How does this relate to your journey? Catholicism teaches God provides gifts to help you grow spiritually which in turn helps you grow in other areas. This helps you along your life long journey towards heaven. The gifts provided by God are not for personal edification more so than they are for the purpose of drawing you closer to Him.

In Confirmation, the gifts provided, sustain and help you on your journey. The end purpose is for a supernatural (spiritual) maturing process. Spiritual birth was begun in Baptism, providing a new life in Christ. Now Confirmation, provides the maturing of the soul for the work ahead and is part of the completion of initiation into the Christian community.[1] Where as in the Sacraments of Penance and Holy Eucharist, the soul is healed and nourished, respectively.

What are some things you can expect in your faith journey through life? Jesus says; “no one is greater than their master. (Jn 13:16)” In these words, Jesus indicates, as a Christian you are not given a guarantee against suffering or challenges. But Jesus does ensure you He will be strength for the journey. The Apostles would later write, that by Jesus’ saving grace and the Gospel, you are called to serve.[2]

As there will be suffering, and struggles, there will also be much joy, peace, and transformation. Christians are given strength to endure. The gifts of God, help the Christian grow in the midst of adversity, sustain them through persecution, and provides wisdom to discern and choose the course of action which bring them closer to God. By asking God for help, the Christian’s faith grows as they go through life’s experiences. You are aided by God’s grace to live by virtues as a tool for growth. 

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[1] The Sacraments of initiation are Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Communion.

[2] 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14 ::  13 But we ought to give thanks to God for you always, brothers loved by the Lord, because God chose you as the first fruits for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in truth.  14  To this end he has [also] called you through our gospel to possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Habit Forming

Your character as a person stems from those virtues you choose to regularly guard and practice. In other words, forming the good and right habits. This is beneficial to do, because who you are is determined by your overall character, your character is determined by the habits and thoughts you cultivate. 

Your actions form habits. These actions are formed in your mind in an area called the will. You can easily make the connection and conclude the correlation between thinking rightly and acting rightly. You will typically act out what you are thinking.

Someone once said; “Do something seven times and it forms a habit.”  I am not sure how true this statement is in real life, but I suspect that the underlying principle is correct. Namely, when something is done often enough, it will form a habit.

The idea of forming habits can be compared to a bank account or investment with compound interest. As money is deposited into the account, over time with the compound interest that sum of money gets larger. The higher the interest rate the greater the return. Habits have a similar compounding effect on your life. The sooner you develop good and essential habits, the better and lasting the effect will be.

In your life there are many choices. When you make the same choice often enough it will form a habit. It begins with a thought. The thought becomes a conscious choice. The choice becomes an action. The action, if frequently repeated, becomes a habit. The habit now serves to form your character, thus becoming the very fabric of who you are. Your character plays a strong deterministic role as to your destiny (where you will spend eternity). This is why forming good habits supportive of virtues is so important!

Remember, you have the capacity to make bad choices, subsequently forming bad habits. When you participate in bad behaviors, they become engrained in you forming bad habits i and these likewise instill a bad character. You can understand the detriments of bad habits by using the above analogy of compound interest. In the case of bad habits, they act on you like an enormous credit-card debt with high interest payments which ends up with a cost that you cannot afford to pay off in the long term.

Habits will impact what direction your life will take. Can you change?  Sure, you can! You need to stop feeding the bad habits and replace them with good habits. Virtues are those qualities a Christian observes and chooses to build up as a way to begin dying to the old self and live according to God’s plan for a new life.

There are other things a Christian can habitually do to bring themselves closer to God.

·        Frequent the sacraments

o   The Sacrament of Penance heals

o   The Sacrament of Holy Communion nourishes and strengthens

·        Prayer

·        Read the Bible (read it – you don’t need to become a scholar)

·        Serve in charity

·        Serve your Church Community

·        Virtuous living at work and at play

 What are the virtues?

A Virtue is a behavior which shows high moral standards. It is a behavior that yields to ‘good.’ This is not a definition of what good is for the individual, but it is a good which comes from an absolute (God).

Cardinal Virtues

Prudence

Temperance

Justice

Fortitude

There are four cardinal virtues. They are prudence, temperance, justice and fortitude. These are considered pivotal to all other virtues. The term cardinal (virtues) stem from the Latin word cardo, which means, “hinge,” signifying the reality that all other virtues stem from or are “hinged” on these four.[1]

The cardinal virtues are considered natural virtues; in so much that they are attainable by any person of good will and are considered perfections of human nature for the one who practices them. As such the cardinal virtues are also considered “moral virtues.’ You attain to these values more perfectly with grace.

Prudence

The moral (cardinal) virtue of Prudence is the practice of being cautious by the use of good judgment. Prudence disposes the person to practical reason to discern the true good in every circumstance and attain the resolve to choose the right means to achieve it.[2] This includes avoiding those areas of temptation. 

Prudence is the virtue which immediately guides the judgment of conscience. With the help of this virtue, you apply moral principles to particular cases without error and overcome doubts about the good to achieve and the evil to avoid. 

Temperance

The moral virtue of Temperance is moderation or self-restraint. It could even be abstinence.  This moral virtue moderates the attraction of pleasures, especially inordinate pleasures and provides balance in the use of created (material) goods. Material goods would be anything we consume or encounter in our lives: food, drink, marketing, media, recreation, time spent doing things, even idle time.[3]

11 For the grace of God has appeared, saving all 12 and training us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age,                                                                                        Titus 2:11-12

The practice of Temperance ensures your will’s mastery over instincts and keeps desires within the limits of what is honorable. You use this to balance those things which may conflict with your spiritual growth. The temperate person does not use created goods too much or too little but acts with moderation. It is the avoidance of overindulgence of anything. 

The virtue of chastity comes under the cardinal virtue of temperance, which seeks to permeate the passions and appetites of the senses with reason.                        CCC 2341

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[1] CCC 1805

[2] CCC 1806

[3] CCC 1809

Justice

The moral virtue of Justice consists in the constant and firm will to give your due to God and neighbor.[1] Justice toward God is called the “virtue of religion.” It is just to worship and adore God. Why? Because God is rightly due to be praised and adored. God deserves this, and it is His right.

Justice toward neighbor is the disposition where you respect the rights of each and to establish in human relationships the harmony that promotes equity with regard to persons and to the common good according to God’s will.

The seventh commandment (Thou shalt not steal) forbids unjustly taking or keeping the goods of one’s neighbor and wronging him in any way with respect to his goods.

Fortitude

The moral virtue of Fortitude ensures firmness in difficulties and constancy in the pursuit of the good.[2]  It is with fortitude where you maintain your resolve to do moral good. It strengthens the resolve to resist temptations and to overcome obstacles in the moral life.

The virtue of fortitude enables you to conquer fear, even fear of death, and to face trials and persecutions. It disposes you even to renounce and sacrifice your life in defense of a just cause. It is the foundation of courage, a courage to do the right thing even when it is difficult

Fortitude makes firm your decision to avoid and fight temptations. Here also implies a spiritual assent through the grace of God to deal with and overcome  temptations.[3] It is a good thing to practice fortitude in order to form holy habits for living a Christian life. 

Virtues and Grace

These four natural virtues, when left to secular human thinking alone, can easily become misguided and therefore need God’s grace and the guidance of the Holy Spirit to elevate and direct them.

Virtues acquired and practiced through human endeavors of education, and acts, as well as persevering through repeated efforts are said to be “purified and elevated by divine grace.” [4] The purifying aspect coming from the God’s grace, is given through the act of Jesus dying on the cross to have your sins forgiven and provide you with salvation. Even though you are forgiven and have been handed salvation, you are still a member of a broken race and must depend on grace to carry you through. You cannot depend on shear will-power.[5]

Doing virtuous acts for the Christian marks an acknowledgement of God’s grace, positions you as intentionally following God’s will by continually dying to self and allowing God’s spirit to work in you. Besides Jesus Christ commanded: Love one another as I have loved you.[6] Notice He didn’t say read about it in the Bible, or think nice thoughts about it; Jesus said to Do It!

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[1] CCC 1807

[2] CCC 1808

[3] CCC 2848

[4] CCC 1810

[5] CCC 1811

[6] John 15:12

The Theological Virtues

Faith

Hope

Love

Besides the four Cardinal virtues there are also three Theological virtues, Faith, Hope and Love (Charity). These virtues are given by God to you at Baptism. All human virtues are rooted in these three.[1] The theological virtues are the foundation of Christian moral activity; they animate it and give it its special character.[2]

What are the differences between the Cardinal and Theological Virtues?

The cardinal virtues are ordered towards living a good life on earth. The theological virtues on the other hand, relate directly to God and the life to come (they also have ramifications in this life). They deal more so with living a holy life. You will find these virtues listed in
1 Corinthians 13:1-13.

Cardinal virtues rely on human effort cooperating with God’s grace and a repeated striving for the good while you journey here on earth. Were as the theological virtues are infused in you by God at baptism and are not the result of human effort. They are free gifts from God, which flow from Him.

Faith

Faith is the theological virtue by which you believe in God, believe all that He has said and revealed to mankind, and all that His Holy Church proposes for your belief, because he is truth itself. By faith “man freely commits his entire self to God.[3]  Faith is a gift given freely by God. As a disciple of Jesus Christ, you must not only keep your faith, and live by it, you are required to profess it as well. [4]  Professing faith is not only done by word, but also by deed.

Hope

Hope is the theological virtue by which you desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as your supreme happiness. It is placing your trust in Christ’s promises and relying not on your own strength, but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit.[5]

Let us hold unwaveringly to our confession that gives us hope, for he who made the promise is trustworthy.    Heb  10:23    

Love (Charity)

Charity is the theological virtue by which you love God above all things for his own sake, and your neighbor as yourself for the love of God.[6]   Jesus makes Charity the new commandment. [7]

9   As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. 10  If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. Jn 15:9-10

Of the three theological virtues, Love is the only one which is eternal. After death, when the soul goes to heaven, faith and hope are no longer needed. Love on the other hand is fulfilled in the presence of God. The unfortunate soul which dies and goes to hell only knows love by its absence and therefore is tormented for all eternity. Nor are they comforted by any Faith or Hope because those are absent as well.

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[1] CCC 1812

[2] CCC1813

[3] CCC 1814

[4] CCC 1816

[5] CCC 1817 -  1821

[6] CCC 1822

[7] CCC 1823 – 1829

 Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Coming from the God’s grace received in the Sacrament of Confirmation, the moral life of a Christian is sustained by the gifts of the Holy Spirit. There are seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. These gifts are the permanent dispositions which makes the soul yearn to follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit.[1] As was provided in the previous chapter, the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit bestowed upon Christians are:

wisdom,                                          knowledge, 

understanding,                              piety, 

counsel,                                         fear of the Lord

fortitude,

This list comes from an interpretation which is the one that St. Thomas Aquinas worked out in the thirteenth century in his Summa Theologiae. Refer back to lesson12 for more about these gifts. 

The Fruits of the Holy Spirit

As you live your life with conviction and adherence to the theological and moral virtues; you are prompted by God to make use of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.  As your Faith journey matures your actions come into fruition by bringing forth goodness[2] God has placed in you and this becomes evident from what are called the “Fruits” of the Holy Spirit. 

charity,                                           generosity,

joy,                                                  gentleness,

peace,                                             faithfulness,

patience,                                        modesty,

kindness,                                       self-control,

Goodness,                                     chastity.

Jesus in the Gospels speaks about bearing good fruit. Examples of this are found in Matthew 7:15-20[3] and John 15:16.

The Gift of Mercy

Another gift from God is Mercy. Through the merit of Jesus Christ’s death on the cross you are given salvation. In God’s supreme act of love, you are granted mercy from His throne. This mercy is the forgiveness of sins. You find in the Gospel where the angel says to Joseph regarding the birth of Jesus, “You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” (Mt1:21)

Later as Jesus Christ is instituting the Sacrament of Eucharist (The sacrament of redemption) in the Gospel (MT 26:28) you can find where he says: “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. “The Gospel reveals Jesus Christ as God, and provides mercy to sinners.[4]  As mercy is received so also it must be given. Giving mercy to others is a practice not only of Love but also Faith and Hope. To give mercy utilizes more than one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit, and thus the giver displays several gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus came to save all mankind from the perpetual doom of sin. He did this by His sacrificial life on Earth culminating with His Death on the Cross. Saint Peter in His Epistle says, Jesus, “Nailed our sins to the Cross”(metaphorically speaking). This propensity towards sinning started in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve.  Your conversion (as well as continual conversion) does require acknowledging that sin does exist in the world, acknowledging you are a sinner, acknowledging your sins[5] as well as acknowledging your need for a savior.

As a Christian, Jesus Christ freely gives His gift of mercy. By His grace you receive the blessing of His grace, healing, strength and mercy through the sacraments. Besides faith and love, mercy is a gift. As a Christian you can give it to others.

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[1] CCC 1830

[2]Jesus asks us to bear fruit. This is an action. Once again he is not asking us to read about it think nice thoughts He is telling us to go out and bear fruit.: John 15:16 - It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.

[3] Matthew 7:15-20 – “….. every good tree bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit.”

[4] CCC 1846- 1847

[5] CCC 1848

 Penance – Sacrament of Confession

The Sacrament of Penance (also known as Confession or Reconciliation) instituted by Jesus Christ offers the faithful a means to have mortal and venial sin removed. The sacrament is sometimes referred to by other names and is considered the sacrament of mercy which was conferred onto the Apostles after the Resurrection. With Penance your soul becomes white as snow and your sins of the past are no more. The Sacrament of Penance/Reconciliation is participated by those already baptized. It is considered one of the “healing” sacraments. (Note:  More on explanation of the Sacrament of Penance will occur later.)

(Note:  More on explanation of the Sacrament of Penance will occur later.)

The Ten Commandments

In the Old Testament book of Exodus, you will find where God appoints Moses to lead the Israelites out slavery from the Egyptians. As Moses does this, he leads them to Mount Sinai where God gives the Ten Commandments to Moses as part of His covenant.  The Commandments would be become central to the law of the Jews for centuries. From that time and into current ages these commandments are moral laws for the guidance and preservation for all of humanity.

The Ten Commandments is also referred to as ‘The Decalogue’ which literally means “ten words.”

1. I am the LORD your God. You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve.

2. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.

3. Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day.

4. Honor your father and your mother.

5. You shall not kill.

6. You shall not commit adultery.

7. You shall not steal.

8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

9. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.

10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods.

Keep the Commandments

I recall a discussion with a Christian of another persuasion. This person maintained that since St. Paul declared the Jewish law invalid (which St. Paul did not) therefore in this person’s mind the Ten Commandments are not valid!  What this person said, could not be further from the truth. This type of incident reveals the dangers of anyone wanting to start their own so called ‘Christian’ church and be free to interpret scriptures anyway they please.

 To say that the commandments are no longer considered is a very strange thing to say. They are what God commanded. Besides this, Jesus himself indicated to “keep” the commandments.

16  Now someone approached him and said, “Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?” 17 He answered him, “Why do you ask me about the good? There is only One who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” 18 He asked him, “Which ones?” And Jesus replied, “ ‘You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness;19  honor your father and your mother’; and ‘you shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”                                      Matthew 19:16-19

In an earlier section which provided the definition of sin, in part it stated that sin as a disorder, was against God’s eternal law and will. This includes His commandments and His counsel. To disregard God’s commandments is matter for grave sin, but also disregarding the counsel of Jesus (Again Jesus being God) is also matter for grave sin. We see an obvious counsel from Jesus in the passage (Matthew 19:16-19) where He says to “keep the commandments.” You cannot be clearer than the words Jesus gives us.  I rest my case! [1]

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[1] CCC 2054 : Jesus acknowledged the Ten Commandments, but he also showed the power of the Spirit at work in their letter. He preached a “righteousness [which] exceeds that of the scribes and pharisees” (Mt 5:20), as well as that of the Gentiles (Mt:46-47) . He unfolded all the demands of the commandments. “You have heard that it was said to the men of old, ’You shall not kill.’…. But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgement.

  A Jesus Moment: The two great Commandments.

34  When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together,   35  and one of them [a scholar of the law] tested him by asking,  36 “Teacher,  which commandment in the law is the greatest?”

37  He said to him,  “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.  38  This is the greatest and the first commandment.

39  The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

40  The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”

                                        Matthew 22:34-40

In this passage Jesus outlines the entirety of the commandments into two commandments. Verse 37 gives the first and verse 39 gives the second. Jesus rightly says that the entire law and prophets are wrapped into these two commandments. This is why they are referred to as “The Two Great Commandments.”

 Self-reflection:

A virtuous person is not merely a person who knows what is right or wrong, but a person who consistently chooses and does what is right (or moral) and makes every conscious effort to avoid doing wrong. How do I come to know what is right?

When I fail in doing what is right, what recourses do I have to amend the wrong I have done?

Answer the Questions: 

1.)    What are the four cardinal virtues? 

2.)    What are the three theological virtues? 

3.)    What are the gifts of the Holy Spirit?

4.)    Why do you need the Gifts of the Holy Spirit?

5.)    What is sin?

6.)    What are the two types of sin?

7.)    To whom did God originally give the Ten Commandments to?