Pastor’s Corner – September 3

Pastor’s Corner – September 3

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus,

As we begin our study of the virtues we begin with the “Human” or “Cardinal” or “Moral” Virtues.  These terms will be used interchangeably in this message.  Before we begin let us review what is a virtue?  In the CCC 1803 it states “…A virtue is an habitual and firm disposition to do the good.  It allows the person not only to perform good acts, but to give the best of himself.  The virtuous person tends toward the good with all his sensory and spiritual powers; he pursues the good and chooses it in concrete actions…”  “Human” or “Cardinal” or “Moral” virtues help us develop habits to freely choose a deliberate act which is toward the good.  When faced with a choice between doing something good or doing something evil, the Cardinal Virtues direct us to the good.  The Cardinal (Moral) Virtues are prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance. 

Let us begin with the virtue of prudence.   According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, “prudence enjoys a special place in the moral life because it has qualities of both intellectual and moral virtue.  As an intellectual virtue, prudence guides the doer in choosing a way of accomplishing something (a means and a manner) which keeps the entire good in mind.  Thus prudence consults the demands of the other virtues in a situation of choice, making sure no aspect of the human good coming within the scope the action is violated or neglected. 

While prudence as an intellectual virtue guides the reason rightly, prudence as a moral virtue helps to control the will, or helps the doer of an action to make his or her choices in a reasonable way.  The moral virtues direct the human will toward reasonable use by helping to control passions and desires.  Each moral virtue controls a specific wrong tendency. 

Prudence enables a doer to avoid acting against justice because of his greed or favoritism; prudence prevents a doer from acting against temperance by striving to keep the necessary desires (such as the desire for some worldly goods and for food, drink and procreation) moderate and by rejecting inherently wrong desires (such as the desire for revenge, or for relations with another’s spouse); and prudence helps the doer of an action to resist acts against fortitude by finding a way between excessive fear and recklessness.

Prudence is about human action.  Prudence involves doing something rather than making something, and this virtue draws on powers and capacities of the doer, including the doer’s practical intelligence and virtue.  Practical intelligence is ability to know what should be done in a certain situation.  [CCC1806 states that “Prudence is the virtue that disposes practical reason (intelligence) to discern our true good in every circumstance and to choose the right means of achieving it…”

Ancient and Christian prudence is an openness of a doer choosing a way of performing an action which considers the entire human good.  Catholics need to recover the idea of prudence in its fullest meaning.  Let us remember to pray for the grace of prudence so that we may make wise choices in our lives.”

 Fr. David