Going Forward in Virtue

Christianity is not a religion of retreat and the Faith is thriving, growing around the globe. How can we grow wisely?

Wisdom begins by fearing the Lord and not fearing the world, the flesh, and the devil.

The servants of God do not lose even in martyrdom. If they kill us, they send us to glory and there we can cry out to God for our brothers and sisters on Earth more powerfully than we ever could here.

To go forward, and because of time there is really no choice, we must go forward in virtue. What is virtue? To start, virtue is always associated with excellence. A movie may have nothing “bad” in it, but if it is badly made, slapped together to make a point or money, then it lacks virtue. To go forward in virtue is to do our best while asking God to take that best and make it better. All our gifts are from Him and we ask that He multiplies what we have been given so even more people can be blessed.

To go forward in virtue means feeling a need for virtue. If I think back to younger days, I am encouraged. I am not the man I was, thank God, but if I look forward then I am humbled. I am not the man I should or will be.

Virtue includes courage. Courage comes when we refuse our feelings of despair, depression, and defeat and act. We look up to the stars and see how unmoved they are by American politics, global troubles, and our desires. Beyond the stars, God sits and He is not insecure, worried, or in doubt.

He is victor even on the Cross and in that sign we can take courage and conquer.

Virtue brings practical wisdom. The wisdom that begins in the fear of the Lord is not given to us so we can implode into ourselves, plunging ever deeper into self. We gain wisdom so we can serve others well. Practical wisdom teaches us what to do when courage tells us to do something.

Virtue is experienced when we moderate our passions. If we should charge boldly, moderation keeps us from being stupid. We never retreat, but we might retire from one front to pick our battles. My dad says that this is a key to ministry: fight the fights that must be fought, but don’t be a fool and invent new ones!

Virtue does justice. We must treat equals equally and give each person his due. Each person is created in God’s image and God demands we give dignity, a right to life, liberty, and the chance to flourish as a person to each human. We help secure rights, the liberty to do good, for all.

These virtues culminate in hope, faith, and love. We hope, because though unsure in ourselves, God exists. We have faith, because best reason, best experience, and Divine Revelation ground us. We know, not with arrogant certainty, but reasonably. As a result, spurred by courage, guided by wisdom, moderating our expectations with justice in hope through faith, we love God and our neighbor.

Virtue ends in love: the summation of all our work. We love our enemies. We love our friends. We love God with all our heart and soul and mind.

Forward in virtue! Charge!