CL reviewer

VIRTUES

Latin “Virtus”

Ancient Greek “arete” is moral excellence

Virtue – is a trait or quality that is deemed to be morally good and thus is valued as a foundation of
principle and good moral being

- Habitual and firm disposition to do good

- It allows the person not only to perform good acts, but to give the best of himself.

The virtuous person tends toward the good; he/she pursues the good

The goal of a virtuous life is to become like God

Theological virtues – inform and give life to all the moral virtues

- Are infused by God into the souls of the faithful

Faith – believing to God and all that he has said and revealed to us

- Requires to study the nature of God

• Sunday Homilies
• Catechesis
• Retreats
• Religious Readings

“Ignorance of scripture is ignorance of Christ” - Saint Jerome

Hope- is a theological virtue by which we desire the kingdom of heaven

- Placing our trust in Christ

Charity/Love - Is a theological virtue by which we love God
- It is superior to all the virtues; it is the first of the theological virtues: “So faith, hope,
charity, abide, a these three. But the greatest of this is charity

Love – Requires us to worship and serve God as our Creator and Provider

-Practicing a regular spiritual life based on sacraments and sacramentals and

personal prayers
Moral Virtues – Are habits which are concerned with acts....
• Helps us lead moral and good lives
• Are acquired by human effort
 • Are the fruit and seed of morally good acts

These are the Cardinal Virtues – can be developed through human effort

• Prudence
• Justice
• Fortitude
• Temperance

Prudence – Is a virtue that disposes practical reasons

- “Right reason in action”
- Kahinahunan
Justice – Moral virtue that consists in the constant and firm will
- Katarungan

Fortitude – Firmness in difficulties and of good

- Conquer fear, renounce, and even sacrifice his life

- Katatagan

Temperance – It is a moral virtue that moderates the attraction

- Pagtitimpi/pagpipigil
- Is Moderation in the things

VIRTUE ACCORDING TO OTHER RELIGION

1. Judaism – Loving God is obeying his laws, in particular the Ten Commandments
2. Islam – everything that is written in Qur’an - believed to be the literal word of God;
Muhammad is considered ideal example of virtue in human form
3. Hinduism – Their virtue is something that cannot be imposed
4. Buddhism – Everything that is right
• Right view
• Right intentions
• Right speech
• Right action
• Right livelihood
• Right effort
• Right concentration
• Right mindfulness
5. Taoism/Daoism - 3 Jewels (virtues) of Taoism
 [Link] (pagkahabag)
[Link] (katamtaman)
3. Humility (pagpapakumbaba)

6. Shintoism – 4 affirmations of Shinto

1. Tradition and the family – Understanding that family is foundation for preserving
traditions

2. Love of nature – Holding nature sacred

3. Ritual purity – Ritual bathing to spiritually and physically sense

4. Matsuri – Worshipping and honoring Gods and ancestral spirits

7. Christianity

Virtues are based on the ff.

1. 7 Biblical Virtues -
• Faith
• Hope - these three are gifts from God; also, are the theological virtues
• Love
2. Beatitudes – Teaching of Jesus on true happiness
3. Commandments

VIRTUES ACCORDING TO THE PHILOSOPHERS AND LEADERS OF CHURCH

Socrates – Virtue is knowledge

Plato – Virtue is based on eudaemonistic( Note: in dictionary it is spelled as

eudemonistic, in quipper it’s eudaemonistic)

- A theory that the highest ethical goal is happiness and personal well-being

4 Cardinal Virtues according to Plato

1. Wisdom
2. Courage
3. Moderation
4. Justice

Confucianism – Virtues are of supreme importance to Confucius

Rene Descartes – Virtue consists in the correct reasoning

Benjamin Franklin – Called “Moral Perfection”

 Most important virtue of life “avoid extremes”

Aristotle – At the right times, about the right things, towards the right people, for the
right end and in......

3 key ideas of Aristotle principle of virtue

1. Virtue is a state of character – means virtue is something relatively permanent

2. Virtue makes man and woman good – a person become good or not through
occasional good acts
3. Virtue makes man and woman do his/her work well – means that virtue is an
operative habit

Saint Agustine – Defines virtue as a good quality of the mind

St. Thomas Aquinas – is a habit that is good; it perfects the power of the soul

- Virtues are repeated good acts

Saint Paul – exhorts to live life of virtuous

Pope Francis presented the Catholic Church “needed virtues”

• Humanity
• Accountability
• Humility

Seven dangers to Human virtue

1. Wealth without work

2. Pleasure without conscience
3. Knowledge without character
4. Business without effects
5. Science without humanity
6. Religion without compassion
7. Politics without principle

LESSON 2

Hope – is one of the 3 theological virtues

- Is the sure and steadfast anchor of the soul

- It is also a weapon that protects us in the struggle of salvation.
9 Types of hopelessness according to Therese Borchard(Mental health writer and
advocate)

1. Alienation – Hindi kabilang or hindi kasali

2. Forsakenness – pinabayaan
3. Uninspired – nawalan ng gana
4. Powerlessness – Is the feeling of wala kang magawa in a certain situation
5. Opression - Panggigipit
6. Limitedness – feeling of hanggang dito nalang ako
7. Doom – kamalasan
8. Captivity- pagiging bilanggo
9. Helplessness – takot

What do we hope for?

1. The hope of eternal life

2. The hope of bodily resurrection
3. The hope of his appearing (Blessed hope)
4. The hope of a glorified church

Five Dangers

1. Focusing on the negative – Many scriptures warn about the dangers of

GRUMBLING and COMPLAINING
2. Focusing on People
3. Slipping away from God
4. Allowing guilt to cut us off from the source of our hope – our Father and our
Savior
5. Trials
Sins against Hope
1. Presumption – Expecting of salvation without personal effort
2. Despair – ceasing to hope for salvation.
Lust, gluttony, pride, greed, lead us to despair

LESSON 3 – Church Communion of Saints

The Creed

I BELIEVE in the COMMUNION OF SAINTS (Kalipunan ng mga banal)

We can be in union with them in in 2 things

1. Holy things – Sancta

2. Holy person – Sancti

“After confessing” the Holy Catholic Church, the Apostle’s creed adds the communion of
saints.

The Communion of Saints is the Church.

1. Church
2. Saints
3. Communion

Creed – consist of 12 Articles of Faith

Church – the first community of Christian Believers

Saints - are the best examples on how prayer works

Communion – Communication or sharing of spiritual benefits between the different parts

of church

Is the spiritual solidarity which binds together the

• Faithful on earth
• Souls in purgatory
• Saints in heaven

Members of the church share many holy things in common:

1. Catholic faith
- 12 articles of catholic faith
2. The graces of the Sacraments
- Most especially the Eucharist
3. The spiritual benefits that come from special gifts (charisms) the holy spirit has
given us
4. Communion in Charity
- In the Sanctorum Communio
5. Communion in Wealth

Communion of Saints among holy persons (Sancti) these three grouped of people:

1. Christian Theology
 • Militant Church or the Pilgrim Church - those of us who live on earth today.
• Penitent or the suffering Church
• Triumphant Church

Our duty is to pray:

- To the saints
- For one another
- For the souls in purgatory

Penitent/Suffering Church...

- They are also called Expectant Church (those who undergo purification in
Purgatory)
- And helped by the people on earth and Saints in heaven

Triumphant Church - Which Consist of those who have the beatific vision and are in
heaven