Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Philippians 4:8
Yesterday, we forged a working definition for sin: intentionally doing wrong, whether it be against the laws of man or the laws of God. Today, we look to ways to avoid sin with virtues – working definition to follow.
Overview
Just as we’ve all sinned at some point – it’s part of being human – so, too, we’ve all been tempted with sin yet abstained from it. Well done! Life is conquered one step at a time!
Some of us may ask, How did I not fall into the trap? How did I not sin there, especially since I committed the same grievance other times? How did I manage to cling to what is right when it was so difficult and when doing wrong was so easy?
Virtue: behaviour showing high moral standards; a quality considered morally good or desirable
Oxford dictionary
Etymology: from the Latin virtus, meaning valour, merit, and moral perfection
Okay, so virtue is good and morally desirable behavior, but what exactly is good and morally desirable behavior?
Try to simply find a list of virtues; it seems most sources disagree on what exactly makes the cut. Part of this is because there are lead virtues and subordinate virtues – ones that can be characterized within an umbrella virtue but may be crucial enough in a specific place and time to get a particular call out.
Here’s an example: honesty. Honesty is an amazing virtue, one I hold in high regard, but it’s not among the theological or cardinal virtues by name. I hypothesize that honesty fits under the umbrella for combating pride with humility and justice. Why does it get its own name, its own shout-out, its own title? Because language is important. Language highlights the terms we have need for. Just as the Scots have 421 words for snow (my favorite: feefle) because the weather has been so important to their livelihoods, we all use words that are important to us – or make words up to fit the missing meaning.
But wait a second – theological and cardinal virtues? In combatting sin, we use both theological and cardinal virtues. Let’s take a quick look at this. (There are several ways these are discussed; I’m taking that I believe to be the generally accepted Catholic route, but feel free to point out if I’ve gone astray.)
I found additional information recently, so I’m amending a previous post. (I’ll tag it so it’s not “ghost” edited; I’m learning, so I’d rather admit my mistakes lest I accidentally lead another astray.) As an update to our chart from the other day…
Updated Chart of Sins and Virtues
| Sin | Principal Virtue | Theological or Cardinal Virtue |
| Avaritia: avarice, greed | Liberalitas: generosity, charity | Love (Theological) |
| Invidia: envy, jealousy | Humanitas: kindness, gratitude | Hope (Theological) |
| Ira: wrath, anger | Patientia: patience, compassion | Faith (Theological) |
| Luxuria: lust, impurity | Castitas: chastity, purity | Prudence (Cardinal) |
| Superbia: pride, arrogance | Humilitas: humility, modesty | Justice (Cardinal) |
| Gula: gluttony, voracity | Temperantia: temperance, moderation | Temperance (Cardinal) |
| Acedia: sloth, laziness | Industria: diligence, fervor | Fortitude (Cardinal) |
Theological Virtues: Faith, Hope, and Love
Faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:13
This may be the most recognized Bible verse. It often appears in weddings, on billboards, and on home decor.
These three are the lighthouses we can reach for even when we’re lost amidst the worst of storms. Remember a time when you felt trapped, like your world was ending; what got you out of it? Maybe someone swooped in and saved you, but unless you had a way of mentally getting out of that trap, you wouldn’t have truly escaped. What helped you get out? What helped you move on? Having no idea what circumstance you’re thinking of, my bet is on one of these three: faith, hope, and/or love.
The theological virtues are some of the most powerful weapons against evil in all of its forms; they’re also some of the most direct conduits we have to God. (Ranking higher: Jesus on speed dial, the Holy Eucharist, and the celebration of the Mass.)
Cardinal Virtues: Prudence, Justice, Temperance, and Fortitude
If any one loves righteousness, her labors are virtues;
Wisdom 8:7
for she teaches self-control and prudence, justice and courage;
nothing in life is more profitable for men than these.
These virtues are both the seeds and harvest of moral goodness, helping us to conduct ourselves in a moral manner. They seem like habits: when we start, it may be difficult, but once established, that we do it makes it easier to do the next time. Example: starting a workout routine can be difficult, but if you get up every morning at 5 am and go for a run every day for a month, it’s much more difficult to not get up for your morning run than it was before. Maybe it takes a day or two to settle in, but you get restless and feel the urge to just go for that run. It goes the same for habits of virtue: if you consistently look before you leap, it can be incredibly difficult to suddenly not.
The cardinal virtues are called by a number of names in the Bible, and sometimes they are referred to with other virtues within their umbrella. Put simply, prudence is right reason in action, justice results in habitual right thinking and uprightness of conduct, temperance provides balance in our lives, and fortitude ensures firmness in difficulty and constancy in the pursuit of good. The cardinal virtues are called as such because they are particularly important, hence part of our study.
We will go deeper into these seven virtues in the weeks to come. Let me know what you think thus far, and stay tuned!
Make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.
2 Peter 1:5-7
Further Reading…
Virtue and Vice Lists in the Bible
Catholic Resources has a wonderful article compiling biblical and catechetic information about the major sins and virtues. This is very short, and quite information dense. I suggest printing the article to your computer (as a .pdf) because the background on the website and the tiny font size make it very hard to read. (Print it at regular size so the chart at the top is visible, then use your .pdf reader to zoom in for the small font.)
Short Workbook on Virtue
The Institute in Basic Life Principles offers a .pdf workbook online including explanations, examples, and Bible references (chapter and verse). There’s also a coloring page, a craft, a doodle maze, and music with a backstory – perfect for engaging a young or young-at-heart audience.
Fruits of the Holy Spirit
There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,
Isaiah 11:1-5
and a branch shall grow out of his roots.
And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him,
the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of counsel and might,
the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.
He shall not judge by what his eyes see,
or decide by what his ears hear;
but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,
and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked.
Righteousness shall be the girdle of his waist,
and faithfulness the girdle of his loins.
The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Galatians 5:22-24
Some of the fruits of the Spirit are among the above-listed virtues, but not all are included, and some are not on the list. This piqued my interest, but I didn’t want to overload this post, so … more later.
