Become a Better Person!
Fresh Start , Issue 27

There are especially seven qualities that make a good person. They are called “virtues,” or strengths of moral character. They have been taught for thousands of years and so most likely, you have heard of them.

There are, first of all, the four “cardinal” virtues. (Cardinal comes from the Latin word cardo, which means “hinge”: these four are the ones on which all other virtues hinge, or depend.) They are (1) justice, or fairness; (2) prudence, or wisdom; (3) fortitude, or courage, and (4) moderation, or self-control. (Wis 8:7) Justice means basically the “Golden Rule”: “Do for others what you want them to do for you” (Mt 7:12). Prudence means basically understanding people and situations, understanding what is needed (Hos 14:9). Fortitude means the guts to stand up for what is right and to resist wrong, even when it is hard to do that (Eph 6:10 - 20). And moderation means to control your desires and animal appetites by reason, to overcome greed and selfishness (Gal 5:19-25).

There are also the three “theological,” or God-centered, virtues: faith, hope and charity, or love (I Cor 13:13). These are the vertical virtues; the four cardinal virtues are the horizontal virtues. The theological virtues makes us right with God; the cardinal virtues make us right with ourselves and our neighbors.

Faith means believing in what God has revealed because we believe in God. Hope means believing in God’s promises; it is faith applied to the future. And charity means self-giving love, self-forgetful love.

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