Virtue

Is a habitual and firm disposition to do the good. It allows the person not only to perform good acts but also to give the best of himself/herself. Comes from the Latin word virtus meaning courage or bravery Virtus derived from vir which means man. Literally speaking, virtue means manliness

 St. Augustine defines virtue:

- Good quality of the mind by which one lives rightly, which no one uses badly and which God works in us but without us.

St. Thomas Aquinas defines virtue:

- Virtue is a habit that is good; it perfects the power of the soul and inclines one to do good.

 Aristotle defines virtue:

- State of character which makes man/woman good and do his/her work well. Three key ideas according to Aristotle Virtue is a state of character Virtue makes man/woman good Virtue makes man/woman do his/her work well

1. 2. 3.

. . . a quality of mind and heart, of reason and will, that disposes a person to engage in acts and works of excellence. . .
S. Pinckaers

Virtues are formed through practice as we consistently perform good acts from a good will.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

TWO types of virtues:
1. Theological Virtues - which include faith, hope and charity. 2. Human Virtues - also called as moral virtues. - Include four cardinal virtues of prudence,
justice, fortitude and temperance.

Theological Virtues
relate directly to God. Immediate object is God Foundation of all Christian moral activities.

The Virtue of Faith

Is the theological which we believe in God and all that He has said and revealed to us and all that the Holy Church proposes for our belief because he is truth Himself. Is the personal encounter with Christ Is the personal act, a confrontation between the human I and the divine You .

Faith...

A person encounters Jesus >>> encounter transform his/her life >>> follows Jesus the person understand the meaning of her/his life.

The Christian task is to discern an authentic faith from alienating faith, a childish faith mature faith.

Different Views on the Attitude towards Faith

Tough Guy Attitude - leads a person not to believe because he/she considers faith as a sign of weakness or alienation mere sentimentalism.

 Worldly or Materialistic Attitude moves an individual not to believe because

he/she considers faith as a mere waste of time or turning away from reality. He/ She thinks it is more useful to be involved in life daily activities than to believe.

Playing Safe Attitude applies to a person who says he/she believes

because in matters of faith, nothing is safe, he/she has nothing to lose if he/she believes.

Faith...
Faith is an act of TRUST to God. God is the absolute and the unconditional. Faith involves the whole person and occupies the center of ones life FAITH does not mean that one should believe WITHOUT a REASON. Dei Verbum the document that clarifies this point.

The Virtue of Hope

is the theological virtue by which, we desire the kingdom of heaven and the eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christs promises and relying not on our strength but on the help of the Holy Spirit. keeps a person from discouragement, sustains him/her during times of abandonment and opens up his/her heart expectation of eternal beatitude.

Hope...

Hope is that virtue, made possible by the grace of God, by which man/woman expects the fullness of salvation and the means to attain it, confident omnipotent aid of God. Hope therefore, considers God as its object. God is the One whom a person hopes and waits. Hope gives a glimpse of the future; it embraces all things including death. Hope is a weapon that protect us in the struggle for salvation.

Hope...

Hope is gratuitous, a gift of the grace and mercy of God. Hope is active and it helps Christian transform the world because through it, Gods justice and peace reach their progressive Hope is patient; it strengthen man/woman to continue waiting for what God has promised him/her, knowing that God could do whatever He promised.

The Virtue of Charity

Charity is the theological virtue, by which we love God above all things for His own sake, and by which we love our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God. According to St. Paul if I have all other things but have not love I have not charity, I gain nothing.

charity...

Charity is superior to all virtues; it is the first of the theological virtues. All virtues is inspired and animated by charity, which binds everything in perfect harmony. The practice of moral life animated by charity gives us the spiritual freedom as children of God.

- Charity never ends-

Moral Virtues
Are habits that are concerned with acts as means to the ultimate end. They help us lead moral and good lives.

The Four Cardinal Virtues

Prudence Justice Fortitude Temperance

The virtue of the intellect that enables us to plan our actions so that we can realize our ultimate goal (happiness in friendship bwith God) in the best possible way. Prudence unites all the virtues by helping one know how to exercise them at a given time. Prudence is the charioteer of the moral life.

 A good grasp of reality. Knowing what vision, goals and values are worth pursuing Knowing what intermediate goals will help us to achieve our ultimate vision.

The ability to plan and execute wellcomposed acts.

Foresight + learning from past experiences.

Seeking to know and understand the reality being considered.

Discerning the action that best responds to a given reality.

Committing the will to carry out the action chosen.

Inability to commit oneself to a course of action.

Jumping to a decision without passing through the stages of deliberation and judgment.

An important role of prudence is to help us apply moral norms and wisdom to specific situations. Prudence helps us to discern how best to act justly and lovingly in the concrete circumstances of daily life.

The constant disposition to give God what is due Him as our Creator and our neighbor what is due to him as a fellow human being endowed with dignity by God.

It is the minimum requirement of love and emphasizes that every right is accompanied by a corresponding responsibility to assure this right for others.

Gods love for us is the ground of our worth and value as human beings. Our fundamental rights stem from Gods will that each person have all he/she needs to flourish. Every right assumes a corresponding responsibility to assure this right for others.

The goods of the earth belong to God and are destined by God for the use and benefit of all, not just a few. Thus while there is a right to private property, this right is not absolute. The need to preserve the common good has priority over the right to private property. There is a responsibility to share the goods of the earth so that all may live.

1. Commutative concerns fairness in our dealings with other individuals

2. Distributive- concerns the responsibilities of the whole community towards its members
3. Contributive concerns the responsibilities of the individual to assure the common good of society 4. Social concerns the right ordering of laws, systems and structures to insure the wellbeing of each member and the common good of all

Fortitude ensures firmness in difficulties and constancy in pursuit of the good. This virtue strengthens our drive to overcome obstacles enabling us to conquer fear, disappointment, hardships, and to persevere in the absence of visible results.

Fortitude has two modes: attack/pursuit and endurance/ perseverance.

Fortitude moves us to fight and push forward in the face of opposition and obstacles.

Fortitude helps us to persevere in difficulty and endure what cannot be overcome.

Whenever an excess of passion and desire overwhelms the judgment of reason, one is prone to act in ways that are imprudent, dishonorable and demeaning. Temperance is a virtue of the will that moderates desires, passions and appetites so that they can be properly integrated in the service of reason and prudence.

An excess of desire or passion can lead us to violate the demands of justice and human decency.

The path of the Jedi demands self-discipline, self-control, self-renunciation.

Temperance involves two active ingredients: a sense of honor/decency and a sense of shame. The sense of decency makes us want to act well in order to preserve our self-respect. The sense of shame alerts us to those occasions when we act in ways that do not befit our dignity as human beings.

Our desire for the pleasures of the senses (food, drink, comfort, stimulation, etc.) Desire to acquire and possess material goods Sexual desire and the need for intimacy on every level

Desire for honor, esteem, recognition, and acclaim

Ambition and the desire for power, influence and achievement

Drive to overcome obstacles, aggression

Desire for retribution, vengeance

Temperance
is the moral virtue that moderates the attraction of pleasures and provides balance in the use of material things. it regulates represses, or controls impulses, such as sexual urges, that impel one to do something which is opposed to reason. It ensures the wills mastery over instincts and keeps desires within the limit of what is honorable

The worst vices resulting from lack of moderation in sensual pleasure include:

 It is an inordinate desire for food for pleasures sake and not for the preservation of life.

 It is even of more degrading vice than gluttony, for it deprives a person his/her unique distinction from brute. Immoral act; increase criminality, delinquency and other forms of immorality in society.

 worse than drunkenness. major cause of rape, murder and other heinous crimes.

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Other Moral Virtues

Filial Piety it helps us to honor, love and respect our parents and country. Obedience it helps us to do the will of our superiors. Veracity it help us to tell the truth. Patience it help us to bear trials. Humility it help us to acknowledge our limitations. Chastity it helps us to be pure in soul and body.

The Virtues of St. John Baptist de La Salle

St. John Baptist De La Salle

Born: April 30, 1651 Death: April 7, 1719 Declared as Patron Saint of Teachers: May, 15, 1950 Founder of Brothers of Christian Schools or ( Fratres Scholarum Christianarum or FSC)

PIETY - a total reliance on God and comes before God with humility, trust, and love.

 ZEAL - it is an ardor in the pursuit of any desirable goal to accomplish the best result. - characterized by enthusiasm and fervor. - is doing ones responsibility despite difficulty - Eagerness

 PATIENCE - it is the ability to control oneself. - It is an open and accepting attitude. - Calmness

 WISDOM
- experience and knowledge together with the power of applying them critically or practically. - Common sense Behaviors that weaken this attitude: - Boredom disinterest in reading, long hours for leisure activities and rest, and ignorance in some areas of education.

 MEEKNESS

- is the ability to keep oneself in check.

Exterior manifestation of charity. - Mildness Behaviors that weaken this attitude: Anger, bad humor and insensitivity.

 Humility

it is the virtue that considers others as coequal with of superior than itself. It leads to esteem, friendship and kindness.

Meekness
Behaviors that weaken this attitude:
Selfishness, pride, extreme self reliance and pessimism.

 Generosity it is the ability to work with and for others. it is the selfless devotion to educational work by sacrificing personal interest for the good of others. Charity Behaviors that weaken this attitude: leading a life which relies on praise and applause, harboring grudges, prioritizing ones own interest than those of the students.

To bring the children whom you instruct to take on the Christian spirit, you must teach them the

practical truths of faith in Jesus

Christ and the maxims of the holy Gospel with at least as much
care as you teach the truths that are purely theoretical. Is your main care, then, to

instruct your disciples in the maxims of the holy Gospel and the practice of the Christian virtues? Have you anything more at heart than helping them find their happiness in these practices? The habits of virtue that are cultivated during youth encounter less resistance in corrupt nature and form the deepest roots in the hearts of those in whom they have been formed.
SJBDLS, M 194.3

Virtuous people engage life with deeper understanding, appreciation and sense of purpose than others.

They respond better to the challenges of life. .

Total Human Development as a Commitment to God