Catholics, are guided by the Seven Catholic Virtues that comprises the Four Cardinal Virtues (being Prudence; Justice; Temperance & Fortitude), and the Three Theological Virtues (being Faith; Hope & Charity). While I'm far from being a model Catholic, these teachings had shaped my life.
Trust me, when I was a child (I was a born-Catholic), I have absolutely no idea what all these means. But as I grew (as a rebellious child) and with constant guidance of my stern parents and educators in those mission schools that I was in, I’ve matured to understand the true meaning of carrying my cross.
After having tasted many moments of glory and countless adversities & crisis, these virtues that was subtly imparted to me, became my pillar of strength and wisdom. I’d like to share with all of you this wisdom that I found and how it prepared me for the life that I led. If you are not a Catholic, just read this with an open mind and ponder over its wisdom.
Prudence:
As a child, my judgments are often impaired by my immaturity. Even as an adolescent or a young adult (and even now, at my age) my reasons for actions are often influenced by peers, greed, fear, etc. As I grew and as I was exposed to more complications and external influences of life, finding appropriateness for my action is no longer something that comes to mind easily. And this teaching of prudence allowed me to examine my each course of action carefully with due consideration of the intent of my actions, the means of execution and the consequence of my actions. With prudence, comes respect, loyalty, piety, humility, honesty, righteousness, etc.
Justice:
When I was young, justice revolves around getting what is rightfully mine and what I rightfully deserve. My quest for fairness is often selfish and is often a knee-jerk reaction towards a challenge or a threat posed to my areas of comfort. However, after having suffered countless episodes of so-called “injustice”, I’ve learnt that justice is not just the pursuit for a righteous cause but in doing so with understanding, empathy and compassion for your fellow man on the other side of the fence. Sometimes justice may well be an extension of forgiveness so that the one that hurt you may have the opportunity to repent. Our sense of justice should not be just confined to pursuit of fairness but also to refrain from taking liberty on others even when you have the right to do so.
Temperance:
To a child, restraint, self-control or moderation is beyond his comprehension. It is impossible to confine and reason with a child that one cannot simply indulge in his desires without boundaries. I had a hard time understanding this as a kid. Try telling a kid that he has to exercise self-control and he could not have his ice-cream. As I grew, I’ve learnt to accept that there are many things that I cannot afford or I can’t have despite how strong my desires for it may be. I learnt that the more I crave for something I wanted badly, the worse I will feel when I can’t get it. Thus, I’ve learnt to accept what I can’t have instead and I found that I felt better that way. I was later challenged on this virtue that this will advocate a lack of desire and contentment will leave a person to become lazy. Well, temperance doesn’t forbid you to have desires; it really means the knowledge of the boundaries of your desires and exercising restraint to keep your desires in appropriateness.
Fortitude:
As a child, I equate courage with might, dominance and opposing authority. That got me into lots of trouble. When growing up, I came to understand that courage or bravery is really the ability to confront pain, fear, danger, uncertainty or intimidation be it physically, emotionally, mentally or morally (as to act righteously under duress). This virtue had helped me overcome the many adversities and had made me more resilient.
Faith:
As a child, faith is spiritual belief of a divine God. It is still a spiritual belief in the same divine God as I grew but with the exception that faith extends beyond God for me now. Faith now includes everything else on this earth and beyond. Most importantly, faith is for mankind. Faith is to believe in the goodness of life (even when we don’t see it). It enabled me to remain steadfast in my beliefs, my morals, my ethics, my principles. Faith is not blind but a trust in God, yourself, mankind and whatever that you love. When you have faith, nothing will ever stand in your way.
Hope:
As a child, hope is wishful thinking. Hope, to a child is wishes. But even as an adult, some of us are still unable to differentiate between hope and wishes. Hope is really about will and not passion. And hope is the anticipation of goodness (be it physically, emotionally or whatever). With hope, one can bear the brunt of all pain, miseries and misfortunes. One can look at all the bad things in our lives and say to ourselves, “It’s ok. It’s all for the good that’s going to come tomorrow.” Hope keeps us motivated.. keep our dreams alive.. and never give up.. no matter how hopeless the situation seems to be.
Charity:
Charity is (in my opinion) the most important virtue to uphold. Charity was taught to us as being kind, compassionate, caring, etc. However, (to me) charity is love and forgiveness. With love, comes kindness, compassion, etc. With forgiveness, comes charity. Charity has taught me to be less selfish. Selfishness is where greed, dominance, lust and all other self-centered attributes are pivoted. When one is selfish, he loses his prudence; he forgets what justice is; his temperance and fortitude waivers; his faith weakens and his hopes are only hopes for selfish desires. Love liberates our selfishness and forgiveness strengthens our love.
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