Sunday, June 28, 2009

Virtues and the contrary vices.

Peabody here.
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It seems to me that many people appear to go along in life somewhat unconscious or oblivious to the moral virtues. The acquired moral virtues are obtained by the practice of moral acts directed by natural reason and human goodness, while infused moral virtues are supernaturally placed in the soul at baptism. We can lose these infused moral virtues through sin - vices contrary to the virtue, yet they are restored to the soul through the sacrament of penance. I think confessors and spiritual directors might agree that even with penitents striving to amend their lives, many often do not focus a great deal of attention upon the acquisition or development of the virtues. Understanding their importance can often be far from one's thoughts in the everyday occupations and diversions which comprise our lives. Even with prayerful persons eager for contemplative graces proper attention can be lacking.
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Spiritual writers point out that the importance of virtue is made manifest by the vice or sin that is it's opposite. Although many people tend to focus on eliminating a particular vice, they may not understand the need to understand and practice the mortification necessary to acquire the virtue opposed to it. I may not be explaining this well, but take for instance a guy who has a problem with chastity. He may not understand that chastity is connected to the moral virtue of temperance, which corresponds to the Holy Spirit's gift of fear - fear of the Lord. Connected, or allied to the cardinal virtue of temperance and the virtue of chastity are the virtues of humility and meekness - which when accompanied by mortification, act as the guardian of chastity. Of course, all of the virtues are necessary for perfection, and these "human virtues are rooted in the theological virtues, which adapt man's faculties for participation in the divine nature." - CCC 1812
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I don't want to make this too long however. So, for what it is worth, this is the point I was going for: Temperance, and it's allied virtues of sobriety and chastity, meekness and humility is opposed by the contrary vices of intemperance, lust, anger, pride, and curiosity. Taking all of these things into consideration, wouldn't you say that the LGBT Pride movement is inherently sinful and in total opposition to Christian perfection? I'm even thinking that intemperance may be the predominant fault, or underlying vice of homosexualism, since it is dominated by pride, lust, anger, and curiosity.

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Just a thought - take it with a grain of salt.

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I bet you didn't even know I was going there, did ya. LOL!

9 comments:

  1. But of course we knew. That's where you always end up.

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  2. And once again Thomnus gets the nod.

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  3. That is true Thom--he always seems to end up there. Hmmm.

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  4. Hmmm - Ace in the hole? LOL!

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  5. T-man, it's "Ace of Bass." It's starting out to be a cruel, cruel summer. You really can't stop can you? :-)

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  6. Not once I get going - Thom knows.

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  7. It's true- sometimes Terry just gets "gay on the brain."

    Then some mystic floats by with something shiny... but he always comes back.

    *big grin*

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  8. Thom - I meant to tell you that is possibly the funniest thing you have ever said - I laughed myself to sleep last night.

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