Virtues and Beatitudes

8/13/2019 Virtues and Beatitudes

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Virtues and Beatitudes

Virtue-The Habitual and firm disposition to do good.--A virtue is a good habit.

--The moral law serves as a compass to guide us through life.--The goal of a virtuous life is to be like God.

--Our actions help us to be holy and perfect like the heavenly Father.

--Virtues work in harmony toward the attainment of our ultimate goal and

perfection.

Human Virtues- CCC 1804 Firm attitudes, stable dispositions and habitual

perfections of intellect and will that govern our actions, order our passions, and

guide our conduct.

They are not dependant upon sacramental graces. They are acquired by human

effort, but are aided and elevated by sacramental graces. These virtues lead us

to live good lives. The orient us to the supernatural destiny revealed and made

possible by Christ.


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Cardinal Virtues (Moral Virtues) Lead us to Live Moral Lives.

The cardinal virtues are the four primary moral virtues. The English word cardinalcomes

from the Latin word cardo, which means "hinge." All other virtues hinge upon these four

virtues. Unlike the theological virtues, which are gifts of God through grace, the cardinalvirtues can be practiced by anyone. The four cardinal virtues are prudence, justice,

fortitude (or courage), and temperance (or moderation).

Prudence- the virtue that allows us to judge correctly what is right and what is wrong in

any given situation. When we mistake the evil for the good, we are not exercising

prudencein fact, we are showing our lack of it.

Justice- the constant and permanent determination to give everyone his or her rightful

due. Governs our relationship with others

Fortitude- allows us to overcome fear and to remain steady in our will in the face of

obstacles, but it is always reasoned and reasonable; the person exercising fortitude does

not seek danger for danger's sake. Fortitude is the only one of the cardinal virtues that is

also a gift of the Holy Spirit, allowing us to rise above our natural fears in defense of the

Christian faith. Strength to provide good actions in the face of difficulty.

Temperance- the restraint of our desires or passions. Food, drink, and sex are all necessary

for our survival, individually and as a species; yet a disordered desire for any of these goods

can have disastrous consequences, physical and moral. Temperance is the virtue that

attempts to keep us from excess, and, as such, requires the balancing of legitimate goodsagainst our inordinate desire for them.


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Theological Virtues

Unlike the cardinal virtues, which can be practiced by anyone, the theological virtues

are gifts of grace from God, and the object of the virtueswhat the practice of the

virtue aims atis God Himself. They are Faith, Hope and Charity.Faith-Divine virtue by which we firmly believe the truths which God has revealed. Is

essential for our salvation. By faith we commit our self to God.

Hope- Divine virtue by which we firmly trust that God will give us eternal life and the

means to obtain. It keeps us from getting discouraged.

Charity- Divine virtue by which we love God above all things for His own sake, and ourneighbor as ourselves for the love of God. The greatest of all virtues. Jesus revealed

the depths of His charity when He opened His arms on the Cross.


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Act of Faith

O my God, I firmly believe that You are one God inthree divine Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I

believe that Your divine son became Man, died for our

sins, and that He will come to judge the living and thedead. I believe these and all the truths which the Holy

Catholic Church teaches, because You have revealed

them, who can neither deceive nor be deceived.


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Act of Hope

O my God, relying on Your almighty power and

infinite mercy and promises, I hope to obtain pardonof my sins, the help of Your grace, and life everlastingthrough the merits of Jesus Christ, my Lord and

Redeemer.

Act of Love

O my God, I love You above all things, with my

whole heart and soul, because You are all-good andworthy of all love. I love my neighbor as myself for thelove of You. I forgive all who have injured me, and ask

pardon of all whom I have injured. Amen.


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Virtues and BeatitudesHumility-Disposes us to appreciate andacknowledge our true position with respect to Godand others. God is the source of all good things.He who is greatest among you shall be your

servant. Matt. 23:11 (Opposes Pride)

Liberality-Generosity towards others, disposing usto use material goods rightly. (OpposesCovetousness)

Chastity-Pure in body and soul. Those who keepthemselves pure are like angels on earth. All are topractice chastity, married, virgins (Opposes Lust)

Meekness- Its patience. Disposes us to controlanger when offended and resentment whenrebuked. (Opposes Anger)

Abstinence-Keeps in bounds use of and pleasure infood and drink. A man eats only what he needs,not to fully satisfy his appetite. (Opposes Gluttony)

Zeal- Fervor for our salvation and for that of others,out of love for God.

The Kingdom of Heaven has been enduring violentassault, and the violent are taking it by force. Matt.11:12 (Opposes Sloth)

Brotherly Love- Charity towards our fellow men.Love one another, as I have loved you. John 15:12

At a very early age St. Agnes hadsuch a high regard for the virtue of

chastity that she vowed her

virginity to God. At the age of 13,

Roman soldiers tried to make her

offer incense to God, but she

refused. They offered to marryher to the son of an official. But

she answered that she was

consecrated to her heavenly

bridegroom. She suffered torture

and meekly laid her head on the

execution block.


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The Beatitudes

The Eight Beatitudes form the core of the

Christian life. As Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J.,

writes in his Modern Catholic Dictionary,they are the "promises of happiness made

by Christ to those who faithfully accept his

teaching and follow his divine example."

That happiness is not in the future but now

for those who conform their lives to Christ.

There are two versions of the Beatitudes,

one from the Gospel of Matthew and one

from the Gospel of Luke. Both are

delivered by Christ during the Sermon on

the Mount. The text of the Beatitudes

given here is from Saint Matthew, Chap. 5,

the version most commonly quoted and

from which we derive the traditional count

of Eight Beatitudes.

1. Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is

the kingdom of heaven.

2. Blessed are the meek: for they shall

possess the land.

3. Blessed are they that mourn: for theyshall be comforted.

4. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst

after justice: for they shall have their fill.

5. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall

obtain mercy.

6. Blessed are the clean of heart: for they

shall see God.7. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they

shall be called children of God.

8. Blessed are they that suffer persecution

for justice' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of

heaven.


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Beatitudes

1. Blessed are the Poor in Spirit

To be poor in spirit means that we come to understand and accept-- we truly

own nothing because all we have is a gift from God. We trust in Gods

providence that He will provide for all our needs. This beatitude reminds us to

follow the stewardship way of life. As a steward of Gods gifts, we should use

our time, talent and treasure as God desires. When I become aware of my

intelligence, wealth, success, gifts and talents-- do I give God the credit. If I

have a financial hardship do I trust God to take care of all my needs andabandon myself to His care?

2. Blessed are Those who Mourn

As Christians we are to comfort those who suffer, especially the loss of a

loved one. We should attend funerals and comfort those who mourn.We should pray for those who have died and offer Masses for the

repose of their soul. We should also comfort those who go through

difficult situations, such as illness, tragedies, divorce or family hardship.

Those who have teenswe should listen to themand support them

during their difficult time as they mature into adulthood.


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Beatitudes

5. Blessed are the Merciful

First, we should show mercy toward others,especially our own family and friends, who may

have hurt us. Its not easy to forgive someonewho has deeply hurt us, especially spouses andex-spouses. We are to forgive those who trespassagainst us. In addition to showing mercy byforgiving, we can practice the 7 corporal works of

mercy: feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty,cloth the naked, visit the sick, visit prisoners,shelter the homeless and bury the dead. Or the 7spiritual works of mercy: pray for the living andthe dead, counsel the doubtful, comfort the

sorrowing, convert sinners, instruct the ignorant,patiently bear adversity, and forgive others.Choose to become an Apostle of Mercy, not onlypraying for mercy when you pray the Chaplet ofMercy, but also by giving mercy to others.


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Beatitudes

6. Blessed are the Pure of Heart

This beatitude calls us to have a pure heart, by looking at others as

persons. We attempt to overlook the faults of others and see Jesus ineveryone. We attempt to be pure in mind and body, avoiding all

persons, places and things that can cause us to have impure thoughts

and actions-- such as television, movies and inappropriate websites.

Avoid watching television, install an Internet Filter, go to confession

frequently, especially if one suffers from frequent impure temptations.

Entrust yourself to the Virgin Most Pure and daily seek Her intercession.

7. Blessed are the Peacemakers

We should strive to be a peacemaker especially trying to heal family

divisions, so that unity in the family may prevail. Misunderstandings or

disagreements may have caused strained relationships with family,

friends and co-workers. To set down and calmly work things out

would not be easy, but would be a loving thing to do.


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Beatitudes

8. Blessed are They Who are Persecuted for

the Sake of Righteousness

Not many of us are insulted for our faith,primarily because we dont express it to

others. However, all Catholics are insulted

when the pope or our Church is insulted.

Catholics suffer persecution when we stand

up for abortion or stand up for our faith. We

suffer persecution when the government

tries to take away our religious freedom. We

can also express our faith among family and

co-workers, and talk about topics such asabortion, contraception, the Blessed Virgin

Mary or belief in the true presence of Jesus in

the Eucharist.

Virtues and Beatitudes

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