The Necessity of Virtue
As I prayed over On the Canticle of Canticles , by St. Bernard of Clairvaux, this morning, I came across a wonderful passage. He was explained that there are definitive characteristics that identify a beautiful soul. Of course, each of the noticeable markers is a virtue! "Certainly, her [the soul's] beauty is made up of charity and justice and patience. And what of voluntary poverty? What of humility?...In her one sees fear of the Lord, prudence, temperance, fortitude, and whatever other virtues there may be, pearls as it were, adorning the bride with undying luster." (From Chapter 17) So, I am convinced more than yesterday (and the day before, and the day before) that virtues have the potential to bring self-mastery and beauty back into this world. Without forming habits like charity, justice, patience, voluntary poverty, humility, piety, prudence, temperance, and fortitude, our culture will certainly continue swiftly toward its own ruin. My prayer is this: that mo...