THESE are called theological virtues. As the
Catechism describes them,
they “adapt man’s faculties for participation in the divine nature.”
(1812) Yes, we are meant for this purpose, we have been designed and
wired for this end.
Even in the depths of our heart, as long as it is not hijacked and
hamstrung by some worldly value, we can detect a longing, a yearning
for an eternal bliss that can only signify we are naturally drawn to
God. “You have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until
it rests in you,” St. Augustine exclaims.
It’s truly good and necessary that we understand the nature, character
and purpose of these virtues, for our Christian life depends on how we
live them. The human virtues, the ones that we cultivate ourselves and
that we need to be able to live as persons, get their sustenance from
these theological virtues.
Again, the Catechism gives us more information about them. They are
called theological virtues because they relate directly to God. “They
dispose Christians to live in a relationship with the Holy Trinity.
They have the One and Triune God for their origin, motive, and
object.” (1812)
In other words, these virtues come from God to direct us to him in
whose image and likeness we have been created. We have to understand
then that our life is not simply our life. That would be an anomaly.
Our life also has to be a life with God and in God.
But we also need to realize that these theological virtues have God
also as the motive and object, the reason and energy to motivate and
push us to go to God, to let us participate in his divine life.
We cannot attain that life with God just by our own power. God has to
enable us to have that life with him, sending us first of all these
theological virtues. These virtues are God’s way of allowing us to
share his life.
As to the part we play in this system, we only have to be receptive
and cooperative, as actively as possible. Thus, Christ, the God with
us, the Son of God who became man to redeem us, tells us that he is
the vine, we are the branches. We need to be attached to him, for
without him, we cannot live.
We have to learn to translate this basic truth about the theological
virtues in our life from the world of ideas, doctrine and intentions
to that of action and concrete reality that should involve our
thoughts and desires, our feelings and passions, our work and the
myriad tasks, projects and endeavors we have in life.
This is a very crucial task, because we always tend to get distracted,
to get intoxicated with our own power. In the Bible, there are many
references of how the Israelites, the chosen people of God, the
prototype of how we ought to be, became unfaithful in spite of the
abundant goodness of God.
One image used to illustrate this situation is that of how they
reportedly made use of the milk and wool of the sheep but neglecting
to take care of the sheep. Other images are used like that of King
Saul not completely destroying the Amelekites, but saving some of
their ‘useful’ things that later on would tempt them away from God,
etc.
In our earthly life, these theological virtues always go together. Not
one of them could function well if another is missing. Their dynamic
mutual relation cannot be broken. It’s either all or nothing. Only
when we reach our final destination in heaven will charity alone
reign, doing away with faith and hope.
So while these theological virtues are freely given to us by God, we
have to realize that we have the grave duty and task to receive them,
to keep and develop them to their fullness.
But, alas, how many people really know about this responsibility? How
many realize that their life has to be a life of faith, hope and
charity? These theological virtues, in a manner of speaking, are the
ultimate parameters with which we have to develop our life here on
earth.
What we see nowadays are a great majority of people living mainly
under worldly criteria—identifying success and victory with wealth,
power, fame, etc. God is really not in the picture, though some
formalistic references are made just to fulfill certain social
conventions.
There’s a crying need to resurrect a massive doctrinal campaign for
this purpose, plus the pertinent ascetical plan to effect the desired
change of attitude and lifestyle.
they “adapt man’s faculties for participation in the divine nature.”
(1812) Yes, we are meant for this purpose, we have been designed and
wired for this end.
Even in the depths of our heart, as long as it is not hijacked and
hamstrung by some worldly value, we can detect a longing, a yearning
for an eternal bliss that can only signify we are naturally drawn to
God. “You have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until
it rests in you,” St. Augustine exclaims.
It’s truly good and necessary that we understand the nature, character
and purpose of these virtues, for our Christian life depends on how we
live them. The human virtues, the ones that we cultivate ourselves and
that we need to be able to live as persons, get their sustenance from
these theological virtues.
Again, the Catechism gives us more information about them. They are
called theological virtues because they relate directly to God. “They
dispose Christians to live in a relationship with the Holy Trinity.
They have the One and Triune God for their origin, motive, and
object.” (1812)
In other words, these virtues come from God to direct us to him in
whose image and likeness we have been created. We have to understand
then that our life is not simply our life. That would be an anomaly.
Our life also has to be a life with God and in God.
But we also need to realize that these theological virtues have God
also as the motive and object, the reason and energy to motivate and
push us to go to God, to let us participate in his divine life.
We cannot attain that life with God just by our own power. God has to
enable us to have that life with him, sending us first of all these
theological virtues. These virtues are God’s way of allowing us to
share his life.
As to the part we play in this system, we only have to be receptive
and cooperative, as actively as possible. Thus, Christ, the God with
us, the Son of God who became man to redeem us, tells us that he is
the vine, we are the branches. We need to be attached to him, for
without him, we cannot live.
We have to learn to translate this basic truth about the theological
virtues in our life from the world of ideas, doctrine and intentions
to that of action and concrete reality that should involve our
thoughts and desires, our feelings and passions, our work and the
myriad tasks, projects and endeavors we have in life.
This is a very crucial task, because we always tend to get distracted,
to get intoxicated with our own power. In the Bible, there are many
references of how the Israelites, the chosen people of God, the
prototype of how we ought to be, became unfaithful in spite of the
abundant goodness of God.
One image used to illustrate this situation is that of how they
reportedly made use of the milk and wool of the sheep but neglecting
to take care of the sheep. Other images are used like that of King
Saul not completely destroying the Amelekites, but saving some of
their ‘useful’ things that later on would tempt them away from God,
etc.
In our earthly life, these theological virtues always go together. Not
one of them could function well if another is missing. Their dynamic
mutual relation cannot be broken. It’s either all or nothing. Only
when we reach our final destination in heaven will charity alone
reign, doing away with faith and hope.
So while these theological virtues are freely given to us by God, we
have to realize that we have the grave duty and task to receive them,
to keep and develop them to their fullness.
But, alas, how many people really know about this responsibility? How
many realize that their life has to be a life of faith, hope and
charity? These theological virtues, in a manner of speaking, are the
ultimate parameters with which we have to develop our life here on
earth.
What we see nowadays are a great majority of people living mainly
under worldly criteria—identifying success and victory with wealth,
power, fame, etc. God is really not in the picture, though some
formalistic references are made just to fulfill certain social
conventions.
There’s a crying need to resurrect a massive doctrinal campaign for
this purpose, plus the pertinent ascetical plan to effect the desired
change of attitude and lifestyle.
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