Member Log InFrom the Catechism of the Catholic Church (1803), “a virtue is an habitual and firm disposition to do the good. It allows the person not only to perform good acts, but to give the best of himself. The virtuous person tends toward the good with all his sensory and spiritual powers; he pursues the good and chooses it in concrete actions. The goal of a virtuous life is to become like God.”
The four cardinal virtues, the epitomy of all virtue, are prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance. They are the kingpins of the human virtues th
at make possible ease, self-mastery, and joy in leading a morally good life. Think of them as the hinge upon which all other human virtues turn. “Cardinal” is derived from the Latin root: “cardo,” which means “hinge.” The door to a holy life hangs on these hinges. They are human virtues because they are acquired by human effort. One who is not baptized, through practice, can acquire the Cardinal Virtues. They are the seeds of morally good acts; the Cardinal Virtues render the bearer capable of communion with divine love. Without the cardinal virtues, life risks becoming a waste.
Prudence, according to St. Thomas Aquinas, is “right reason in action.” Prudence 
guides the conscience. It aids us in overcoming doubts about the good to achieve and the evil to avoid.
Justice is the will to give to God and to neighbor the due that is theirs. Scripture tells us, “The souls of the just are in the hand of God.” (Wisdom 3:1) And “The just man, though he die early, shall be at rest.” (Wisdom 4:7) Living with neither partiality to the poor, nor deference to the great, the just man judges neighbor righteously. St. Thomas More said this about justice: “to pursue your own interests is prudent; to pursue the public interest as well is pious; but to pursue your own pleasure by depriving others of theirs is unjust.”
Fortitude is the virtue that causes one to remain firm in difficulty and constant in the pursuit of good. One with fortitude does not get rattled. Fortitude provides strength in the resistance of temptation and aids in overcoming obstacles in the moral life. It enables one to conquer fear. St. Bernadette Soubirous, the 14-year-old French girl who witnessed the apparitions of Our Blessed Mother at Lourdes, suffered many crosses during her lifetime. About fortitude, she observed, “Anyone who is not prepared to suffer all for the Beloved and to do his will in all things is not worthy of the sweet name of Friend, for here below, Love without suffering does not exist.”
Temperance is moderation of the attraction of pleasures, providing balance in the use of create
d goods. “Moderation in all things” and “sobriety” are terms that describe temperance. St. Therese of Lisieux, a model of temperance, said, “Holiness consists simply in doing God's will, and being just what God wants us to be."
In his letter to the Philippians, St. Paul, in describing true joy and peace, articulates this ultimate instruction: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” “Then the God of peace will be with you.” (Phil 4:8-9)
The practice of the cardinal virtues paves the pathway to heaven. And it makes life better on earth, as well.
Note: Images in this story copyright Diocese of La Crosse, Wisconsin, all rights reserved. Used with permission.
