The Cardinal Virtues

Happy Sunday! I hope this week was eye opening to you.

I’ve been doing a Temperance challenge this summer via Facebook with a wonderful group of encouraging women, and what I’ve learned is that I struggle more with frivolous spending than anything else.

You can have too much of a good thing sometimes. How many times have we eaten too much ice cream or chocolate or drank too much wine or some other alcoholic drink?

Temperance is probably the virtue that our society, as a whole, struggles with the most.

The virtue of temperance is a mastery of the will over your own desires and pleasures in the created world.

Jesus is the peace the world cannot give:)

Fortitude means having courage in pain or adversity, which is why I often refer to this virtue as “Holy Stubbornness.”

As a single mother who suffers from anxiety and depression, this verse from Joshua is pretty much the exact opposite of how I feel some days.

One unique aspect about the four cardinal virtues is that they prompt us to do good. Virtues are constant and unchanging, developed and refined through making good choices.

The virtue of fortitude means having the courage to do the right thing, even though you are afraid.

Be strong and very courageous. This is like a battle cry that makes my heart burn in my chest.

The world shows us in vivid detail what evil is. All of us has the opportunity to evaluate whether or not we want to partake in what the world is telling us is "normal or "justified in action".

The word justice tends to leave a bad, lingering taste in our mouths, especially my own

“What goes around, comes around” is a popular saying that I’m sure we’ve all heard a time or to. 

Time and time again, scripture makes it clear that only God is the judge.

I'm sure we can all agree, this is easier said than done.

According to St. Thomas Aquinas, a virtue is a good quality of the mind that allows us to live righteously and can’t be abused or misused.

As I read through the second chapter of Proverbs about God promise of better judgment and prudence by receiving His word, the reality that my choices today will become my circumstances tomorrow settles in around me.

Prudence means exercising good judgment or common sense. It means knowing the right thing to do.

I’ve mentioned in previous studies that I’m the proud momma of three little girls. Before they were born I read all I could about pregnancy, motherhood and parenting

The virtue of prudence is really just discretion. It gives us the freedom to decide what needs to be done in a given situation.