FAUSTO GOMEZ, OP
At the end of 2024, O Clarim published a series of columns on hope. Thereafter, another series on faith. It is now the turn of charity, the third theological virtue.
As usual, the treatment on charity will be from a moral/spiritual perspective. Classical moral theology is also spiritual theology: while the latter underlines the vertical dimension – relationship with God -, the moral dimension accentuates the horizontal – relationship with humanity and the world.
The writer plans to develop divine love in a series of columns. The first two columns will focus on charity as virtue, and on charity as theological virtue.
Theology is a discourse of faith and reason. It takes the tenets of revelation and tries to unfold and explain them, reasonably. Theologians try to do theology contextually, within their religious, social and cultural situation: a globalized world where we have rich and poor, powerful and powerless, peoples who overconsume and peoples who die of hunger, a developed and a developing world, a world yearning for true justice and love in the midst of conflict, war, exclusion, marginalization and persecution.
Moral theology is the ethical science – a normative science – that shows us the norms that guides us to live as human persons and as children of God, and helps us to be happy here and hereafter. A person, a Christian is moral if he or she is good and does good things.The radical question of ethics and Christian ethics is not really what must I do? But rather, what – or who – must I be? (Cornelius van der Poel). St. Francis says in the life written by Carlo Carretto: “What counts is not to do, but to love” (cf. Ac 2:37; VS 110). Indeed, “to be is to love” (E. Mounier).
Classical moral theology is centrally a moral theology of virtues – of the theological virtues and the cardinal virtues, including the other supernatural habits, that is, the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. There is today a revival of the moral category of virtue, also in bioethics.
CHARITY AMONG THE VIRTUES
I read somewhere that philosopher Spinoza had said that virtue fascinates and attracts, and more so, virtuous persons. For Christians, Jesus Christ is “the model in whom every virtue comes to perfection” (John Paul II, Vita Consecrata). The virtuous life of Christ, the merciful one, continues fascinating and attracting men and women of all times. Jesus is the model and paradigm of all virtues. He is the all-virtue: “He who has eyes on his Head – by Head we mean the origin of all things – has them fixed on all virtue – for Christ is the all-virtue – on truth, on justice, on no-corruption, and on all that is good” (St. Gregory of Nyssa).
Traditionally, virtue is defined simply as a good operative habit (14). In general, virtue is a habit, that is, a human quality which firmly disposes the human person’s potencies toward good or evil. The habit of compassion, for instance, inclines the compassionate person to perform acts of love to the neighbor in need. Virtue is an operative habit: it disposes a person to act in a manner that is pleasant, prompt and easy. It is, specifically, a good operative habit. The quality of goodness distinguishes virtues from vices: while good operative habits are in conformity with our nature as human beings, vices, or bad operative habits, are contrary to our humanity.
Virtue is the moral category par excellence, the dynamic interior principle of good human actions, a firm inclination that directs persons to live as “flourishing human beings,” a trait of character that “shapes our vision of life, helping us to determine not only who we are but what world we see.” Truly, “virtue enhances vision, while vice darkens and finally blinds” (Gilbert C. Meilaender The Theory and Practice of Virtue).
Virtues are “successes in self-realization.” Virtues, as St. Thomas proves well, give us knowledge by con-naturality, an affective or emotional intelligence, a keen ability to judge well. Virtues put order in our lives, and harmonize dynamically our potencies, traits and skills. Virtue is the core of ethics and of Christian ethics: “What is the purpose of ethics?” theologian Peter Kreeft asks himself, to answer: “It is to make people good, that is, virtuous.” It is following Christ, the Virtuous One. Our main problem is not our sins, but our lack of virtues – of love (Peter Kreeft, Back to Virtue).
There are different kinds of virtues, which are usually divided into theological virtues (faith, hope and charity) and moral/cardinal virtues (prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance). We also speak of intellectual virtues (understanding, science, wisdom, art, and prudence; these are not virtues properly speaking – except prudence, which is also a moral virtue). Another basic distinction of virtues is the one based on its source: acquired virtues, acquired through the repetition of acts; and infused virtues, which are granted by God with grace, and the Gifts of the Holy Spirit,whichperfect the theological and moral virtues.
Virtues are many. St. Thomas mentions more than fifty. In Aristotelian ethics and in Christian ethics, all the moral human virtues are studied under the four cardinal virtues. For the Angelic Doctor, a true Christian is the one who possesses the seven main virtues, namely, the three theological virtues and the four cardinal virtues. Among all virtues, humidity has a place of honor, because humility is a quality of all virtues. Thus, from a Christian perspective, the virtue of humility, connected with temperance, is given radical importance.
Indeed, virtue fascinates. A virtuous life is a happy life, and the more virtuous it is, the happier. Relative happiness? Yes, but true limited happiness: the only possible in this earthly life. Moreover, the path of virtues is he path to heaven – to full happiness
The key question:How to practice virtue? An answer: Just do a good act in a particular moral field -and repeat it often. Samuel Smiles put it correctly in his well-known lovely poem:
Sow a thought and you will reap an act.
Sow an act and you will reap a habit.
Sow a habit and you will reap a character.
Sow a character and you will reap a destiny
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