In A Concise Dictionary of Theology, by Gerald O’ Collins S.J. and Edward G. Farrugia, S.J. virtue (which in Latin means “force”), is defined as “a habit of good behaviour that enables one to do what is right with ease, pleasure and consistency”. Virtue is diametrically opposite to vice, i.e. “the habitual inclination to do evil”.

The Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher, Marcus Aurelius wrote: “Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one”. Being a virtuous person is the reply for one’s query of how to lead a morally tenable life. Pastoral and personal life experience has been teaching me consistently that what is beautiful is best appreciated when compared to its adversary. God is best loved when one considers Satan’s being and works. Satan is God’s adversary par excellence.

Among Satan’s works there are what we call in theology the seven deadly sins. It was Saint John Cassian (360-435) who first identified them. They were later refined by Pope Saint Gregory the Great (540-604). The seven deadly sins are attitudes that trigger sins, whether mortal or venial. These seven distorted attitudes are: pride, envy, gluttony, lust, anger, greed and sloth. From the taste of them one can already experience, although remotely, the destruction these sinful attitudes bring upon the human person and those around her/him. As The Cathecism of the Catholic Church says: “Sin creates [an inclination] to sin; it engenders vice by repetition of the same acts. This results in perverse inclinations which cloud conscience and corrupt judgment of good and evil. Thus sin tends to reproduce itself and reinforces itself” (The Cathecism of the Catholic Church, 1865).

Sin is not the end of the human person’s earthly destiny. Her/his destiny is with God. In the same paragraph on sin the Catechism says: “it [sin], cannot destroy the moral sense at its root”. Although the human being sins, s/he still retains the capacity to choose good from evil. In his letter to the Romans Saint Paul clearly explains the eminent way to conquer evil: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Rom 12, 21).

In the fifth century Prudentius in his epic poem Psychomachia (meaning “Battle of the Soul”) was able to pinpoint those virtues which defeat the deadly sins and restore the human person back in her/his previous spiritual well being. For Prudentius, the contrary virtues to protect us against these capital sins are: humility, kindness, abstinence, chastity, patience, liberality and diligence.

Thus humility roots out pride, kindness envy, abstinence gluttony, chastity lust, patience anger, liberality greed and diligence sloth. In this way, when we embrace and live out these virtues, we experience what Saint Paul says in his letter to the Romans: “We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the sinful body might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin” (Rom 6,6).

Let us practise humility, kindness, abstinence, chastity, patience, liberality and diligence. In so doing we keep our pace going steady towards the “attain[ment] to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ; so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro... Rather, ... we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ” (Eph 4, 13-15. ).

Fr Mario Attard

OFM Cap

San Gwann