Seven Virtues 2020

Fr. Brendan Legg Seven Virtues 2020

The following sermon has been taken verbatim from Fr. Tanquerey’s book titled “the Spiritual Life,” Desclee & Co, Tournai, 1930.

There are natural virtues, that is to say, there are good habits, acquired through the frequent repetition of acts, that render easy the performance of morally good actions. Thus, pagans and unbelievers can with the help of God's natural concurrence acquire and gradually perfect the moral virtues of prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance. We do not treat here of these natural virtues, but of the supernatural or infused virtues as they exist in the Christian soul. There is an infinite difference between Aristotelian temperance with reason as its only rule, and Christian temperance with the superadded rule of divine faith and supernatural prudence."

The infused virtues are principles of action which God ingrafts in us, that they may perform in the soul the function of -supernatural faculties and may thus enable us to perform meritorious acts.

There exists an essential difference between the infused and the acquired virtues from the threefold point of view of origin, mode of operation, and purpose. a) As regards origin, the natural virtues are acquired by the repetition of the same acts, whilst the supernatural virtues proceed from God, Who implants them in the soul together with habitual grace. b) From the point of view of operation^ the natural virtues, because they are acquired through the repetition of the same acts, give us a facility for producing the like acts readily and with a sense of pleasure; the supernatural virtues, placed by God in the soul, simply give us the power to produce meritorious acts, together with a certain tendency towards the production of these acts; facility will come with frequent repetition. c) With regard to their purpose, the natural virtues seek natural righteousness and direct us towards the Creator, the God of Nature; the infused virtues pursue supernatural good and lead us to the God of Revelation, the Triune God, made known to us by faith. Hence, the motives inspiring the latter must be supernatural; they all refer to our friendship with God. I practice prudence, justice, temperance and fortitude, in order to be one with God.

Habit lessens the obstacles or the resistance offered by our lower nature, and thus, with the same amount of effort, better' results are obtained, b) Habit likewise renders our faculties, more pliant, makes them quicker to respond to the motives that' lead us to good and more skillful in the attainment of the good perceived ; we even experience a certain satisfaction in the exercise of faculties so well trained; much as a musician does in playing upon a delicate instrument, c) Lastly, actual grace, bestowed upon us in proportion- to our faithful correspondence, likewise gives us a singular facility to perform our task and to love it.

The infused virtues are susceptible of growth in the soul. God causes this increase when we receive the Sacraments, perform good works, or recite our prayers. a) Because of their very. institution, the Sacraments cause within us an increase of habitual grace, and thereby of the infused virtues that go with grace, in proportion to our dispositions. b) Our good works, also, merit not only glory, but an increase of habitual grace and thereby an increase of the infused virtues. This increase depends in a large measure upon the fervor of our dispositions, no. 237.

1 Fr. Brendan Legg Seven Virtues 2020 c) Prayer, besides its meritorious value, has an impetratory power; it obtains an increase of grace and of virtue in proportion to the fervor with which we pray. It is important, then, that we unite our prayers to those of the Church and that with her we ask for an increase of faith, hope, and charity.

B) According to St. Thomas, this increase is effected not by an accession of degree or of quantity, but by a wore perfect and more effective possession of the virtue. It is in this manner that virtues take deeper root in the soul and become more solid and more active.

God causes this increase when we receive Sacraments, perform good works, or recite prayers. a) Because of their very. institution, the Sacraments cause within us an increase of habitual grace, and thereby of the infused virtues that go with grace, in proportion to our dispositions. b) Our good works, also, merit not only glory, but an increase of habitual grace and thereby an increase of the infused virtues. This increase depends in a large measure upon the fervor of our dispositions, no. 237. c) Prayer, besides its meritorious value, has an impetratory power; it obtains an increase of grace and of virtue in proportion to the fervor with which we pray. It is important, then, that we unite our prayers to those of the Church and that with her we ask for an increase of faith, hope, and charity.

To differentiate them also from the theological virtues, which do indeed regulate our moral life, but which, as we have already said, have God directly for their object, while the moral virtues pursue directly a supernatural, created good, for example, the mastery of our passions.

The moral virtues considered in their divers ramifications are very numerous, but all can be reduced to the four cardinal virtues (so called from the word cardines, hinges) since they are, so to speak, four hinges upon which all the other virtues depend. These four virtues, in fact, meet all the soul's needs and perfect all its moral faculties.

1011. A) They meet all the needs of the soul. a) First of all, we must make a choice of all the means necessary or useful to the attainment of our supernatural end this falls within the scope of the virtue of prudence. b) We must likewise respect the rights of others: this comes within the sphere of justice. c) In order to defend, without fear, or violence, both ourselves and our possessions from the dangers, that threaten us, we 'stand in need of the virtue of fortitude. d) If we would use the goods of this world arid its pleasures without exceeding the proper measure, we need' the virtue of temperance. Thus justice regulates our relations with the: neighbor, fortitude and temperance determine our duties to ourselves while prudence directs the other three virtues.

All the moral virtues strive to keep the golden mean: in medio stat virtues. They must follow the rule of right reason enlightened by faith. This rule may be broken either by excess or defect, and so, moral virtue consists in avoiding these two extremes.