Christian Virtue
19th Sunday in Ordinary Time
(Please Note: I wrote This Homily but then discerned that it wasn't what should be preached to those at our parish so it wasn't used)
The Gospel today speaks of being ready and prepared for the return of Christ. It also speaks of being vigilant. This is a great opportunity to take a little closer look at our own lives and evaluate if we are prepared and also if we would consider our current way of life as “vigilant.”
Many of you know that we have an active men’s group at this parish and last month we had what we called a Men’s Spiritual Retreat “In-Motion.” The group of men and I journeyed down the Sacramento River in kayaks for 6 days, traveling over 150 miles. This retreat had many adventures, some surprises, but was spiritual for sure. Each day began and ended in prayer, included out door mass, a lot of fellowship, but also allowed for a great deal of self-reflection.
Each day was assigned a particular theme, a theme specific to one of the Cardinal and Theological virtues in life:
Prudence, Justice, Fortitude, Temperance, Faith, Hope, And Charity.
Reflecting on these virtues is a great way of evaluating our lives, our habits, our routines, and in fact, our overall state in life.
As we all know, our lives are a journey, a spiritual journey, where each day, each month, and each year, we should be growing, growing closer to God, and growing in holiness. But without effort, attention, and nourishment we can become stagnant.
Let’s take a few minutes and take a closer look at these virtues and apply them to our own lives.
Prudence – Prudence disposes the practical reason to discern, in every circumstance, our true good and to choose the right means of achieving it. How many of us look at making the decisions in our lives as a discernment process, discerning what God’s will is, not what our will might be, or how the decision might benefit us, but truly what God is desiring of us?
Justice – Justice consists in the firm and constant will to give God and neighbor their due. To be Just is to respect the rights of everyone, seeing the dignity and innate value in everyone, to treat the poor no different that the rich and our actions should always be grounded in what is True, Fair, and proper. Can we truly say that we see no difference in individuals who are weak, who are strong, who are rich, and who are poor? Do we treat them all equally or do we Judge them differently?
Fortitude – Fortitude ensures firmness in difficulties and constancy in the pursuit of the good. It strengthens the resolve to resist temptations and to overcome obstacles in the moral life. This virtue enables us to conquer fear, even fear of death, and to face trials and persecutions. How many of us courageously stand up to the obstacles that surround us? How many of us confront evil with firmness and constancy, or do we do nothing out of fear, allowing the bad things in life to go unchecked, unchallenged and slowly become normalized into our culture? It was once said: that it only takes a few good men to do nothing for evil to prevail.
Temperance- Temperance is the virtue that moderates the attraction of pleasures and provides balance in the use of created things. Temperance has been lost by many in our society. The Motto: “If it feels good, do it” is embraced by so many. Self-Indulgence has become endemic in our culture. The once common practices of: Fasting, Self-denial, Abstinence, and moderation has become foreign to many of us. Can we honestly say that we practice keeping our desires and instincts within the limits of what is good, healthy, and honorable?
Faith – By faith we believe in God and believe all that he has been revealed to us, and that which Holy Mother Church Holy Church
Hope – By Hope we desire, and with steadfast trust await from God, eternal life and the graces to merit it. Hope is the virtue by which we desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ’s promises and relaying not on our own strength, but on the help of the graces of the Holy Spirit. How many of us truly seek and desire for God’s graces to carry us through life, or are we pridefully confident in our own abilities, arrogantly thinking that we have the power to control our own outcome?
And Finally – Charity – In charity, we love God above all things and our neighbor as ourselves. Charity, the form of all the virtues, “Binds everything together in perfect harmony.” Jesus makes charity the new commandment by loving his own “to the end,” he makes present the father’s love which he received. By loving one another, we imitate the love of Jesus. As Jesus said: “as the Father has loved me, so have I loved you: abide in my love.” And again: “this is my command, that you love one another as I have loved you.”
The apostle Paul has given an incomparable depiction of charity:
- Charity is patient and kind
- Charity is not jealous or boastful
- It is not arrogant or rude
- Charity doesn’t insist in its own way
- It is not irritable or resentful
- It does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right
- Charity bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.
If I have not charity, says the apostle, “I am Nothing.”
These virtues help us form attitudes, dispositions, and habits that govern our actions, order our passions, and guide our conduct. Reflecting on the virtues also help us to understand more clearly our current state in life and preparedness for Christ. We are to be ready to open immediately the door when Jesus comes and knocks. We are to be vigilant upon his arrival, not matter the time or day, we are to be prepared. For at an hour you do not expect, the son of man will come.”
Are we prepared? Or have we fallen asleep!
Have we embraced our faith and living lives of such virtue that it is recognizable by all who know us? Are we recognized as a Disciple of Christ, a Christian, and a Catholic? Do we live lives of service and charity – or have we become like so many in the world – people who mostly take, but give little of themselves. Have we become takers, always in want, always in search, always seeking a sort of personal fulfillment – no matter the cost? Or have we been transformed into a person of charity, a “Giver.”
We have been called, personally called by God to transcend our broken selves, to use our gift of faith, to cultivate virtues in our lives, and to prepare ourselves each day for everlasting life. We are to embrace the world as Christians and to spread the Good News. We have been given so much… For at an hour you do not expect, the son of man will come…..
If that day would be today, are you prepared? God wants you to be united with Him, Listen to Him, and follow him. Shortly Christ will become present in the Holy Eucharist and many will become one with him by partaking in Holy Communion. Ask him to help prepare you and then listen to him in the quiet of your hearts.
Listen…… and He will show you the way.
Listen….. in the quiet of your heart.
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