Yesterday, at Sunday Mass I preached on the virtue of
prudence, which the Catechism defines as “is the virtue that disposes practical
reason to discern our true good in every circumstance and to choose the right
means of achieving it”.
Today’s Saint, St. Alphonsus Ligouri wrote extensively on
the virtues. He writes: “All holiness and perfection of soul lies in our love
for Jesus Christ, who is our Redeemer and our supreme good. It is part of the
love of God to acquire and to nurture all the virtues which make a man
perfect.”
If we say we love God with all our heart, we owe it to him
to acquire and nurture virtue. For he made us to be virtuous. So to neglect
becoming as virtuous as we can, is to fail to love God with all our heart.
St. Alphonsus even recommended practicing a particular
virtue each month: January: faith; February: Hope; March: Love of God; April:
Love of Neighbor; May: Poverty; June: Purity of Heart; July: Obedience; August:
Meekness and Humility of Heart; September: Mortification; October:
Reconciliation and Silence; November: Prayer; and December: Self-Abnegation and
Love of the Cross.”
You can’t acquire and nurture the virtues if all you have is
a general, vague, unintentional desire to become more virtuous. A virtue is
like a particular muscle, say your biceps. Your biceps won’t grow stronger if
you just go through your normal routine. You have to intentionally train and
strengthen your bicep. Same with the virtues. If you want to grow in humility,
you have to be intentional about growing in humility. A virtue, like a muscle, is
likely to decrease in strength, if you don’t exercise it.
Now you might not have the physical constitution to do a lot
of physical training, but all of us are spiritual creatures, who are called to
the spiritual training of the virtues.
St. Alphonsus even recommended keeping a notebook or
journal—an account of your failures and successes in practicing those virtues.
For example, we begin the month of August. Every day we should be conscious and
intentional about making acts of meekness and humility.
May St. Alphonsus help us to practice the virtues, to put on
Christ, to seek the goodness and perfection for which we are made, for the
glory of God and salvation of souls.
For an increase in virtue for the clergy and all members of
the Church.
For Bishop-elect Michael Woost who will be consecrated
bishop this week, for blessings upon his ministry as auxiliary bishop for the
Diocese of Cleveland
For an increase in vocations to the priesthood and religious
life, for the Redemptorist Order, founded by St. Alphonsus, and for the
sanctification of all marriages.
For the sick and afflicted, the homebound, those in nursing
homes and hospitals, for victims of natural disaster, war, violence, and
terrorism, for the mentally ill, those with addictions, and the imprisoned, for
the comfort of the dying and the consolation of their families.
For the deceased members of our families, friends, and
parish and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased priests and religious,
and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.
O God, who know that our life in this present age is subject
to suffering and need, hear the prayers of those who cry to you and receive the
prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our Lord.
No comments:
Post a Comment