Archbishop Gomez on Truth and Virtue
Most Reverend José H. Gomez, S.T.D. Archbishop of San Antonio
Pope John XXIII called the virtues — the three theological virtues of faith, hope, and love, and the four cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance — the “seven lamps” of the Christian life.
These virtues define what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. Our holiness comes in imitating these virtues as they were modeled by Christ and by cultivating these virtues in our lives.
Near the end of last year, I wrote to you in this column about the three theological virtues. In my next few columns, I would like to talk about the cardinal virtues, beginning with virtue of prudence.
Prudence is often called the “mother” of the virtues because it guides all the other virtues to their proper goal, which is God.
Prudence, like the other virtues, is often misunderstood today. We tend to think of the prudent person as somebody who is very careful, or overly cautious and maybe even fearful. But that is not at all what we are talking about when we talk about prudence.
St. Thomas Aquinas said that prudence is “a habit of choosing; that is, making us choose well.” That’s a good way to understand this virtue. Prudence is the virtue that helps us to make good choices about what we should do, what we should desire and what we should avoid.
Christian prudence is a supernatural moral virtue that is “infused” in us at baptism. By this virtue, God helps us to make good choices and good actions, not only about what to do in our daily lives, but also in relation to our lives as sons and daughters of God. As St. Augustine said, prudence is the ability to “distinguish rightly that which helps us from that which hinders us in tending to God.”
When I think about prudence, I think of those words in the Gospel about the person who “does what is true.” (Jn 3:21) It is a curious expression when you think about it. We don’t usually talk about truth as something we “do.” We can speak the truth or know the truth, but how can we do the truth
The answer is found in Jesus Christ. He is the “way, the truth, and the life.” (Jn 14:6) He is the truth about the meaning of our lives, and he is the way we should follow to inherit eternal life. And our Lord told us that we are blessed not by hearing his word, but by doing it. (Lk 6:47-48; 11:28)
That is what prudence means. Prudence is knowing what is true and doing it; it is putting the Gospel of Christ into action in our lives. That is why St. Thomas Aquinas called prudence “right reason in action.”
So how do we grow in this virtue of prudence? With all the virtues, the old saying is true: Practice makes perfect. The more we practice a virtue, the easier it becomes, until it becomes second nature to us.
The prudent person lives by the truth that Jesus has revealed in his Word and in the teachings of his church. To grow in this virtue, then, we need to be daily forming our consciences through the prayerful reading of his word and the studying of his teachings found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
If we do this, we will grow in our knowledge of the truth — about what leads to true happiness in this world, and to life everlasting in the world to come. And the more we know about what is true and right and good, the more we will desire these things, and the more we will seek the proper ways to achieve them. This week, let us examine our conscience with regard to this virtue. Are we as prudent as we might be? Are we making good decisions, in light of the Gospel, and in light of our vocation as children of God — in our homes, in our jobs, in schools? Are we living consistently and responsibly, and with the good of others and the values of the Gospel in mind?
Our Lord is always there to help us in our efforts to grow in prudence. For this he offers us the gift of the Holy Spirit that is called the gift of “counsel.” Let us pray for that gift for each other, and let us ask Our Lady of Good Counsel to help us grow in this virtue.
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