Be practical also

WHILE it is true that to be prudent in our actuations, we

need to come up with some theories and hypothesis, we also need to

realize that we should not stop only in the speculative level. We have

to go all the way to the practical level too. The virtue of prudence

would not be prudence unless its speculative part is accompanied by

its practical aspect. Theories without action distort the true nature

of prudence.

  

            Yes, it is important to theorize and hypothesize if only

to concretize some highly abstract truths, principles, standards and

criteria. Theories and hypotheses make sure that the truths,

principles, standards and criteria we are using are truly relevant and

applicable to a particular situation, problem or issue. They offer us

good guidelines in our actions.

              So, theorizing and hypothesizing is indispensable,

otherwise we might just be doing a lot of things, giving ourselves the

impression that we are progressing or accomplishing something when, in

fact, we are missing the real point.

  

            But no matter how important and indispensable the

theories, hypothesis, formulas and the other forms of speculative work

are, they would amount to nothing if we fail to act on them. Action

completes our prudent actuations.

  

            Acting on our theories and hypotheses, of course, may

involve some trial-and-error stage. And it may happen that we can be

in error in the end in spite of our best efforts. But that would be

better than doing nothing, unless it is quite clear that to withhold

action for a while may be the most prudent thing to do.

  

            It’s important that we act. That’s why we not only have

heads to think but also hands to do, and both faculties have to be

used. And even if the results of our actions are contrary to what we

aim at, our actions, at the very least, can always give us precious

lessons, can shed light on certain things that we may have forgotten

to consider in our planning. It’s always worthwhile to act. We should

not be afraid to act.

  

            Of course, given our human condition, some people may lean

more on the speculative type than on the active type, and vice-versa.

But no one can and should be exclusively speculative or exclusively

active. Everyone has to have both dimensions, though in varying

degrees.

   

            Yes, there are the so-called planners and policy-makers,

but even in their planning and policy-making they have to do action to

make their work attain its intended objective. There are also

implementors who carry out what the planners and policy-makers suggest

or propose. These should do their job in close coordination with the

planners and policy-makers.

  

            There therefore has to be collaborative work between the

mind, heart and hands, between thinkers and doers, between superiors

and workers. And toward this end, good relation should be established

and developed. There has to be mutual influencing among the different

parties involved.

            In this regard, it should be said that whatever task one

has to do, whether it is more of the speculative type or the active

type, he should do it as best that he can. And while the quantity of

their work is important, priority should be given to the quality of

their work. “Non multa sed multum,” as one Latin aphorism aptly puts

it, not many things but much. In short, quality over quantity.

  

            Again, in this regard, everyone should realize that

whether he is doing speculative or practical work, he is actually

lending himself as instrument and material for the continuing work of

God over his creation. In other words, our work is a participation of

the abiding providence of God over all his creation.

  

            In a sense, even if we are doing a very mundane work, we

would actually be doing some sacred work since that work is part of

God’s providence.

An apt description of today’s troubles?

SOME words of St. Paul in his letter to the Romans appear

to be a good description of today’s trouble in the world. In that

letter, he describes the troubles and identifies the cause.

             It’s in Chapter 1,18-32 of said letter, and I think it is

worthwhile to remit the whole text if only to realize how St. Paul

ably captured the why-and-wherefore of today’s troubles. To wit, he

says:

  

            “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against

all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth

by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to

them, because God has made it plain to them.

  

            “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible

qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen,

being understood from what has been made, so that people are without

excuse.

  

            “For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as

God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their

foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they

became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images

made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and

reptiles.

  

            “Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of

their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with

one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and

worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator…

  

            “Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts.

Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural

ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with

women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed

shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due

penalty for their error.

  

            “Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to

retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind,

so that they do what ought not to be done. They have become filled

with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are

full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips,

slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful.

   

            “They invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their

parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy.

Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such

things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things

but also approve of those who practice them.”

  

            I consider these words a bullseye description of the

situation of much of the world today. Let us hope that we react to

these words properly by launching a deep desire to return to God, to

be most faithful to his teaching as taught and shown by Christ, and

now by the Church. This is not going to be an easy task, but neither

is it impossible.

   

            And as St. Paul himself recommended, let us help one

another in this task of going back to God in such a way that we would

be “mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.” (Rom 1,12) This should

be a concern of everyone.

  

            As we approach the celebration of the 5th centennial of

the Christianization of our country, let us hope that we grow in our

faith, attaining a more mature faith able to see God everywhere, to

cooperate as fully as possible in his will and ways, one that is

operative, knowing how to gain more ground in our spiritual life and

more able to bear our human frailties and resist temptations and sin.

   

            Let’s hope that we can have a faith that knows how to undo

or resolve the moral troubles we have at present.

Virtues most needed today

FAR from falling into irrelevance, and much less, into

obsolescence, as some people claim, virtues are actually most needed

today. And that’s simply because with the fast-moving and more

complicated developments of the times, virtues actually help us

greatly in properly tackling the challenges of these new developments.

  

            We are actually in urgent need of these stable qualities

in our modern times. We have to debunk the myth that virtues hinder

our reactions to the challenges of the times. It is a piece of

pre-historic thinking that would consider the virtues as obstacles in

our effort to grapple with the new developments.

  

            It is amazing that some people, even the self-proclaimed

highly educated people who are supposed to be very scientific in their

outlook, would still cling to that fiction. If anything at all,

virtues help us not only to facilitate our reactions to these new

developments but also to see to it that our reactions are the right

ones.

   

            We need to dismantle the bias against virtues as wrongly

understood by some people. In fact, these days we should be into some

intense campaign to promote the importance, development and practice

of the virtues. This should start in the family, and always reinforced

in parishes, schools, offices and everywhere else. They are always

relevant. There is nothing in our life where the virtues would be out

of place.

  

            Take, for example, the cardinal virtues under which all

the other virtues are grouped and which are the hinges of a virtuous

life, a life that would resemble us more and more with our Creator God

who made us to be his image and likeness.

   

            Prudence “disposes reason to discern in every circumstance

our true good and to choose the right means for achieving it. Prudence

guides the other virtues by pointing out their rule and measure.”

(Compendium 380)

  

            Given the confusing culture of our times where we not only

have to distinguish between what is good and evil, but also between

competing good options, we really would need prudence to be able to

make the right choice. Under this virtue, for example would the virtue

of order that enables us to have the proper priorities amid the many

things that we have to consider.

   

            Justice enables us to give to others, especially God,

their due. (cfr. Compendium 318) This virtue is always necessary since

we are not supposed to live simply on our own. We always live with

others, and we have duties and responsibilities toward them. This

virtue will help us avoid falling into self-indulgence and

self-absorption which are the common anomalies today.

  

            Fortitude “assures firmness in difficulties and constancy

in the pursuit of the good.” (Compendium 382) Since our life will

always involve moves of conquest and defense, we cannot overemphasize

the importance of this virtue.

  

            And again, given the complexities of our times, we have to

make sure that we are tough and strong enough to tackle the many

challenges of the times. Sad to say, many now have fallen into despair

precisely because they lack this virtue that will always include a

certain sense of optimism despite all the possible mishaps we can

experience in life.

  

            And then we have the virtue of temperance which “moderates

the attraction of pleasures, assures the mastery of the will over

instincts and provides balance in the use of created goods.”

(Compendium 383)

   

            This is a virtue that I would say is most immediately

needed, since we are easily carried away by the movements of the flesh

as it interacts with the new, fascinating albeit intoxicating things

of today’s environment.

   

            This is where we need to have self-discipline and a good

sense of restraint and moderation in the use of the new technologies,

for example.

  

            If we want to be truly human, let alone, authentically

Christian, we need these virtues more than we need food, drink and

air.