October 2019 – Consequent Ideas

October 31, 2019December 24, 2019

1.0.3: What is Virtue?

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
Etymology: from the Latin virtus, meaning valour, merit, and moral perfection
Oxford dictionary

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;
for she teaches self-control and prudence, justice and courage;
nothing in life is more profitable for men than these.
Wisdom 8:7

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

A Grateful Perspective from Recommending a Candidate

The last several months, I’ve been focusing on myself as I’ve been trying to find work: my resumes, my cover letters, my interview preparation. I’ve had some delightful experiences where I got to get away from all that for a few hours at a time, to think about other people, enjoy other people, and celebrate other people, but it always seemed to end much too soon.

The last few days, despite working on launching this blog, I’ve actually been focusing on someone else: a friend applied for a job, and I asked to be a reference for her. For numerous reasons I won’t list here for privacy reasons, she’s perfect for the role, and I have personal experience granting me the personal knowledge of precisely how perfect she is for the position. She understood that I would know, but she seemed a little reluctant to list me as a reference; did I really mean to offer, or was I just being nice?

I don’t offer that sort of thing if I don’t mean it. What if someone took me up on it and I didn’t know what to say? Then we’d both look foolish. I’m not hanging my reputation on the expectation that the person will double-check with me before writing my name down as a reference.

I didn’t think it would take long: a few hours, maybe a full workday, to write up a one-page letter explaining why she should have the role. I would write about her strengths, what I learned from her, and how much of an impact she had on me as a direct result of us working together. Maybe I’d throw a joke in… on second thought, no – this is too important to risk that. I would definitely talk about how she deftly managed a super stressful situation that I felt responsible for without taking it out on me. Definitely going in there.

Then I get the email: it’s a questionnaire.

What? Weird. I wasn’t expecting that. Okay, so, it probably just asks the questions I prepared answers to, maybe with slightly different tacks, and a curveball or two.

… Well, there was definitely a curveball.

The inquiries were more like interview questions, including one asking about weaknesses (and none asking specifically about strengths). I wrote up answers, walked away, and returned to entirely rewrite them. I spent hours on a question just to re-read it to determine I didn’t answer the question so much as I dodged it, re-writing it to answer properly. The question I took the longest time contemplating was the final, open-ended, “what else should we know?” Everything. If you knew what I know, you wouldn’t waste time with any other candidates.

Instead of spending about a day on it, I spent about three: I read through the questions to figure out what I was getting into and walked away for the day; I started responding and learned I hadn’t reflected enough yet; I pondered more; I returned to the active process and worked late into the night to get some semblance of answer down so I had something to change rather than fight with a blank-but-for-inquiry sheet. Her future depended on this, and I struggled to make sure she got the best recommendation I could provide.

Today, I submitted my work. Then I went to meet her in person, unannounced, to deliver a courtesy copy.

She wasn’t expecting me, but she made time to talk with me for nearly two hours. This is a woman with a family, and a full career (and a half – one full time, one part time), and I just knocked on her office door to deliver a courtesy copy, at which time she insisted I sit down to talk with her, to catch up. We traded war stories, enjoyed each others’ company, and just chatted.

At one point, she thanked me repeatedly for taking the time to write this recommendation. (I didn’t tell her how much effort it took for me to get it right.) I thanked her for allowing me to write it; it granted me an opportunity for a shift from the “woe-is-me” job search mindset to an attitude of gratitude. I spent the entire time working on the recommendation thinking about how wonderful it was to have worked with her, how she has impacted my life, and how much the hiring group has to gain from hiring her. There was so much to be grateful for just because I was able to learn from and work with her.

Being able to take advantage of such an opportunity – to support someone who may need it with words of well-deserved encouragement – is truly a blessing. I hope others have the same opportunity and feel the same warmth as a result.

October 30, 2019November 13, 2019

1.0.2: What Is Sin?

Since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, they are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.
Romans 3:23-24

This can be a sorrowful topic, so I’m starting it off with a spoiler alert:

Jesus won on the cross. He came to love you and to die for you, and He did just that and then rose from the dead for you to show you the way to eternal life.

Whelp, now that the wonderful spoiler is out there, let’s dig in.

Some license plates were meant for fame…

Overview

As a Catholic, my lay-person view of sin is that it is essentially a wrong committed. Theologians may debate the interpretation of Matthew 5:28, what it means to sin in your heart, and the legalese definition of sin; I’m not there yet, so I’m not going to take anyone else there. Here is what I understand: sin is intentionally acting against the will of God.

Secular and don’t like that definition? Well, here’s a more grey offering: sin is intentionally doing something wrong. Despite the relativism we face in the world today, there are acts that we inherently understand to be wrong. Maybe you feel guilty after, maybe you were really excited to get someone back but then didn’t feel so hot after retribution, or maybe you just have a feeling of unease after doing something. This is gray because I can only offer symptoms: there isn’t much of a proper secular definition of wrongdoing; we explore this further below, but in the end, we only have a gut check.

We’ve all done something wrong; it’s part of being human, so don’t beat yourself up over it. Part of becoming our best selves is to learn from our mistakes and grow. Sins are moral errors in judgment: choosing the easy over the right, the pleasure over the pain, the impulse over eternity. Some of these errors in judgment we will make recurringly, and some we will cross the line once and refuse to cross it again.

Back to the topic: what is sin? Here are our working definitions:
– Theist: sin is intentionally acting against the will of God.
– Secular: sin is intentionally doing wrong.

While these are the definitions I am going to use for this series, it requires a little further explanation. Given that we have two definitions, parsing them will require taking both forks in the road.

Theistic: Intentionally Acting Against the Will of God

Sin: an immoral act considered to be a transgression against divine law
Oxford dictionary

Simple enough: to sin is to breach divine law. Here’s a slight problem, though: what is divine law? Again, I’m among the laity, not a theologian or a theology scholar, so (without going down the rabbit hole), I can only interpret this through the lens I have: the lens of the lay. (I’ll look things up when they pique my interest, but I’m not chasing the rabbit if I realize I’ve started after it.)

In plain English, to sin is to break a rule set by God – that’s what this definition says. It seems a pretty fair and accurate assessment based on what I knew coming to the table. However, if I care what rules God is laying down, I should probably check God’s definition, too, right?

Whoever knows what is right to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.
James 4:17

This verse points out that there is right and wrong, and God wants us to do what is right. Overall, we know what is right or wrong. We don’t need someone to tell us it’s wrong to attack the neighbor’s pet dog with a fork, even if that same dog won’t stop barking at the orchid we placed on the porch yesterday. There are times when we need to figure things out, even getting help to interpret the proper direction.

This verse also declares the intentionality part of our working definition: “Whoever knows… for him it is a sin.” If we don’t understand something is wrong, it isn’t sin. This is necessarily on the honor system; whether or not I comprehend is not something someone else could know.

Part and parcel to intentionality: sin is between the sinner and the Savior. While we can (and should) help and guide others away from treacherous ways, we can’t truly understand another’s comprehension without divine intervention. Any admonishment must be done out of love – to urge a friend for their own eternal sake – and not selfish or any other reasons.

A quick rewind before marching on: if sin is breaking a rule set by God, that means God pre-selected a certain “right” because sin is not adhering to the “right.” In un-gibberish, God chose what is right for us. Logically, that means if we chose to do right, we’re not just choosing God’s path, we’re choosing God.

Secular: Intentionally Doing Wrong

Sin: an act regarded as a serious or regrettable fault, offence, or omission
Oxford dictionary

Oooch, look at the end of that definition again. This adds a bite to the apple, doesn’t it? Or, rather, it clarifies something: the act may be affirmative or it may be omissive – something done or not done.

Every one who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.
1 John 3:4

Not that the secular reader is interested in a Bible verse, but this one is pretty useful for following the train of thought. This is of particular interest because it gives a cut-and-dry approach to the term in ways comprehensible to the secular mind. (I will assume that you, dear reader, are interested in the perspectives of others, including those in a relationship with a greater power which you may not believe exists – at least as much as you would like to know why someone might think differently than you do.)

In effect, sin is breaking the law. There are presumptions to be made (that the law is just, for example, and imposed by a legitimate governing body). Unless laws are wrong (unjust, invalid, or against more core laws), they should be followed – even if they seem arbitrary. (The rants I’ve heard about the outdated scientific inquiries and historical bias of speed limit laws bears a mention.) Rules, regulations, and policies overseen and enforced by a legitimate overseer, whether a government, business one engages with, or religious group one participates in, count as laws in this context.

TL;DR (Recap)

Sin is an intentionally wrong act. We know that the act is wrong because it is against a proper law set by a legitimate person (or Person or persons) in charge of setting the laws.

Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, every one who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not continue in the house for ever; the son continues forever. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.”
John 8:34-36

What’s Next?

Now that we know what sin is, we can investigate how to overcome temptations to sin with virtue!

October 29, 2019October 30, 2019

Let Courage Be Upon You!

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes.
It’s so much better than not trying.
– Womaze app quote of the day

Today of all days, this was the quote from the Womaze app. I’m working on multiple projects right now, none of which I’m particularly confident in, and this happened to populate on my phone as I was crafting an email basically cold-contacting someone (it was a lukewarm armstretch) which I was particularly nervous about as I was thinking about my big task of the day, a recommendation response to specific inquiries (two of which I truly don’t have answers for), and the task I really wanted to get done but wasn’t sure I’d have time given the other tasks with solid deadlines – posting my first featured teaser, already written but in need of a tweak, which I was worried would offset people when that’s not remotely the intent of the post. And this doesn’t even cover the in-person tasks on my calendar which all happened to put me on edge because of the natures of them.

All of these thoughts are going through my mind when this quote pops up on my phone.

One better: all of the in-person events went well, better than I’d thought to hope. I had a meeting in the morning and went to my old school between that and the training session in the evening. We left the previous meeting with questions; as the table leader, I researched them and returned with answers. I was so nervous I couldn’t spit out half the words I was trying to communicate; however, the point still got across, and one of our other team members made the entire concern moot.

Be strong, and let your heart take courage,
all you who wait for the Lord!
– Psalm 31:24

Then I left to find a quiet place to get some work done. Normally, I wouldn’t mind hiding in a park for a couple of hours, but I needed to work on that recommendation on my laptop and little flecks of water continuously floated through the air. Instead, I opted for my old school, perhaps a corner in the library. But I had my doubts: what if they said I wasn’t allowed because I wasn’t a current student? I almost drove to the mall, but that would have taken an extra ten minutes and half-gallon or more of gas. When I arrived at the school, it took me an extra few minutes to “check my phone” before getting out of the car. I finally ambled up the path, up the steps, and through the main doorway; once inside, I ran into someone I visited relatively frequently. Out of nervousness, I asked if I could speak with her; she had a meeting, asking if I needed her to bump it before I had a chance to tell her I was here for the library and just wanted to say hello because I saw her. She accepted the compliment, then graciously bowed out of the conversation, saying, “You know where the library is. They know you; they’ll let you in.” True: nobody even looked up at me as I made my way to a quiet table on the nearly-vacant third-floor open space.

Finally, we get to the training. I’ve done this specific training several times, and even though it’s a wonderfully uplifting session, I’m always worried that I’m going to mess it up. Every single time. Tonight, our icebreaker was to pick one of the Saints we would choose to meet in person and why we selected that one. I don’t know who most of the Saints are, nor do I tend to ask for anyone to intercede on my behalf. (Except Saint Michael, but he’s an archangel, so I wasn’t sure he counted.) So I felt like a failure of a Catholic… until someone I greatly admire for her faith and deeds said she didn’t know any saints, except maybe one who, has the canonization process finalized? Oh, good, so yeah, one.

Similarly, the one I specifically thought of was someone I didn’t know his “status,” if you will: was Father Maximillian Kolbe ever canonized? (There was an express statement that the person we chose had to be a Saint – recognized as such by the Catholic church.) I didn’t know and wasn’t about to say as much, despite being drawn to think about him. Rather nervously, I instead mentioned one of my favorite people whom I wasn’t sure was canonized, either, but if he wasn’t, I was ready to make the case for him right then and there: Saint Pope John Paul II. (And yes, both Father Maximilian Kolbe and Pope John Paul II are Saints.)

Be strong and of good courage, do not fear or be in dread of them: for it is the Lord your God who goes with you; he will not fail you or forsake you.
– Deuteronomy 31:6

Fast forward a little: prayer time. This is all well and good – so long as I don’t have to lead. Well, the point of these training sessions are to teach us to lead prayer specifically for praying over people. We practice on each other before the big event. We’re in groups of three; my group: our training leader, the friend I mentioned earlier, and me. My friend sits down, asking for courage; the training leader led the prayer over her. Then it’s my turn; I ask for courage and fortitude. My friend calls for the Holy Spirit to come, then the training leader launches into prayer asking for the courage of Father Maximilian Kolbe.

I may not feel ready to talk about which Saint is my favorite, but I think the Holy Spirit is being pretty clear that I’m set for this event that we spent the evening training for. And the email I sent earlier. And the recommendation I need to submit tomorrow. And, and, and…

It’s not me, Lord, it’s You; grant me to remember this so I may also have Your peace. Amen!

October 29, 2019November 13, 2019

1.0.1: Our First Investigation!

Preface

Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
– Matthew 7:3

I know we’re excited, but, before we dig in, I preface these posts with this reminder: we all fall short of the glory of God. That statement can either condemn you for never being worthy or set you free because God loves you just the way you are. Let it liberate you. Let it liberate you from your own self-condemnation, but also let it liberate you of the urge to condemn others. We’re all in the same boat; would you rather yell at the sailor next to you or bail the water spouting in from the leak at your foot?

Let’s worry about washing our own hands first.

I urge you to take these thoughts to prayer. If the Spirit moves you, comment here, ask me something, or talk it over with a trusted friend or spiritual director. I’m interested to hear (or read) what you have to say, and I’m hoping this series will inspire a little introspection and hope. Why hope? (I’m glad you asked, dear reader!) Because knowing there is a treatment for a disease is reason for hope, and we have treatments and a cure waiting for us if we so choose to accept them. Blessed be God forever!

Introduction: Sins, Virtues, and the Investigative Game Plan

Are you interested in the fight between good and evil in the world today? The concept we’re exploring first: sins and virtues. Between now (All Hallows week) and Christmas, we’re going to delve into the seven deadly sins and the virtues that triumph over them.

Have you heard of the seven deadly sins? Pope Gregory wrote about them in the year 590 (AD). The seven deadly sins are lust, gluttony, sloth, pride, wrath, envy, and greed. There are also seven theological virtues, each one protecting against the temptation from one of the seven deadly sins. In the order of the above-referenced list, the seven theological virtues are chastity, temperance, diligence, humility, patience, kindness, and charity.

The seven virtues may also reference the seven cardinal virtues. The cardinal virtues somewhat parallel the theological virtues: prudence, temperance, fortitude, justice, faith, hope, and love. Below, find a chart of the seven deadly sins, the theological virtues which protect against them, and the parallel cardinal virtue.

*Sin*	*Theological Virtue*	*Cardinal Virtue*
Lust	Chastity	Prudence
Gluttony	Temperance	Temperance
Sloth	Diligence	Fortitude
Pride	Humility	Justice
Wrath	Patience	Faith
Envy	Kindness	Hope
Greed	Charity	Love

Have I whet your appetite? I’m thrilled to jump into this. The deadly sins? Interesting. The heroic virtues? Count me in! This is going to be awesome, and I have hope that you will enjoy the adventure with me.

October 28, 2019

Master Monday 1 – Opportunity

October 28, 2019October 28, 2019

What to Expect

Think of this blog like a multi-course meal. We’ll have appetizers, entrees, and desserts on the menu. Each category offers something a little different, yet I hope each article results in the same satisfaction: learning something new, enjoying a little light reading, and growth in some fashion.

Appetizers

Various one-offs – Sometimes I have a lightning bolt go off in my brain about a topic, but the topic is way too something to grow into a featured topic and results instead in a single article. Enter: this category – the catch-all category so I can keep going with an idea with potential of a reader benefitting from it without the need to draw the article out for weeks when it can be done in a day.

Reasonings: Explanations of Why – These would be tangents if they fit in any other article. However, to not detract from the readability of the other article, tangets are linked to for later perusal.

Entrees

Featured Topics
We will have “seasons” of Featured Topics. These will last between a week and a few months, involve research and introspection, and hopefully leave us both feeling accomplished by the end of the season. These topics vary wildly: from theological interest to vacation planning to While I have plenty of pre-selected topics for us to dive into

Food Reviews
This category is like an ongoing Featured Topic. I like to try new things. There are reviews these days for just about everything these days, but I found something that I haven’t been able to find reviews of: sale food. I enjoy going to discount stores, scoping out the deals, and trying new products, but sometimes I’m hedging and want to see what others thought of the product first. I wasn’t able to find these sorts of reviews, so I’m tracking my reviews myself because I could use the reminder about what I thought about a product when I tried it six months ago.

Desserts

Fiction Excerpts
I love writing fiction, so I’m sharing some short pieces. Like them? Hate them? Comment on them; I love encouragement, and I am always eager to hear constructive feedback.

October 28, 2019November 4, 2019

Greetings!

I love that word, don’t you? It’s innately cheerful, yet not overly so, fits any time of day, and is infrequently used yet widely recognized. It piques interest, if only because of how odd it sounds in the modern world, for better or for worse. I like to think it stimulates the curiosity of the audience whether or not the audience invites such stimulation. It also tends to both draw attention and cast it away from itself, onto a foreign entity.

This is my kind of word, and with this word, I cast off on this new adventure.

As we embark on this new adventure, I’ll let you know a little bit about the captain of the ship. I’m a lover – of language, of science; of definitive answers, of grayscale; of simple pleasures, of intellectual curiosities. I love that all of these things are so beautifully intertwined in our world. For example, language is most wonderfully used when it is remarkably precise, yet determinedly vague. Exchanges are meant to convey meanings, but the greatest of these also tantalize several senses. It’s invigorating.

*Tea time! Let’s sit and chat for a while.*

I have a variety of interests; thankfully, they are all connected: I learn, process, and share about these things through language using the scientific descriptors that grow parallel. When things are so dissimilar that comparison is not an option, we call it comparing apples with oranges; however, when we think critically about this turn of phrase, we notice the two are quite similar in many ways: fruit, edible, freshness is of value, nutritious, born of trees… When we pick the fruit, we have the opportunity to use it gratefully, use it without a second thought, or waste it. My order of preference is from the first of these to the most recent: I grew up on “waste not, want not” and learned the most grounding experience is gratefulness. Life is so vibrant, and we are alive, breathing in the spectacular wonders of the world. Who are we to waste the time we have on Earth with apathy?

Here, we will research and discuss various interests. We will dive into topics ranging from deep and wide to topical and simple, throwing in a few fictional pieces for flare. It’ll be a lot of fun, and I hope to hear your input.

Won’t you join us on this journey of discovery?

Month: October 2019

1.0.3: What is Virtue?

Overview

Updated Chart of Sins and Virtues

Theological Virtues: Faith, Hope, and Love

Cardinal Virtues: Prudence, Justice, Temperance, and Fortitude

Further Reading…

Virtue and Vice Lists in the Bible

Short Workbook on Virtue

Fruits of the Holy Spirit

A Grateful Perspective from Recommending a Candidate

1.0.2: What Is Sin?

Overview

Theistic: Intentionally Acting Against the Will of God

Secular: Intentionally Doing Wrong

TL;DR (Recap)

What’s Next?

Let Courage Be Upon You!

1.0.1: Our First Investigation!

Preface

Introduction: Sins, Virtues, and the Investigative Game Plan

Master Monday 1 – Opportunity

What to Expect

Greetings!