18 Oct 2026 (Sun) by Father Tomas Krejci
The Seven Virtues: Faith
On the remaining Sundays of this year when we celebrate Mass together, we will consider something central to Christian moral teaching: the seven virtues. Each Sunday we shall look at one virtue, taking as our starting point the Scripture readings for that Sunday. We shall consider the four cardinal virtues - prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance - and the three theological virtues - faith, hope and charity.But first, what exactly is a virtue? Aristotle understood virtue as a stable disposition of character enabling us to choose and act well. St Thomas Aquinas developed this understanding, describing virtue as a good habit which disposes us towards good actions. The important word here is habit. Virtue is not simply doing something good once. A person who occasionally tells the truth is not necessarily honest. A person who occasionally acts bravely is not necessarily courageous. Virtue means that goodness has become a settled [Read more]
