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.

Virtues and Beatitudes Cardinal Virtues (Moral Virtues) Lead us to Live Moral Lives.
The cardinal virtues are the four primary moral virtues. The English word cardinal comes 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 cardinal virtues 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 goods against our inordinate desire for them.

Virtues and Beatitudes 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 our neighbor 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 in three 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 the dead. 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 pardon of my sins, the help of Your grace, and life everlasting through 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 and worthy of all love. I love my neighbor as myself for the love of You. I forgive all who have injured me, and ask pardon of all whom I have injured. Amen.

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Humility- Disposes us to appreciate and acknowledge our true position with respect to God and 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 us to use material goods rightly. (Opposes Covetousness) Chastity- Pure in body and soul. Those who keep themselves pure are like angels on earth. All are to practice chastity, married, virgins (Opposes Lust) Meekness- Its patience. Disposes us to control anger when offended and resentment when rebuked. (Opposes Anger) Abstinence- Keeps in bounds use of and pleasure in food 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 violent assault, 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 had such 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 marry her 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.

Virtues and Beatitudes 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 they shall 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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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 and abandon 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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3. Blessed are the Meek To be meek means we control our anger and impatience. Most of the time, we become angry or impatient because we do not want to accept suffering associated with the anger or impatience. To be meek one needs to be willing to embrace ones cross and to be willing to suffer with love.
4. Blessed are Those Who Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness How many of us wake up in the morning and pray to Jesus, I want to become a saint! I desire to be holy and virtuous! We can grow in holiness by coming to daily Mass, going to confession weekly or monthly, praying the Rosary everyday, daily reading a paragraph from one of the Gospels and meditating on the life of Jesus and spending an hour with Jesus in Eucharistic Adoration. If you want to hunger and thirst for righteousness, wake up every morning and pray, Jesus, help me to become a saint!

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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 someone who has deeply hurt us, especially spouses and ex-spouses. We are to forgive those who trespass against us. In addition to showing mercy by forgiving, 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 7 spiritual works of mercy: pray for the living and the 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 only praying for mercy when you pray the Chaplet of Mercy, but also by giving mercy to others.

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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 in everyone. 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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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 as abortion, contraception, the Blessed Virgin Mary or belief in the true presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.