardice, a sin, or because of spiritual sloth, we fall into greater sins.

Here is Aquinas on the virtue of fortitude:

Two things must be considered in the operation of fortitude. One is in regard to its choice: and thus fortitude is not about sudden occurrences: because the brave man chooses to think beforehand of the dangers that may arise, in order to be able to withstand them, or to bear them more easily: since according to Gregory (Hom. xxv in Evang.), "the blow that is foreseen strikes with less force, and we are able more easily to bear earthly wrongs, if we are forearmed with the shield of foreknowledge." The other thing to be considered in the operation of fortitude regards the display of the virtuous habit: and in this way fortitude is chiefly about sudden occurrences, because according to the Philosopher (Ethic. iii, 8) the habit of fortitude is displayed chiefly in sudden dangers: since a habit works by way of nature. Wherefore if a person without forethought does that which pertains to virtue, when necessity urges on account of some sudden danger, this is a very strong proof that habitual fortitude is firmly seated in his mind.

And, here is the answer to those who do not know how they will react to persecution; if not habit, then reflection.

Yet is it possible for a person even without the habit of fortitude, to prepare his mind against danger by long forethought: in the same way as a brave man prepares himself when necessary. (Aquinas)

Sometimes people, even children, lie out of fear.

Lying must be seen as the unwillingness to suffer. Fortitude helps us to suffer.

Choose suffering, choose life, be of strong hearts, and strong minds.

Tomorrow, on the glorious feast of Easter, I shall review the other three cardinal virtues.

Footnote to yesterday's post on marriage

http://supertradmum-etheldredasplace.blogspot.com/2014/12/part-xxvi-of-perfection-series-xiii.html

I used the short quotation on marriage from Raissa, but I want to expand using a footnote of Jacques regarding the perfection of the species as one of the reasons for marriage.

He writes this: "For the perfecting of the species, that is to say in order that the highest exigencies of the natural law with regard to the human species should be recognised and supernaturally confirmed and that the rigour which is thus demanded from each one should raise the moral level of the species."

This type of idea is why I keep saying that lay people must stop blaming the clergy and nuns for the lack of faith among the laity.

We are all called to the perfection of the species, and marriage is one way in which this is done.

How?

For each person to come to perfection demands that rigour noted by Jacques. That following of God's moral law is absolutely the duty of each one of us. All humans experience natural law, even in this perverted world, which denies natural law, even as a basis of human law. as we see with abortion laws, for one example, as human laws in contradiction to natural law.

The Ten Commandments are merely an extra clarification of natural law. Jacques is noting that those in marriage relationships, in families, need to see how their individual and group actions inform the larger world. First, the couple and family recognize natural law and then take the next step, which is putting it into context of the soul, heart, mind, the very reason why people were created in the first place.

This supernatural confirmation happens in virtue training, in the formation of character, in cooperation with the graces received in baptism. Parents have this duty to lead their children into the life of virtue, but of course, they cannot lead where they are not willing to go themselves.

The moral level of the species has dropped and this is the fault of the laity, as well as the clergy and other religious. No one is exempt from blame, or repentance and accepting the duty, the call of God to perfection.

What Raissa expressed so beautifully, Jacques summarizes, like the excellent philosopher he was, the whole point of the perfection of individuals in marriage leading to the perfection of the species.

Follow the tags for many of my posts on virtues and virtue training.

To be continued....