“Fortitude may be defined as that quality of character through which its possessor is enabled to endure hardships and to overcome fears that would tend to deflect an individual from the pursuit of the aims of a humanly and Christian good life.”

Our pride tells us every day what is meant by the virtue of Justice. “Why of course I am always ‘just’ in my dealings with others.” However, JUSTICE, in case I may be a little mislead by a world that preaches and teaches selfishness, maybe we should review its Christian meaning.

Let’s turn our attention to the Cardinal virtues, which together with the Theological virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity complete what we might choose to call the Catholic virtues. The first of these Cardinal virtues is Prudence. Prudence is an essential ingredient for all the other virtues to grow.

THERE ARE NO OTHER VIRTUES THAT CAN EXIST WITHIN A PERSON WITHOUT LOVE (CHARITY). The virtue of love is absolutely basic to a Christian life. It is God’s love that is behind and supports all other love. That means that we must first allow God’s love to penetrate us and then love can have a great healing effect on us and others from the inside out.

How do we do this? It is only through prayer that we will experience God’s love in a manner that is a new and alive capacity to love and be loved.