The Way Forward - Leading a Virtuous Life

The Way Forward - Leading a Virtuous Life - Part 1

JMJ

How does one lead a virtuous life in a world bereft of virtue?

This is a question that all Catholics worthy (or unworthy) of the name should be asking themselves.

I just read the following in the Imitation of Christ:

The life of a good religious man ought to be eminent in all virtues, that he may be such interiorly as he appears to men in the exterior.
And with good reason ought he to be much more in his interior that he exteriorly appear; because he who beholds us is God, of whom we ought exceedingly to stand in awe, wherever we are, and like angels walk pure in His sight. Imitation of Christ Book 1, Chapter 19

So what is virtue? Following the Catholic Encyclopedia, we find that virtue is the 'excellence of perfection of a thing'. In the summa we find:

Virtue denotes a certain perfection of a power. Now a thing's perfection is considered chiefly in regard to its end. But the end of power is act. Wherefore power is said to be perfect, according as it is determinate to its act.
Now there are some powers which of themselves are determinate to their acts; for instance, the active natural powers. And therefore these natural powers are in themselves called virtues. (Summa: 2,1 q55)

Virtue is not just a single event, but a habit that by repetition over time disposes a person to a particular good actions that are consonant with 'right reason'. From this comes the phrase the 'practice of virtue'. It is necessary to practice the virtue in order to acquire or change ourselves in a way to manifest said virtue.

This series will summarize the article on Virtue found in the Catholic Encyclopedia (see reference below) and then I will propose some ways in which the virtue being discussed applies to this specific age of the Church.

The following diagram provides an outline of the virtues that I intend to cover in this series of articles. Obviously, this will take a while so I believe I will need both the virtues of patience and fortitude.

P^3

Reference

APA citation. Waldron, M.A. (1912). Virtue. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved July 27, 2015 from New Advent: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15472a.htm

Comments

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