When did you last look into a mirror? What a question you may say! We look into the mirror more than once on every single day. - Isn't it? And Whom do you see, when you look into the mirror? Of-course Yourself. Now come on what do you think I'm getting at? The Bible tells us that you and I - all human beings - have been created in the image and likeness of God. Have you ever reflected on what it means to have been created in the image and likeness of God? And so when we look into the mirror, can we honestly say that in and through our faces, we behold the image of God?

If we are unable to behold the image of God in our own faces, it begs us to ask - what will it take for me to restore God's image in myself - which I may be distorting and losing because of the many vices that may have taken root in me. So the antidote to the vices that distort God's image in me is - Living by virtue. What is a Virtue?

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us that a virtue is an habitual and firm disposition to do the good. Saint Gregory of Nyssa said: “The goal of a virtuous life is to become like God." We could understand virtues within the framework of two categories: There are Human Virtues and Theological Virtues.

The human virtues are habitual and stable perfections of the intellect and will, that govern our actions, order our passions and guide our conduct, according to reason and faith. Ralph Waldo Emerson puts it aptly when he says: Sow a thought and you reap an action; sow an act and you reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap a character; sow a character and you reap a destiny. So, if our thinking and willing are habitually good, we allow virtue to take root in us. Virtues are acquired and strengthened by the repetition of morally good acts and they are purified and elevated by divine grace.

The principal human virtues are called the cardinal virtues, under which all the other virtues are grouped, and which are the hinges of a virtuous life. They are four of them.
The cardinal virtues are: prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance.

Prudence disposes reason, to discern in every circumstance our true good, and to choose the right means for achieving it. So if for example someone tells you that so and so has said something against you behind your back, and is spoiling your name in public, prudence will tell you to first verify the facts before taking any action - A discrete enquiry would be the first and most prudent thing to do. If you have a habit of saying things for fun, making a joke out of things, situations or people, prudence will tell you to be careful with what you say, to whom you say it, and how you say it, because you could cause irredeemable damage to people and relationships by the words you employ. If you are married and have a spouse, and you develop feelings for another person, prudence will tell you not to engage in conversations and actions that will precipitate into unfaithfulness to your own spouse. If you have diabetes and cholesterol, prudence will tell you not to indulge in sweets and fatty foods. Prudence guides the other virtues by pointing out their rule and measure.

Justice consists in the firm and constant will to give to others their due. So if you are employing someone in your business or home, justice will demand that you give the employee a just wage which is his or her due. Jesus said, Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God. So fulfilling our civic responsibilities, paying taxes, being honest, etc., are part of employing justice. And similarly taking utmost care to fulfill our spiritual obligations, participating in the life of the church, is an expression of Justice toward God, which is called “the virtue of religion.”

Fortitude assures firmness in difficulties, and constancy in the pursuit of the good. It reaches even to the ability of possibly sacrificing one’s own life for a just cause. Jesus did not give up on his mission, even though his adversaries plotted against him, and made things difficult for him. Rather he sacrificed his life without compromising his own teachings of love, service and forgiveness, and his obedience to his Father's will.

Temperance moderates the attraction of pleasures, assures the mastery of the will over instincts, and provides balance in the use of created goods. So if you are the foody kind, or one who enjoys a drink, temperance will help you not to indulge in gluttony or alcoholism. If you are weak in the flesh, temperance will tell you to fast and pray and avoid occasions that will lead you to indulge in immoral behaviour. If you are a workaholic, nay even slothful, temperance will guide you to balance your schedule in such a way that neither your health nor your relationships are affected.

Let us now look at what the theological virtues are. The theological virtues have God himself as their origin, motive and direct object. They are Infused in us with sanctifying grace, and they bestow on one the capacity to live in a relationship with the Trinity. They are the foundation and the energizing force of the Christian’s moral activity and they give life to the human virtues. They are the pledge of the presence and action of the Holy Spirit in the faculties of the human being.

There are three theological virtues. The theological virtues are faith, hope, and charity.

Faith is the theological virtue by which we believe in God, and all that he has revealed to us, and all that the Church proposes for our belief, because God is Truth itself. Having faith in God is different from having faith in a doctor, or a driver, or a government. The latter is subject to empirical verification, not God. So what happens when one has faith? By faith the human person freely commits oneself to God, whom one cannot see with the physical eye. Therefore, the believer seeks to know and do the will of God because “faith works through charity” (Galatians 5:6).

Hope is the theological virtue by which we desire and await from God, eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ’s promises, and relying on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit to merit it, and to persevere to the end of our earthly life. So, in moments of life when we are led to despair on account of seemingly unbearable circumstances arising from misunderstandings, failures, illnesses and setbacks, we are called to be patient in hope, confident that God will work out good for those who love Him.

Charity is the theological virtue by which we love God above all things, and our neighbour as ourselves for the love of God. Jesus makes charity, (meaning love) - the new commandment, and qualifies it as the fullness of the law. “It is the bond of perfection” (Colossians 3:14) and the foundation of the other virtues to which it gives life, inspiration, and order. So charity or love makes us go beyond our selfish considerations and reach out in selfless service. Without charity “I am nothing” and “I gain nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:1-3). Friends we are talking about living a life of virtue as the pathway of retaining or even restoring the image of God in us. Together with the 4 cardinal Human virtues, and the 3 Theological virtues, we will be able to reflect the image of God through our lives, if we faithfully and consciously employ the gifts of the Holy Spirit which we receive at the time of baptism and in its full force at the sacrament of confirmation.

The gifts of the Holy Spirit are permanent dispositions which make us docile in following divine inspirations. They are seven: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. When we live virtuous lives, we begin to manifest in our lives the fruits of the Holy Spirit.

The fruits of the Holy Spirit are perfections that are formed in us, as the first fruits of eternal glory. The tradition of the Church lists twelve of them: charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, and chastity (Galatians 5:22-23)

In this month that will usher us into the season of Lent, let us strive to live the human and theological virtues, imploring the assistance of the Holy Spirit, and rendering ourselves fruitful in faithfully bearing the image of God in us.

God bless you all.

Fr. Isaac F. Arackaparambil, SDB

February, 2021