The Life of Virtue

Human beings are unions of body and soul.  As such, the spiritual portion of a person can be affected by the material portion, and vice versa.  There are many realities in this world that cause damage to persons' bodies and souls.  Reckless anger, over-eating and over-drinking, unchaste sexual activity, violent media, and spiritual laziness all make the list, but they certainly do not exhaust it.  Any of these actions, whether primarily "of the spirit" (i.e., the intellect or memory) or "of the flesh" can adversely affect a person's body and soul.  The natural and passionate desires that humans have must be mitigated if we are to live robust and joyful lives. This is why temperance is a great good for humanity.  Temperance is the virtue that assists a person in maintaining moderation and balance in the use and consumption of created goods; and it helps to keep in check the first instincts of our appetites and desires (see CCC 1809 ).  By temperance...

The Gospel reading for the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A) is a portion of the Sermon on the Mount ( Matthew 5:17-37 ), "the greatest sermon ever preached by the greatest Preacher who ever preached," according to Peter Kreeft.  In this segment of the sermon, just a few sentences after listing the Beatitudes, the Lord provides His audience (the hearers on the mount and us in the modern age ) a new and fulfilled understanding of the Law.  Those who follow Christ must examine their attitudes and actions in a way that is different than the legalistic culture of His day and the world in which we live.  Quite simply, a person who claims to be a disciple of Jesus must be ready to cultivate virtues, which will help her to choose rightly in the face of anger, lust, or even cultural tradition. Virtues are the habitual dispositions of mind and heart that lead individuals to act according to God's gracious plan.  It is no coincidence, then, that there are certain vi...

[I was blessed to give a retreat to middle school boys on Friday morning.  I thought that it would be good to write down the presentation I gave, and share it with others for their benefit.  Here goes.] There is a scene near the middle of Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring in which Frodo Baggins volunteers to carry the last and most powerful ring to Mt. Doom in order to destroy it.  Because he does not know the way, and because he is small of stature, he admits that he will require help.  The most powerful moment in that scene is when Aragorn says to Frodo, "If, by my life or by my death, I can protect you, I will.  You have my sword."  Really what Aragorn means is that he offers all of himself and his skill in service of the mission. In our world today, there is a battle for truth, goodness, and beauty.  The enemy seeks to deprive humans of access to any of these three by twisting their understanding of those transcendental realities....