42 ‘Like’ is confirmation of our own preferences, it is love which has been contaminated by self. Uncreated Love (God) is indefinable, but we define it as the highest commitment. A total commitment to a complete being.
The love lacks nothing, and the object of the love lacks nothing. If he who is loved becomes lacking, then the act between the lover and the loved is somehow incomplete.
Sin is virtue corrupted by self, the love commitment is now weighted toward self, rather than its intended wholeness of God, others, person.
“Like” is self love, “lust” is love of something else driven by self love. Lust for blood, sex, power, revenge, money are all confirmations of an interior virtue which is corrupted by self.
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Like is a confirmation of ourselves. Love is advancement
beyond and above current self. Christian theology has the individual advancing beyond self, into a participation in God.43
Like versus love has always been the front line of the battle for spiritual advancement. “Like” falsely confines and confirms itself as the highest morality. Love demands extension beyond self. Like takes little moral effort, and the gains are proportionately small.
Moral and Theological virtues,
Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Spirit
Sins are what we avoid, virtues are what we cultivate, and all for our deeper inclusion into the person of Christ. As originally planned, our attention was to be given only to perfecting our virtues. Sin was a matter only in that it was to be avoided.
Our spiritual advancement proceeds as we reform each faculty and attribute that is controlled by our will; these are our virtues. CCC 1803 defines virtue, “A virtue is a habitual and firm disposition to do the good.” The Catechism of the Catholic Church lists the three theological virtues, the four cardinal
43 Spirit has both individual and communal natures. Because of the communal nature of spirit (specifically virtue), both good and bad elements of virtue are shared with all of creation, but this was never the plan, only good elements were to exist and be shared within creation.
Just as good virtues may be corrupted into bad vices, and necessarily shared within creation, so too evil may be remediated into good. Jesus spoke of returning love for hate, not as means to avoid conflict, but as a means to reform corrupted virtues. We al know the real moral effort required to reform a bad habit into some better habit, this is the work of soul that must be done to reform the evil in our world. Politics alone cannot fully reform evil.
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virtues, the many moral virtues, and the fruits and gifts of the Holy Spirit, which we now examine, but first a few definitions.
Virtues, specifically moral (willed) virtues, are powers of the will over which we exert control. If we control it, we do so for good or evil. Moral virtues are largely immaterial, but they are real action having real effect.44
Vices are virtues corrupted by inordinate self interest; they are usually excessively weighted toward self, resulting in insufficient consideration toward God or others. They are deformed by self interest, which is our plan instead of God’s plan.
Values are ideals which drive the virtues. Virtue is action, values are the theory behind the action.
Moral acts are simply acts over which we exert control.
They are decisions, over which we have greater or lesser
control.
Emotions might be thought of as sense organs for the virtues, appetites and drives. Emotions should guide, but not lead.
Drives are instinctual drives of hunger, thirst, reproduction, breathing, sleep, fulfillment, happiness. We 44 In their largest scope, virtues may be moral (wil ed) or non moral, such as health, quickness, reason and much more. Both moral and non moral virtues were damaged by original, and subsequent sin. One guide to the allow ability of medical and genetic procedures is to reference our original sinless state, which included an unlimited life span. Procedures to regain an unlimited life span would therefore be legitimate, just as surgery to extend life beyond a disease is legitimate. Remember that even a human with new genetically unlimited life will be called to judgment at Christ’s second coming, with the outcome being Heaven, Hell or Purgatory.
However a procedure to make an enhanced human, far in excess of the original human norm would not be legitimate. This is because God created humanity with inherent limitations, which are not design faults.
We also observe that superhuman abilities are the norm for people attaining divine union with Christ, (Jn 14:12, Mk 16:18). The difference here is that the first method (medical super enhancement) was never intended; the second method (divine inclusion) was intended.
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have some control over them; they are therefore in the realm of moral acts.
Passions might be thought of as a hybrid spirit of the pushing drives and the pulling emotions. Two types: (1)
concupiscible, in which we tend toward an obtainable good, according to our own judgment; (2) irascible, in which we strive toward a good which is not immediately
obtainable, hope for instance would be an irascible passion.
There are six major concupiscible passions: delight, sadness, desire, aversion, love and hatred. The five major irascible passions are: hope, despair, courage, fear, and
Just as the appetite of hunger produces the good
action of eating, desire or aversion may prompt us to change a situation. The passions and drives are a bit more practical than the emotions, they are a sort of prompting
tool for our person.
The appetites or drives are another subset of the
passions, all are under control of the will, to a greater or lesser degree, and all are required to be correctly attended to, but not over attended to. 45
45 The terms and ideas of legitimate and perfect, will follow in this book and they are often (perhaps necessarily) undefined in Catholic writing. In example, the Catholic idea that self defense, or defense of others are both legitimate is true, but so is the idea of turning the other check, or even suffering death at the hands of a perpetrator, Jesus taught this as the perfected act, but never spoke against the zealots fighting against the Romans. Each action is legitimate, but one is legitimate and the other is perfect.
Details matter, (see chapter on moral theology, this book). An example will clarify these two ideas. An example is a mother and young child both going to the Roman arena to be killed by lions. Here the mother may decide for both (since the young child has not attained the age of reason), to suffer death rather than sacrificing to Roman gods. A child attaining the age of reason must be allowed his own decision in most moral matters, (family moral customs are enforced until the child attains the age of majority). This is the ideal judgment of the Church, which is 33
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Theological virtues are virtues directed to God. They are also called the infused virtues. The theological virtues are of primary importance, since without them we could not share in the life of God. Certainly there are strictly human forms of faith, hope and love, but these cannot provide for our sharing in Christ, neither in the human nor divine natures of Christ.46
The final form of these theological virtues is not just
supernatural, but divine, we will then share in the very divine nature and person of Christ. A person of faith has existence beyond his human qualities; this is a supernatural existence by which we share in the very person of Christ.
• Faith perfects one’s human intellect with supernatural
light.
• Hope perfects one’s human will, by striving for union
and life with God, which is our highest quality of existence.
• Charity perfects one’s human love, by giving it
supernatural participation for loving God and
neighbor. 47 Charity, as a practical matter may be general and cannot cover all situations. God does not judge according to an unrealized perfect situation, but according to the single or many wills, who contribute to the situation.
46 It is sometimes proposed that “God is not necessary to live a moral life.”
This is incorrect because God creates, sustains and guides our moral conscience, with or without religion. It would be true to say that “Religion is not necessary to live a moral life.”, but this idea is quite different from the first.
A second reason why God is necessary for a moral life, is that God gives everything existence or life in the first place.
47 Charity is derived from the Latin ‘caritas’, a word used in the Vulgate
New Testament to translate the Greek word ‘agape’, which is a God induced love.
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practiced by anyone, in any state of spiritual advancement, or even in a state of mortal sin, this last
would be a gift from God, to help raise a person into
a state of grace, (salvation).
To this short list made by the apostle Paul, we add:
• Religion, which is our duty to God, and God’s
assistance and response in this duty.
• Reverence, by which we go beyond respect, and give
God the greatest honor and priority in our lives. We
are the beneficiaries of reverence, it increases our particiption in God.
Cardinal virtues are four core moral virtues, upon which hinge the many other human moral virtues.48 Moral virtues are directed to other people, or to the created realm in general.
Moral virtues or human virtues are placed by God in every moral conscience. They may be distinguished from the theological virtues, which directly reference God, but they were never intended to be our final moral attainment; the theological virtues are our participation in the person of Christ.
The Latin ‘cardo’, means hinge.
The moral virtues have their perfection in the theological virtues. Both types are deposited and maintained by God in our soul. The theological virtues (lifting us to divine participation) perfect the moral or human virtues to a supernatural and divine level. For example, the human moral virtue of prudence may be perfected by the theological virtues of love and faith to a level of almost reckless generosity, (Love 48 We observe that the ten commandments are a mix of theological and human virtues, and are mostly a series of prohibitions. This prohibitory phrasing is somewhat necessary, because humanity was created perfect, and allowed to make any act (Gen 2:16:17), but not in a selfish, corrupt way. Most negative phrases can also be restated in a positive context;
“You shall not commit adultery” = “You shall practice good chastity.”
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your enemies and do good to them, lend to them without expecting a return, (Lk 6:35). The four cardinal virtues are:
• Prudence or the ability to discern the appropriate course of action to be taken in a given situation at the
appropriate time. By prudence we know good from
evil, better from worse. For example prudence and
justice will give to others what they need, but when
the theological virtue of love is exerted also,
generosity in goods, goodwill or mercy is the
perfected result.
• Justice is the constant and permanent determination to give everyone his or her rightful due, and in all areas of life: respect, finances, obedience and so on.
Generosity might be thought of as a perfection of
justice, by which we think and do the best, beyond what justice demands.
• Fortitude also termed courage, forbearance, strength or endurance. Fortitude is the ability to confront fear,
obstacles, uncertainty, and intimidation.
• Temperance is the practice of self-control, abstention, discretion, and moderation which disciplines our
appetites and actions so as not to act selfishly.
In the end, Christ will judge us on our virtues. Specific acts are not disregarded, but virtues are primary. In this way, every person may attain the highest sanctity, even in poverty, prison, slavery, ill health, or any other circumstance that prevents great moral acts. Furthermore, the interior theological virtues are of greatest importance, and anyone in any circumstance may make great acts of theological virtue (faith, hope, love, religion, reverence). Awards, medals, resumes, status are left behind at the gates of Heaven, and we alone enter, with our virtues.
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The twelve fruits of the Holy Spirit, (CCC 1832) could also be considered as a short list of moral virtues. These fruits are the earned result of cultivating the theological, cardinal and moral virtues. They are not just received gifts, but our own actions brought to perfection, by participation in the Holy Spirit.
1. Charity
7. Generosity
2. Joy
8. Gentleness
3. Peace
9. Faithfulness
4. Patience
10. Modesty
5. Kindness
11. Self Control
6. Goodness
12. Chastity
The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, listed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, section 1831 are not exhaustive, we may easily think of additional gifts, such as miracles or tongues.
As always, gifts of virtues are not only received, but they are also acquired and developed. Fortitude in example, may be increased by one’s own moral action. The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are:
1. Wisdom
2. Understanding
3. Counsel
4. Fortitude
5. Knowledge,
6. Piety
7. Fear of the Lord.
The moral virtues, also called acquired virtues or human virtues, are directed to the realm of creation.49 Their number 49 It is sometimes claimed that “God is not necessary to be a moral human.” This is false on at least two counts: 1. God is necessary for a moral human to be created to exercise virtue in the first place; 2. The human moral conscience is created by God in his image and depends 37
is large; St. Thomas Aquinas enumerates over fifty moral virtues. Here are a few, without repeating previously mentioned virtues.
Compassion
Gratitude
Cleanliness
Idealism
Cooperation
Loyalty
Detachment
Respect
Encouragement
Thankfulness
Forgiveness
Truthfulness
Charisms of the Holy Spirit, also called extraordinary gifts are things like prophecy which are beyond the graces required for the individual’s salvation. Prior to the advent of Christ, the Holy Spirit is recorded as giving such gifts to the prophets, judges, kings, warriors and others. With Christ, the Holy Spirit continues to bestow graces of all sorts. To summarize the apostle Paul from 1Corinthians 12:8-10, 28, charisms include: Wisdom
Teaching ability
Knowledge
Tongues
Prophecy
Administration
Healing
Apostleship
Miracles
Extraordinary faith
Ontological virtues are non willed actions or virtues.
Ontology refers to the study of being. Ontological virtues would include: quickness, color, scent, intelligence, solid, liquid or gas, and so on. Ontological virtues are not willed by the subject, but inherent in the subject.
upon God for its ongoing existence. Without God there can be no morality, or anything else.
It may be truthfully said that “religion is not necessary to be a moral human.” A person may utilize his moral conscience or other non-religious sources in addition to, or in place of religion.
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The ontological virtues perfect us as biological beings; the moral virtues perfect us as human moral beings; the theological virtues perfect us as divine beings.50
Divine commandments are instances of God telling a person or nation to do this or not that, and such commandments appear in great numbers in the bible. They are not really underlying virtues, which are the subject of this chapter, but they are practical applications of underlying virtues.
God gives commandments for good reason, and for our benefit, so that we may share in the very life of God, beginning now and lasting into eternity.
We now examine the Ten Commandments, given by God
at Mt. Sinai. This set of commandments numbers at least thirteen, as recorded in the books of Exodus and Deuteronomy (with dozens more in the book of Leviticus). Presented here is the Catholic version of the Ten Commandments.
1. I am the Lord your God. You shall have no other gods.
This commandment is really two; 1. “You shall have
me as your God”; 2.“You shall not have other gods.” How can we attain our highest fulfillment which is sharing in the life and person of God, if we do not even acknowledge
him. The ten commandments are in order of importance,
and this first commandment is the most vital.
As to the second part, if we have allegiance to any other god, then we cannot fully share in God. Worse case
50 The bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church both teach that our ultimate intended destiny is to share in the very divinity and person of Jesus Christ, (2Pet 1:4, 1Jn 3:2, Lk 6:40, 16:26; CCC 260, 398, 460, 795, 1988). The term for this is divinization and the saints have written of it for 2000 years. The book “Mystical Evolution” by Fr. John Arintero, is a study of divinization in the lives of the saints, and is stil in print.
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is that we end up honoring a demon god who is happy to assume the place of God.
2. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in