Saint Stuart
March, 2019

Introduction
My life of late has been focused on the conditioning of virtue in my life. In my past this would have seemed like a redundant thing to me. Virtue, it would seem, would have come naturally to anyone, so why would I devote time to studying or practicing it when there are so many other things to do?

In studying virtue I have noticed that I have a preference for some and an ignorance of others. This must be true for many people as most of us are usually prone to having unique preferences for the things in life that we discover to be very beautiful and useful. With this in mind, coupled with a determination to practice virtue in my everyday life, I suspect that those virtues I prefer will continue to immensely transform my life, and those of which I need to learn of and implement in my life more will also do the same, but in ways of which I am yet unaware.

Virtue: “An habitual and firm disposition to do good.” “Moral excellence.”

Common Categories of Virtues

Seven Christian Virtues
Four cardinal virtues:
prudence
courage (fortitude)
temperance
justice
Three theological virtues:
faith
hope
charity (love)

Seven Heavenly Virtues (oppose the seven deadly sins)
chastity opposes lust
temperance opposes gluttony
charity opposes greed
diligence opposes sloth
patience opposes wrath
kindness opposes envy
humility opposes pride

Knightly Virtues
-source: Raymon Lull – The Book of the Order of Chivalry
“justice, wisdom, chastity, loyalty, verity, humility, strength, hope, swiftness, and all other similar virtues.”

-source: Anonymous – The Order of Knighthood
“faith, courtesy, honesty, simpleness rather than pride, purity, ‘right’, and loyalty.”

-source: John Chamberlain – Of the Vertues that Appertyne to Chyvalry
“Prowess, Courage, Honesty, Loyalty, Generosity, Faith, Courtesy and Franchise.”

Seven Knightly Virtues
Courage
Justice
Mercy
Generosity
Faith
Nobility
Hope

Other Notable Biblical Characteristics

Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 11:1-2)
Wisdom
Understanding
Counsel
Fortitude
Knowledge
Might
Wonder (Fear of the Lord)

Fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)
Love
Joy
Peace
Forbearance
Kindness
Goodness
Faithfulness
Gentleness
Self-control

---

PRUDENCE

Definitions:
-“acting with or showing care and thought for the future.” (Oxford Dictionary)

“1: the ability to govern and discipline oneself by the use of reason.
2: sagacity or shrewdness in the management of affairs
3: skill and good judgement in the use of resources
4: caution or circumspection as to danger or risk” (Merriam Webster)

“Correct knowledge about things to be done or, more broadly, the knowledge of things that ought to be done and of things that ought to be avoided. It is the intellectual virtue whereby a human being recognizes in any matter at hand what is good and what is evil. In this sense, it is the moral virtue that enables a person to devise, choose, and prepare suitable means for the attainment of any purpose or the avoidance of any evil. Prudence resides in the practical intellect and is both acquired by one’s own acts and infused at the same time as sanctifying grace. It may be said to be natural as developed by us, and supernatural because conferred by God. As an act of virtue, prudence involves three stages of mental operation: to take counsel carefully with oneself and from others; to judge correctly on the basis of the evidence at hand; and to direct the rest of one’s activity according to the norms determined after a prudent judgment has been made. (Etym. Latin prudentia, foresight in the practical order; from providentia, foresight, directive care, providence.)” (Catholic Dictionary).

_

I’ve been learning and practicing prudence a lot as of late, in the quality of being conservative in my consuming behaviours. It teaches me to do more with less, to be less greedy, less glutinous, to conserve and save more and to enjoy myself without spending as much money. It also encourages me to be more generous, because with all the saving and conserving that’s being done, there are often things left over to share.

The appetite can be a very fickle thing. Often my emotional state will dictate my desire to consume, be it food, entertainment, knowledge or whatever I’m in the mood for. Prudence teaches me to more practical in my habits of consumption. I refrain from eating too much, I drive only when necessary, I use electricity and water smartly and I organize my time more wisely as well. As for entertainment and knowledge, I choose more wholesome and useful things for my mind to digest that will benefit me in the long run.

The best thing about being prudent is that it leaves more for everyone else. If you use only what you need in the smartest, most efficient way, it leaves more for others to use. If everyone uses resources in that fashion then the supply, the demand and the cost of things won’t rise as often. It’s an extremely wonderful perk in addition to the money and resources already saved by using what you own prudently.

COURAGE
Definitions:
-“The ability to do something that frightens one; bravery.” (Oxford Dictionary)
-“Strength in the face of pain or grief.” (Oxford Dictionary)

“Virtue of bravery in facing difficulties, especially in overcoming the fear of consequences in doing good. As moral courage, it enables a person to pursue a course deemed right, through which one may incur contempt, disapproval, or opprobrium. As physical courage, it is simply bodily or emotional strength to withstand opposition. It differs from fortitude in being more aggressive in undertaking, whereas fortitude is more patient in undergoing what is virtuous but hard.” (Catholic Dictionary)

_

When I think of courage I often think of the times I’ve thought of joining the army and police force. It inspired within me thoughts of what I could be doing to help those in need that are in a place that demands the actions of a courageous people to help them

Overcoming my fears is a very appealing challenge to me. I see it as an extremely affective learning tool and would welcome any opportunity to do so. Courage teaches us to adapt to difficult situations in a way that helps us solve them.

Another thing that the thought of courage wells within me is the task of leading a non-believer to become a Christian. I often get an uneasiness about my ability, and then grasp on to courageous feelings to motivate me.

When I am set against tasks that at first seem insurmountable, I have noticed that God guides me through them in a way that makes me feel and completely understand the benefits and joys of their accomplishment. That gives me a great courage through encouragement. Having the idea of a happy end result in mind is a very good source of courage.

“Be strong and of good courage.”

TEMPERANCE
Definitions:
-“moderation or self-restraint.”

“…the righteous habit which makes a man govern his natural appetite for pleasures of the senses in accordance with the norm prescribed by reason. In one sense temperance may be regarded as a characteristic of all the moral virtues; the moderation it enjoins is central to each of them. It is also according to St. Thomas (II-II:141:2) a special virtue. Thus, it is the virtue which bridles concupiscence or which controls the yearning for pleasures and delights which most powerfully attract the human heart. These fall mainly into three classes: some are associated with the preservation of the human individual; others with the perpetuation of the race, and others still with the well-being and comfort of human life. Under this aspect temperance has for subordinate virtues, abstinence, chastity, and modesty.” (Catholic Encyclopaedia).

“The virtue that moderates the desire for pleasure. In the widest sense, temperance regulates every form of enjoyment that comes from the exercise of a human power or faculty, e.g., purely spiritual joy arising from intellectual activity or even the consolations experienced in prayer and emotional pleasure produced by such things as pleasant music or the sight of a beautiful scene. In the strict sense, however, temperance is the correlative of fortitude. As fortitude controls rashness and fear in the face of the major pains that threaten to unbalance human nature, so temperance controls desire for major pleasure. Since pleasure follows from all natural activity, it is most intense when associated with our most natural activities. On the level of sense feeling, they are the pleasures that serve individual person through food and drink, and the human race through carnal intercourse. Temperance mainly refers to these appetites. (Etym. Latin temperare, to apportion, regulate, qualify.)” (Catholic Dictionary)

_

Governing natural pleasures through reason seems to be something that has come upon me as a very important duty throughout my life. The overindulgence of things is often a distraction and a disruption of the progress of prosperity and spiritual development in one’s life. Under-nourishment of these desires leads to an unquenched appetite and is a disregard of our healthy natural development.

To govern natural pleasures, one must think of how to best enjoy what God has given us that makes us ecstatically happy. This is often done by considering who can benefit from these pleasures. I often think of inviting people to share in the enjoyments that I set up for myself in my home, like the healthy and delicious food I prepare. This is a very optimal way to govern the natural pleasures and I find that my sense of temperance is even more highly considered when I am in the company of others, sharing what pleases me with them.

JUSTICE
Definitions: -“The quality of being fair and reasonable.”(Oxford Dictionary)

“It is a moral quality or habit which perfects the will and inclines it to render to each and to all what belongs to them. Of the other cardinal virtues, prudence perfects the intellect and inclines the prudent man to act in all things according to right reason. Fortitude controls the irascible passions; and temperance moderates the appetites according as reason dictates. While fortitude and temperance are self-regarding virtues, justice has reference to others. Together with charity it regulates man’s intercourse with his fellow men. But charity leads us to help our neighbour in his need out of our own stores, while justice teaches us to give to another what belongs to him.” (Catholic Encyclopedia)

_

Why is justice needed? In situation where conflict arises, justice serves to compensate for losses, and to make clear the rightness and the wrongness of each other’s actions. For the wrong actions a recompense or punishment is enacted, and correction is sought after.

When a threat comes against someone, or a crime is committed against them, justice will seek to provide protection from possible injustice and to reprimand the person causing harm or disturbance. Through that process, an understanding and a show of repentance should be made by the person acting unjustly so that they may be conformed to a just outcome.

In love and through justice we have a moral obligation to justify moral error when confronted with immoral behaviour.

FAITH
Definitions: -“Complete trust or confidence in someone or something.” (Oxford Dictionary)

“The acceptance of the word of another, trusting that one knows what the other is saying and is honest in telling the truth. The basic motive of all faith is the authority (or right to be believed) of someone who is speaking. This authority is an adequate knowledge of what he or she is talking about, and integrity in not wanting to deceive. It is called divine faith when the one believed is God, and human faith when the persons believed are human beings. (Etym. Latin fides, belief; habit of faith; object of faith.)” (Catholic Dictionary).

_

Faithfulness in God comes from knowing and becoming immersed in His will and way for our lives. Constantly benefiting from results will make someone’s faith in something or someone grow strong. An obedience to God’s guidance will make a person very faithful to Him, because the understanding that He works by is so much greater than our own, and will bring an abundance of His goodness, prosperity, contentment, wisdom, joy and so many other wholesome and helpful qualities to our lives.

Lord I am thankful for the faith I have built in your guidance of my life and the things you have created for our use. I pray that my faith in others will grow.

HOPE
Definitions: -“A feeling of expectation and desire for a particular thing to happen.” (Oxford Dictionary)
-“The confidant desire of obtaining a future good that is difficult to attain.” (Catholic Dictionary)
-“The grounds of hope are the omnipotence of God, his goodness and his fidelity to what he promised.”
-“The desire of something together with the expectation of obtaining it.”
-“A movement of the appetite toward a future good.”

_

When I think of hope I think of what I want to happen that will bring happiness into the world. I think of what will bring me joy and what will bring others joy too. My hope comes from determining what is best for a person and having a desire that it will happen. In desiring the best for someone, there is a feeling of respect for them..

CHARITY
Definitions:
-“archaic Love of humankind, typically in a Christian context.
‘faith, hope, and charity’” (Oxford Dictionary)
-“The voluntary giving of help, typically in the form of money, to those in need.” (Oxford Dictionary)
-“As a virtue, charity is that habit or power which disposes us to love God above all creatures for Himself, and to love ourselves and our neighbours for the sake of God.”

_

On the path of charity, there is often thought given to the best way to provide. God has provided everything we need to be happy. To provide for others, not just in material things, but in friendship, respect, peace, joy and many other blessings, is the finest act of love.