Mini-Reflection #1: The Cardinal Virtues Expressed

     I was listening to an episode of Father Mike Schmidts' Catechism in a Year this morning and he was discussion the four cardinal virtues: Temperance, Prudence, Justice, and Fortitude. Go give the episode a listen for yourself; its a 10 minute reading from the catechism and then a 10 minute or so reflection. 

    Here are my thoughts on the readings and podcast. How would one succinctly summarize the moral life in one sentence that contains all the fruits of the four cardinal virtues? That is one heck of a challenge but I'll take a stab at it.

      Living the moral life, as God demands of us, might be put like so: it is doing the right thing at the right time for the right reason in the right way with the right implement to the benefit of the right cause especially when it is most difficult.

    Let me give a example from my start of the day today. It is waking up at 5:30am in order to pray my morning prayers and devotionals in order to fan the flames of my love for God and doing so after I've had a glass of water and gone to the bathroom so I can focus sharply on giving these first fruits to God even though I'm tired and want to stay in my cozy bed. In other words it is acting to serve justice in a prudent manner that obeys temperance in ones position in life all the while having the strength of fortitude to continue when most difficult. At least that's what I took away from the podcast. This was followed up by a surreal realization (or divine thought) at Mass this morning. Jesus on the cross giving his life for the ransom of his people is that perfection of the moral life. Jesus is the perfect sacrifice, which is given at the perfect time, in the perfect amount (nothing more and nothing less would suffice to pay the ransom),  for He is a perfectly just sacrifice that fulfills the prophecies, and it is most difficult for Him (Agony in the Garden, "Father forgive them"...), therefore Jesus embodies the perfection of the cardinal virtues in one single act for us to ponder, imitate, and embody. 

    In my own life I have clearly seen how far I need to progress still. A good man has the posture and habit to practice the cardinal virtues accidentally, naturally, effortlessly. The knee jerk reaction ought to be formed to lead one to heaven not hell. Yeah, sure, I might be a good guy most of the time, but that doesn't count. I ought to strive for perfection. I'm not to worried about setting my goals to high; because I'm sure the very second I think I've reached the "state" I need to be in, God will call me higher. So. Let's get after it.