The Church has recognised seven virtues which are divided into the theological virtues (faith, hope and love) and the cardinal virtues (temperance, fortitude, justice and prudence). Virtues develop through the help of grace, however, a person can take a concerted effort to increase a particular grace. At baptism God gives the person seven gifts. “Thomas Aquinas says that four of these gifts (wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and counsel) direct the intellect, while the other three gifts (fortitude, piety, and fear of the Lord) direct the will toward God.”[1]
It is not just about knowing the truth but living the truth that is so important. St James says 'Be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves.' The two are intimately connected and one leads to the other, as St Thomas says,
'The intellect understands that the will wills, and the will wills the intellect to understand. In the same way good is contained in truth, inasmuch as it is an understood truth, and truth in good, inasmuch as it is a desired good.'
Because of this intimate connection, morality must be lived as well as understood and to live it is to better understand it. Hence we have focussed on living the truth in this chapter through the sacraments which provides the grace to live a moral life. Contained in these sacraments are truths about God, us and our relationship with God. The fundamental truth is; we are loved unconditionally. Through the sacraments we live this unconditional love in a special way. Indeed, 'grace is a participation in the life of God' CCC 1997
The more you give, the more you will receive. The basis of the moral Christian life is found in the statement: “Love one another as I have loved you”
As we give to others, we build up a ‘family’. From a wider perspective, families are the place where people are meant to experience unconditional love, since it is based on the unconditional love of the parents who receive their children unconditionally from God as gifts. This is the basis for a truly human society, since it is the place where people learn to love unconditionally. It is the foundation of society. When a group of friends unconditionally accept each other, they become a 'family'. We are all part of the universal family of humanity. As we love others through Christ we build up the body of Christ, the Church, a family. It is through the intimacy of family that we work together to help build God’s kingdom.
Prayer
It all starts with prayer through which we are inspired, by ‘sowing’ our inspiration we act on it and by repeating our acts we develop our virtues. Our virtues are directed to God and others and so we build friendships in Christ and form a ‘family’. By maintaining these environments of unconditional love we collaborate with others and form a movement. As our lifestyles change and come closer to God’s plan we help build the culture of life in society and thus build the kingdom of God on earth.
At every step of the way, it is through Christ and in Christ that we act. Therefore we are called to give all of ourselves to God and base in God everything we build, family, movement and culture.As St Paul says 'I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.'