June 27, 2005    

"Activating the Virtues

In this enlightenment time of this Illuminative Way, the four cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance become much more active, or at least we become more aware of them.  They come forth with the gifts of the Holy Spirit.  You can see in the Illuminative Way that the Holy Spirit is very active.  He's the Spirit of Light.  Paul says, "Put on the armor of light."  Put on His gifts.

For the cardinal virtue of prudence, the Holy Spirit is going to use His gift of Counsel.  Prudence will tell us, "Take counsel.  Don't act too quickly.  Get another opinion."  The cardinal virtue of justice is a beautiful virtue, and the gift that the Holy Spirit will use to bring it actively forth in our lives is Piety.  We will give others what is their due.  You know there is a beautiful Scripture in Isaiah where God says, "I have grasped you by the hand for the victory of justice."  Justice is the victory of the Cross.  So the victory of justice is the victory of the Cross and this is what we're called to, particularly in these beautiful virtues. The gift of Piety will enable us to love God the Father more than ourselves and others, too, because God so wants everyone to come Home.  The cardinal virtue of Fortitude works with the gift of the Holy Spirit of Fortitude itself, or long-suffering, because our sufferings can go on and on.  Usually, all of us can suffer shortly, just, "Get it over with quickly," but when it goes on and on, we cry out, "How long, O Lord?"  The Holy Spirit will give us His gift of Fortitude so that courage can come forth.  Catherine Doherty used to say a prayer every day, "Oh Lord, give me the heart of a child and the courage to follow it."  That takes courage because the heart of a child is pure.  The heart of a child can receive these lights, these gifts, but it takes courage because we're walking the royal way.

With the cardinal virtue of temperance, the gift of the Holy Spirit is Fear of the Lord.  Temperance comes forth because Fear of the Lord starts working.  We don't want to move ahead of God.  We don't want to hurt Him.  We don't want to displease Him so this beautiful virtue will start to be activated because the Holy Spirit is busy at work here, using His gifts.  It is the risen Lord now.

Prudence gives us the right reason to our actions and that is the way the Holy Spirit counsels us.  Justice will give everyone what is his due.  Fortitude will hold us steady in the face of opposition.  Paul said, "Stand firm. Hold your ground" (Eph 6).  That is Fortitude.  Then the beautiful gift of temperance is to really make sensible and right decisions.  We can only do that in the light of good reason - God's reason, not worldly reasoning.  Do you remember Job?  When I first read him I thought his answers to God sounded pretty good to me.  Until God said, "So Job, you really know how I created?  You really know this?  You really know that?  Well, let me tell you."  When God started speaking, I could see that everything coming out of Job, up until that time, was worldly wisdom and worldly knowledge and  worldly understanding.  There's a vast difference when we start to make the passover.

There can be a false prudence that can be spotted if we look at the end result.  "Is this giving God greater honor and glory, or is it going to elevate me?  Who is going to get the glory here?"  That is a good way to check to see if we are receiving this gift from God or if it is impulsiveness and our senses and emotions still trying to dominate us.  False prudence, or being imprudent, will definitely retard our spiritual growth because we will try to run ahead of God.  We will try to hasten it.  Some of the saints said it is like always wanting to read mystical books without having gone through any kind of purification.  Have you ever wanted to see how quickly you could get to Heaven but not through the cross?  "Not that way Lord, my way.  There's got to be another way to Heaven."  Well, there isn't.  There's only one way, and it is His way.  So every good gift comes from God, and when we have these gifts we'll find that we won't act rashly or hastily or judge anymore.

Excerpt from Mother Nadine's "New Life," Omaha, NE, 2004.