The Essence of Virtuous Life
By Vunda Moutchia
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God is holy. He calls us to be holy as well since we are created in His image and likeness. But as we all know, it is not easy since life is full of ups and downs. The evil that abounds in the world today makes this task even more demanding. Nevertheless, the Good Lord, in His infinite goodness loves us so much and provides us with the necessary tools to work towards our salvation, salvation won for us by Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on the Cross of Calvary. The Sacrament of Baptism with its many gifts and positive effects opens us up to receive the grace of God at the beginning of our faith journey, for one must be born anew of water and the Spirit. The Catechism of the Catholic Church reiterates this fact:

"The Church does not know of any means other than Baptism that assures entry into eternal beatitude; this why she takes care not to neglect the mission she has received from the Lord to see that all who can be baptized are "reborn of water and the Spirit". God has bound salvation to the sacrament of Baptism…" (1257).

It is our duty therefore, as baptized Christians, to give witness to the risen Christ, not only by what we say, but also by the type of lives that we live, for Baptism opens up the way to a virtuous life: walking in the light, in the way of the truth. The choices that one makes in life are often determined by one's disposition. The more such options are made, the more they become what one thinks; the more they also become what one makes oneself to be. As such, one develops what is known as a "habitus". As Aristotle quoted by Saint Thomas Aquinas tells us, a habitus "is a disposition whereby that which is disposed is disposed well or ill, and this, either in regard to itself, or in regard to another" (ST I-II, Q.49, a.1). In the light of the foregoing, a habitus is something richer and deeper than a mere habit. It develops into a psychological and mental preference to which one becomes predisposed at all times. As such it could either be a good inclination or a bad one. This is the foundation of one's character, the results of one's choices in life. The question is: "are they good or bad?" It is important to note that this is what builds up one's character. As Jesus tells us,

"Do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated? But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders. These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man" (Mt 15: 17-20).

Therefore, one's free choices in life determine one's own character and its underlying habits. The Modern Catholic Dictionary adds that

"Natural habits are a partial realization of our potencies. They add to nature by giving it ease of performance, where the acts intensify a habit and the habit facilitates the acts. Habits of acting are acquired by constant repetition, and lost by disuse or contrary acts. Good moral habits are virtues; evil ones are vices."

With this understanding, it becomes easier to grasp the notion of virtue. The Modern Catholic Dictionary further defines virtue as "A good habit that enables a person to act according to right reason enlightened by faith. Also called an operative good habit, it makes its possessor a good person and his or her actions also good."

Furthermore, Aquinas reveals that "A virtue is a habitus (a.1) specifically concerned with action (a.2) and directed toward the good or perfection of the agent (a.3)" and citing St. Augustine that "Virtue is a good quality of the mind, by which we live righteously, of which no one can make bad use, [and when Divinely infused] which God works in us, without us (a.4,)" (ST I-II, Q.55).

Regardless of one's state in life to which God calls one, be it clergy, religious or laity, one is called upon to live a virtuous life. All depends on one's disposition and choices in life. There is no sitting on the fence. To whom much is given, much is expected. William E. May, in his book, An Introduction to Moral Theology, tells us that

"Virtuous, morally upright persons know how to shape their choices and actions in accordance with the truth and to take care to form their consciences in an upright way. They know how to choose well among alternatives of choice and to distinguish those that are morally good from those that are morally bad, even if, at times, they might find it difficult to articulate reasoned arguments to support their moral judgments" (50).

No condition or situation in life, be it a fortunate or an inopportune one, is an excuse not to make the right choice, for one must give thanks to God in all circumstances, no matter how difficult it is. This is because God's grace is always enough for us. It is rather in the crosses of life that grace becomes most rewarding. The Cross of Calvary then becomes a way of life if we have to follow Jesus.

God, through the Church gives us the necessary means to live out a virtuous life. Some of these can be found in the Holy Mass, the Rosary, other prayers, devotions and sacramentals, the Ten Commandments, the Sacraments, the Beatitudes, the theological virtues of faith, hope and charity, the cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance, the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit, the spiritual and corporal works of mercy, the precepts of the Church and much more. What an endless treasure!

God is good, all the time. Living a virtuous life is like going fishing. One cannot catch all types or sizes of fish at once. For this reason, we shall focus here on the theological virtues of faith, hope and charity and how one could possibly apply them righteously. These are gifts from God which He sometimes infuses in us as He chooses. Saint Paul encourages us to "But earnestly desire the higher gifts… Love bears all things, hopes all things, endures all things… So faith, hope and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love" (1 Cor. 12:31, 13:7, 13).

Faith is a gift that enables one to have trust and confidence in God, believing in Him, especially accepting things or mysteries that one cannot fully understand. As such, divine inspiration gives one the ability believe without seeing, questioning or doubting.

With childlike faith, one focuses one's attention towards the divine, with the mind, resting assured that God is in control and in time to come, one's expectations will be met. As such, one must abandon oneself completely to the Will of God. This is hope that directs the human will towards God, looking up to His help.

Love. It unites us to God, neighbor and self, such that one wills the good of the other and the common good of all society. Love is a uniting force that transforms the soul to emptiness in order to be filled by God's divine Spirit.

These three theological virtues are the basis of everyday life and endeavors. One cannot live without them. As baptized Christians, one is challenged to become "the salt of the earth and the light of the world." Having faith, hope and love and putting them to work is a huge task, but through the power of God, they become stepping-stones of grace. One should therefore have recourse to the Blessed Virgin Mary for she is our model of virtue. Like her, one should be able to open one's heart to the positive disposition of God's Word, to receive and ponder It in one's heart, share It with others, by coming to their aid, even when it is most inconveniencing. In this wise, one would be able to make the right decisions, live a virtuous life and bear good fruit that will last.

The saints also provide a good source of inspiration for us to fulfill the call to a virtuous life, sometimes by doing ordinary things in an extraordinary way. We have two very good examples in today's modern world. Pope John Paul II and Mother Theresa of Calcutta. They both had great devotion to Our Blessed Mother who saw them through their earthly lives and ministries. Particularly touching is the late Pope's apostolic motto: "Totus tuus". From the Latin, it literally means "totally yours". In his book, Crossing the Threshold of Hope, the Pope beautifully explains this concept, borrowed from his ardent devotion to Mary through the intercession of Saint Louis Marie de Montfort. It is an expression of holiness deeply rooted in the Most Blessed Trinity. On the other hand, Mother Theresa was so devoted that she saw Christ in the face of everyone, especially the poor and the most wretched of our society. She brought faith, hope and above all, love to them.

But we too in our own little way can become saints in our everyday lives and make an impact in our world today, no matter how small. All it takes is a little faith, hope and love to bring peace into our troubled world. Thus a good way to end this reflection would be to put Saint Francis of Assisi's "Prayer for Peace" into perspective. Living a virtuous life makes us become instruments of peace. Let us try to figure out instances where we have been able to sow some love, may be resolve a dispute between two people? Do we forgive as we often ask the Good Lord in the "Our Father" to "…forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us"? How often have we been examples of faith, may be in clarifying someone else's doubt about matters of the Church's teaching? Have we been able to put a simple smile on someone's face and some hope in his/her heart when there is desolation? How many times have we been able to shine and be the light of the world for others to see Christ from a better perspective? Many a time, people often experience sadness. This is very common. All they need is a sparkle of joy. Have we been there? All these are simple ways of fulfilling our duty as baptized Christians, witnessing to the risen Christ as we endeavor to live a virtuous life. Let us try to adopt the motto of "Totus tuus" so that as we empty ourselves, we will not always seek to be consoled, understood or loved all the time. For indeed, when we do these things and give of ourselves, our time, treasure and talents in the service of others, we receive even more graces and we are pardoned for our sins. All in all, with faith, hope and love, we die in Christ so that we may rise with Him in eternal life. This is in truth, the essence of a virtuous life, for man cannot live without the grace of God and with out love, for the greatest gift is that of love. That is what the prayer for peace is all about!