Whatsoever Is Lovely,

If There Is Any Excellence,

Dwell On These Things,

Benjamin Franklin.

October 28 – The pastoral message of Fr Reuter is this: Virtue is its own reward. When you try to live by the Gospel, you find peace of soul, joy in living, happiness, love.

As a very practical example, if nobody practiced any virtue at all in this lake resort, this man would not be able to sleep like that with doors open wide and feet exposed for everyone to see. The practice of virtue is public, not private – if it remains private, then there is no public test as to whether the virtue is being practiced or not. Virtue is not virtue unless it is practiced.

Interestingly, according to the Catholic Encyclopedia (newadvent.org), the word virtue means manliness or courage; in its widest sense, it means ‘the excellence of perfection of a thing, just as vice, its contrary, denotes a defect or absence of perfection due to a thing.’

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church (vatican.va) comes this definition:

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 Catechism also quotes from the New Testament these lines:

Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Whatever it is, it is virtuous if it is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, gracious, excellent.

Benjamin Franklin, an American hero, prescribed the practice of 13 virtues: temperance, order, resolution, frugality, moderation, industry, cleanliness, tranquility, silence, sincerity, justice, chastity, humility. The problem with Benjamin Franklin was that he was a womanizer (school-for-champions.com). Ben, virtues are not only for listing; they have to be practiced. If you are the preacher, practice what you preach!