Theological and Moral Virtues

The theological virtues are the foundation of Christian morality.
They are "infused" by God into the souls of the faithful to make them capable of acting as his children and meriting eternal life.
They are the pledge of the presence and action of the Holy Spirit.
They dispose Christians to live in a relationship with the Holy Trinity.
Acts of faith, hope, and charity help us grow holiness and obey God and his plan.

Faith

Faith is the theological virtue by which we believe in God and believe all that he has said and revealed to us.
The believer seeks to know and do God's will. However, "faith apart from works is dead."
When faith is deprived of hope and love, faith does not fully unite the believer to Christ and does not make him a living member of his Body. Living faith works through charity.
The disciple of Christ must not only keep the faith and live it but also profess it.

Hope

Hope is the theological virtue by which we desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life.
Hope is placing our trust in the promises of Christ's and not relying solely on our own strength but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit.
Hope keeps people from discouragement and sustains them during times of abandonment.
Hope is expressed in prayer, especially in the Our Father, everything that hope leads us to desire.
We hope in the glory of heaven promised by God to those who love him and do his will.

Love

Love is the theological virtue by which we love God above all other things.
Love impels one to love God, oneself, and others.
Jesus makes love the new commandment. Jesus says: "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you."
Jesus says: "Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love."
The Lord asks us to love as he does, even our enemies.
Saint Paul says: "Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."
The fruits of love are joy, peace, and mercy.
Love is itself the fulfillment of all our works.

The moral values are developed.
The moral virtues are requirements for the theological virtues, which in turn strengthen the moral virtues.
The moral virtues are prudence, justice, temperance, and fortitude.
Prudence is the chief moral virtue. Prudence is using foresight with practical matters. Being prudent is having knowledge of what should be avoided and the understanding consequences. Prudence is the control of conduct.

The Teachings on Virtue (This Page)