Next up, to help us stay on an even keel: Temperance.Heavenly Habits: Justice1807 Justice is the moral virtue that consists in the constant and firm will to give their due to God and neighbor. Justice toward God is called the “virtue of religion.” Justice toward men disposes one to respect the rights of each and to establish in human relationships the harmony that promotes equity with regard to persons and to the common good. The just man, often mentioned in the Sacred Scriptures, is distinguished by habitual right thinking and the uprightness of his conduct toward his neighbor. “You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor.”68 “Masters, treat your slaves justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.”69
Catechism of the Catholic Church
Justice is a certain rectitude of mind whereby a man does what he ought to do in the circumstances confronting him.
Saint Thomas Aquinas
Justice is rather the activity of truth, than a virtue in itself. Truth tells us what is due to others, and justice renders that due. Injustice is acting a lie.
Horace Walpole-------------------------------------------------------Justice is the virtue that ensures we treat others fairly. It is this which helps us desire that goodness is rewarded and evil punished.
Catholic teaching defines justice as one of three types:
Regardless of categories and definitions, justice toward our fellow man is an easy concept to grasp. Even small children have an innate sense of what is fair and what isn’t. It all boils down to Jesus’ words, “Do to others whatever you would have them do to you” (Matthew 7:12). This helps us keep in mind that justice practiced as a cardinal virtue is not defined strictly by civil legality. For example, abortion, legal though it may be, is a grave violation of justice as well as love. Additionally, strict legality must always be tempered by equity so that the precise appreciation of even a just law does not de facto produce an injustice.
- Commutative justice calls for fundamental fairness between individuals. If the grocery store clerk hands you too much change, you are practicing commutative justice when you give back the overpayment.
- Distributive justice is found in the relationship between an individual and a group. Largely speaking it is concerned with the fair distribution of resources to those who need them. We see an obvious example of this as citizens. The government should levy only the taxes necessary to provide services while we should pay our fair share.
- Social justice is perhaps the term mentioned the most in Catholic circles as it involves ensuring fair treatment for all in society. Welfare, right to life, feeding the poor, the environment, and many other social issues fall under this category.
Another application of justice may be a new idea to us. The virtue of religion requires that we practice justice toward God. We owe to God, our Creator, worship, praise, and gratitude. Though they should be motivated by love and not fear, these are nonetheless not optional or favors we do for God. They are instead owed to God by the virtue of our creaturely relationship to Him. Even creatures without reason praise God by living according to their natures. We, whose nature is so like to God’s, owe to Him the proper fulfillment of His plan of love for us.
Thus, when we take time for prayer to further our relationship with Him and not merely to ask for things, though that asking may be perfectly appropriate, that is a form of justice. When we obey God’s will, whether it is practicing the virtues or the many other ways we live our faith, that also is a form of justice as we respond to His right that we submit to His laws. We are giving Him what He truly is due as our creator and as the one who loves us more than any other.
If we reflect on all these manifestations of justice it becomes clear that justice forms a network, a web if you will, that defines our relationships to God and to each other. It puts a whole new spin on the motivation for playing fair in all aspects of our lives.
-------------------------------------------------------
Footnotes68 Lev 19:15.
69 Col 4:1.
References
Showing posts with label Virtues. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Virtues. Show all posts
Friday, October 21, 2011
Heavenly Habits: Justice
After learning about Prudence, we proceed to the virtue of Justice. This is another of the bulletin inserts I wrote for our church.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Heavenly Habits: Prudence
Now for a closer look at the cardinal or moral virtues. I originally wrote this as a bulletin insert for our church our church but I think it works here just as well.
Next up: the virtue of Justice.Heavenly Habits: Prudence1805 Four virtues play a pivotal role and accordingly are called “cardinal”; all the others are grouped around them. They are: prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance. “If anyone loves righteousness, [Wisdom’s] labors are virtues; for she teaches temperance and prudence, justice, and courage.”64 These virtues are praised under other names in many passages of Scripture.
1806 Prudence is the virtue that disposes practical reason to discern our true good in every circumstance and to choose the right means of achieving it; “the prudent man looks where he is going.”65 “Keep sane and sober for your prayers.”66 Prudence is “right reason in action,” writes St. Thomas Aquinas, following Aristotle.67 It is not to be confused with timidity or fear, nor with duplicity or dissimulation. It is called auriga virtutum (the charioteer of the virtues); it guides the other virtues by setting rule and measure. It is prudence that immediately guides the judgment of conscience. The prudent man determines and directs his conduct in accordance with this judgment. With the help of this virtue we apply moral principles to particular cases without error and overcome doubts about the good to achieve and the evil to avoid.
Catechism of the Catholic Church-------------------------------------------------------As mentioned previously, a virtue is a good habit that helps us to behave rightly and not to give in to our own contrary impulses. The Church teaches that the “theological” virtues of faith, hope, and charity are given to us by God as gifts. We cannot acquire them by effort. He fills us with them to help us participate in the spiritual life.
On the other hand, the “cardinal” virtues of prudence, justice, temperance, and fortitude are those which we can achieve through both God’s grace and our efforts. They are known as the “cardinal” virtues because the Latin root cardo means “hinge.” Prudence, justice, temperance, and fortitude are the “hinges” on which other human virtues depend. All human virtues are in some way an extension of a cardinal virtue.
If God is giving us the grace already, why would we care about “practicing” virtue? Obviously, we receive God’s grace regardless but certainly it is easier to recognize and take full advantage of it if we’ve been practicing these virtues to get our souls “in shape,” so to speak. Living virtuously also gives us the daily blessings of living a joyful moral life because we are able to exert self-control more easily.
Prudence, the first of the cardinal virtues, is called the “charioteer” of the other virtues because it drives or guides them. The Catechism definition above states that prudence “disposes practical reason to discern our true good in every circumstance and to choose the right means of achieving it.” Another way of saying this is that prudence allows us to use solid common sense in everyday life. A prudent person has the ability to judge when to kindly temper a potentially harsh comment, how best to avoid a volatile situation, or when it is necessary to take action to resolve a conflict. In short, prudence allows us to judge best how to act decisively but charitably.
Practicing prudence means that we must consider situations carefully before acting. We may need to consult authorities such as trusted advisers, the Catechism, or the Bible. Sometimes, we may need to take extra time to determine the right course of action. It doesn’t mean that we avoid acting, merely that the course is considered sensibly first.
Practicing prudence also helps us to overcome the modern tendencies to sit back and do nothing for fear of offending or to jump in with both feet and trample everyone with brash action. We can steer the right course both for ourselves and in influencing others’ right actions and attitudes. For some of us, acquiring the habit of prudence will seem like a super-human feat, and of course it is. We need God’s grace to perfect this virtue in ourselves. However, if we give it a helping hand by trying to acquire it through regular repetition, it will come all the easier when we need it in a pinch.
-------------------------------------------------------Footnotes64 Wis 8:7.
65 Prov 14:15.
66 1 Pet 4:7.
67 St. Thomas Aquinas, STh II-II, 47, 2.
References
Monday, September 10, 2007
Reaching Out Our Hand to God ...
In the Gospel reading for today, from Luke 6:6-11, we read:
On a certain sabbath Jesus went into the synagogue and taught,I always have thought of this in terms of Jesus challenging the Pharisees, however, in my morning devotional reading I see that the Fathers of the Church looked deeper. Which was just what I needed to hear. Just in case it is what you need too, I share it below.
and there was a man there whose right hand was withered.
The scribes and the Pharisees watched him closely
to see if he would cure on the sabbath
so that they might discover a reason to accuse him.
But he realized their intentions
and said to the man with the withered hand,
“Come up and stand before us.”
And he rose and stood there.
Then Jesus said to them,
“I ask you, is it lawful to do good on the sabbath
rather than to do evil,
to save life rather than to destroy it?”
Looking around at them all, he then said to him,
“Stretch out your hand.”
He did so and his hand was restored.
But they became enraged
and discussed together what they might do to Jesus.
Some Fathers of the Church have seen in these words of the Lord, Stretch out your hand, the need to exercise the virtues. Saint Ambrose comments: Stretch out your hand often by doing favors for your neighbor, by protecting form harm one who suffers under the weight of calumny; stretch out your hand to the poor man who begs from you; stetch out your hand to the Lord,asking pardon for your sins. This is how you stretch out your hand, and this is how you will be cured. We do this by performing small acts of the virtue we are seeking to acquire, taking small steps toward the goal we wish to reach. If we concentrate on what we are doing, God does wonders through our seemingly small efforts. If the man with the withered hand had placed his reliance on his own previous experience rather than on the word of the Lord, he might not have done the little our Lord asked of him, and perhaps would have spent the rest of his life with his disability uncured. Virtues are formed day by day. Sanctity is forged by being faithful in details, in everyday things, in actions which might seem irrelevant if not vivified by grace ...
The man with the withered hand was docile to Jesus' words. He got up in the midst of everyone as the Lord had asked him. He listened to his words telling him to stretch out his diseased hand. Spiritual direction is geared to the Holy Spirit's intimate action within the soul, unceasing suggesting small conquests which dispose us to receive additional graces. When a Christian does all he can so that virtues develop in his soul (removing obstacles, distancing himself from occasions of sin, fighting resolutely and decisively at the first appearance of temptations) God then generously supplies new help to strengthen incipient virtues; He grants the gifts of the Holy Spirit which perfect the habits already formed by grace.
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