Virtue and Vice

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Virtue and Vice
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Opening Prayer

• Apostles Creed p. 175
• Scripture p. 78
• Scripture p. 82

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The Missing 20
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Ice Breaker

• A Virtue is an action of Love
• A Vice is an action of Selfishness
• We are going to see a number of photos
• Call out whether this slide is a Virtue or a
  Vice

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What is Virtue?

• A virtue is a permanent power that helps us to do
  good and avoid evil.
• It can be either
• Natural - Something we work for, such as the
  power to be honest
• Supernatural given directly by God
• A simple definition of a virtue is The habit of
  doing good.
• We must practice virtue.
• With practice our good acts become habits and it
  becomes easy for us to act rightly.
• For example, it may be difficult to be honest in
  a very difficult situation however, if we are
  honest all the time, eventually it will become
  easy and we will desire to be honest.

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Theological Virtues

• Three virtues that can only come from God are
  Faith , Hope, and Love.
• We can never have too much of these.
• These virtues direct us toward God so that we can
  know him and his revelation, trust in his
  promises, and serve him faithfully in love.

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Virtues Muscles for the Soul

• If we do not exercise our muscles, they
  remain/become weak.
• The more we exercise them, the stronger they
  become.
• The same thing with virtue, the more we practice
  them, the easier it gets.
• As we become strong in virtue, we become strong
  in our spiritual life.

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Theological Virtue Faith

• Faith is the virtue by which we have the power to
  believe in God and in all that he has revealed
  through Christ and the Church.
• There is a difference between believing and
  understanding.
• There are many mysteries in the faith, truths
  greater than our ability to understand.
• Mysteries are not problems to be solved but they
  are revealed to us so that we may enter more
  fully into them and deepen our faith.
• We may never be able to swim to the bottom of the
  ocean, or even see it all at once, but we can
  swim in it, and enjoy the parts we can see.

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Theological Virtue Faith

• Faith is reasonable even if it includes mysteries
  that we cant fully understand.
• For example, Jesus is risen from the dead, it is
  a mystery how that might happen but it is
  reasonable that God can raise his Son from the
  dead.
• To accept something in faith is to believe it is
  true, not because it has been proven, but because
  we trust the one who reveals the truth.
• With the Theological virtue of Faith we believe
  what God has revealed in Sacred Scripture and
  Sacred Tradition we accept truths because God
  has revealed them.
• Naturally, it is perfectly reasonable to accept
  what God tells us as true, even if we dont fully
  understand it.

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Theological Virtue Faith

• Today we often misuse the word faith.
• We use it in a way that means confidence
• I have faith that youll pass your test tomorrow.
• True faith is about God and His Revelation
• For Faith to be true and pleasing to God it must
  be
• Firm We must place all of our faith in God
• Complete We must accept all of Gods truths
  about himself and his revelation as given to us
  by God and through his Church. We cannot choose
  to accept some things but not others.

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Theological Virtue Hope

• Hope makes it possible for the Christian to trust
  in God
• Trust in God is important to faith. We will
  order our lives according to our hope in the
  promises made by God.
• If we hope for heaven, we will live a moral life
  so that we may get there.
• Hope also tells us that God will give us strength
  to live our faith.

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Theological Virtue Hope

• Hope is often used to mean want or desire
• I hope to get a car for my birthday
• This has nothing to do with trusting God and his
  promises for us.
• It is important to remember the true meaning of
  hope.
• With the virtue of hope our earthly sufferings
  and sacrifice have greater meaning and value. We
  understand them as investments in our heavenly
  inheritance.

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Theological Virtue Charity/Love

• Charity is the power by which we love God above
  all things and our neighbor for love of God.
• We often think of charity as serving the poor.
• This is a form of charity if it is done because
  of our love for God.
• Charity, however, consists in more than actions.
• Charity is an act of will a decision to put God
  above everything.
• When we choose to serve God in all things, we
  must love our neighbors (because God loves them
  and want us to as well)
• If we love and live in true charity, we are
  willing to make sacrifices and give our time,
  energy, resources, and our very selves in
  imitation of Christ and as response to his
  generous love.

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Fraternal Correction

• Fraternal Correction means to correct your
  brother (or sister) if they are doing something
  wrong.
• This is an act of Charity even though many times
  it may not make a person happy.
• For example, if you walk by a person bullying
  another and you tell them to stop, this is an act
  of charity to the bully and the person who is
  being bullied.
• When you hear your best friend lie, it is
  important to remind them to be honest. Honesty
  will make them a better person and it may even
  prevent them from lying to you!

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Cardinal (Moral) Virtues

• The moral virtues help us achieve our
  supernatural destiny.
• Moral virtues are supernatural habits that build
  upon our natural prudence, justice, fortitude,
  and temperance.
• Because sanctifying grace empowers us to act
  beyond our natural capacities it is fitting that
  there exist supernatural moral virtues that point
  our intellect, will, and passions to God.

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Cardinal (Moral) Virtues

• Prudence deciding ones true good and
  determining the right way to achieve it.
• Natural The best way to accomplish a task or
  goal
• Supernatural The best way to get to heaven and
  help others get there.
• A true Good will never be sinful or something
  that leads us away from God.
• Justice Requires that we give God and man their
  due.
• Natural includes the work of the Civil Court
  ensuring civil rights
• Supernatural includes the work of the Church
  ensuring that Gods people are properly cared for
  and that the dignity and rights of every human
  are not violated.
• We owe God worship and our parents obedience and
  respect, it is justice to give it to them.

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Cardinal (Moral) Virtues

• Temperance To have proper balance in life
• Natural finding moderation in the use of
  earthly goods.
• Supernatural maintaining proper balance between
  our physical bodies and spiritual souls, giving
  balanced development to both
• We should eat but not too much (Fat) or too
  little (Sick)
• Fortitude The courage to do the right thing and
  persevere even when it is hard.
• Natural Perseverance in earthly goals, i.e.
  athletic training
• Supernatural Perseverance in virtue at any
  cost, i.e. suffering/Matyrdom (To die for your
  faith).
• We stick with what is right even if it is the
  harder option. Admitting when we are wrong is a
  good example.

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Vice

• Vices are habits of doing bad. They are the
  opposites of virtues.
• There are seven capital vices these are the roots
  of all other vices, they are also known as the
  seven deadly sins.
• Pride
• Avarice
• Lust
• Anger
• Gluttony
• Envy
• Sloth

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Each Vice and its Opposite Virtue

• Pride Distorted self-importance (One places
  himself before God and neighbor)
• Humility Seeing ourselves as we truly are
• Avarice Greed, coveting, or wanting what we have
  no right to.
• Liberality generosity with our goods and talents
• Lust more than just sexual passion, lust is an
  inordinate desire for something (food, wealth,
  sex) i.e. blood lust desiring to see the blood
  of an enemy.
• Chastity generosity with ourselves and
  temperance with our desires.

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Each Vice and its opposite Virtue

• Anger Harboring dislike and aversion toward
  someone anger does not allow a healthy
  perspective
• Patience also called meekness, patience is the
  virtue of putting God and others before ourselves
  and acting with gentleness
• Gluttony having too much of something food,
  drink, shopping
• Sobriety/Temperance using created goods well
  with proper limits
• Envy Serious jealousy it means that if we
  cannot have what another has, then we do not want
  him to have it either.
• Brotherliness wanting the best for others and
  being happy for their goods and successes.

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Each Vice and its opposite Virtue

• Sloth A failure to do ones duties or
  responsibilities physically and spiritually.
• Sloth is often called laziness, but sometimes a
  slothful person can be very busy but never
  accomplish what is expected of them.
• Diligence to persevere in our duty for our
  physical and spiritual life.

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Virtue or ViceWhat would you choose?

• In your small group discuss what you would choose
  to do in each of these scenarios (which virtue or
  vice)
• A group of your friends want to cut class and
  want you to come.
• Your soccer tournament will mean that you wont
  be able to make it to Mass
• You find 20 on the ground before
  Pre-Confirmation Class
• You arrive early to class and one kid is picking
  on a weaker student
• The wrapping paper on the Christmas present is a
  little loose and you could peak

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Closing Prayer

• Act of Faith p. 175