Virtue of the Week

DEFINITION

Joyful mastery over one's passions and desires. Saying "no" to oneself in order to say a joyful "yes" to something more important or to something that is better for oneself and for others.

PRACTICAL EXAMPLES

• When I know I've reached my healthy time limit on Tik-Tok, social media, or games, I turn it off for the day.
• When I find myself thinking about something impure or unhealthy, I ask God for help and then do my best to mentally "change the channel" in order to think on better things.
• When I am drawn to look at or click on a particular advertisement, I resist the urge and keep to the task at hand for the sake of purity, industriousness, responsibility, or charity.
• I regularly do small acts of self-denial (for instance, not eating that second cookie, not checking my social media until a certain time) in order to train myself in self-control.
• When I am driving, I control myself by following the speed limit and the other laws of the road.

PRAYER FOR Self-Control

Lord God, please help me to grow in the virtue of self-control. Give me the ability to say no to myself today whenever I feel like doing something that I shouldn't. As a result, give me the ability to yes to You and to what is good. Free me to love You. Amen.

DEFINITION

Enables one to be moderate in the pleasure (every good thing in moderation) and use of created goods.

PRACTICAL EXAMPLES

Things to consider in leading a temperate life include:

• What about of this would be for my authentic flourishing?
• Am I meeting my responsibilities?
• Am I getting a healthy amount of sleep?
• Am I able to give my friends and family the attention they deserve?
• Am I a good steward of my family’s possessions?

PRAYER FOR tEMPERANCE

Dear Father, my heart wants many things, and sometimes I seek these things even more than I seek You. Please help me to grow in the virtue of temperance today. Open my eyes that I may see the things I have allowed to crowd You out of my life. Help me to set limits on those things so that there is more space in my heart for You. Amen.

DEFINITION

Bearing present difficulties calmly; refraining from complaining when something is difficult.

PRACTICAL EXAMPLES

• I try to call to mind and to express gratitude for all the good things about this person that tests my patience.
• I wait my turn to speak or when I am in line.
• I am okay with not having immediate gratification of my desires.  

PRAYER FOR Patience

Lord, help me to bear difficulties with patience today. When I am angered or inconvenienced in any way, give me the grace to respond with kindness. I don’t want to waste any of these opportunities to grow in love. Amen.

DEFINITION

Confidently desiring to do great things in God with your talents; knowing your gifts and seeking to share them for God's glory.

PRACTICAL EXAMPLES

• I use my talent in leadership to lead others towards beauty, truth, and goodness.
• I participate in competitions and extracurricular activities to build up my school community. 

PRAYER FOR MAGNANIMITY

Lord help me to see the gifts you have given me. Help me to be grateful for my gifts and to work on developing them. Give me the courage to step out of my comfort zone and confidently share my gifts for the good of my family, my team, and my school. Help me to use my gifts not for my own glory, but for Your glory, Lord. Amen. 

Definition

Industriousness is diligence — especially in work that leads to natural and supernatural maturity. It is striving to make the most of the time you have been given.

Practical Examples

• I set aside distractions when doing homework.
• I focus on a task until it is finished and use my work time effectively.
• I jump at opportunities to serve my family, friends, and those I don’t know.

Prayer for Industriousness

Lord Jesus, help me to be diligent in my work and activities today. I know that every single moment of my life has purpose and is a tremendous gift from You. Help me to use today well for love of You and for the good of others. Amen.

Definition

Enables one to endure difficulties for the sake of what is good.

Practical Examples

• I do the right thing, even when it's hard or unpopular.
• I stand up for the things worth fighting for (my faith, family, friends, etc.).
• I pray and ask God to give me His strength.

Prayer for Fortitude

Lord God, please teach me to be courageous. If anything today seems difficult, embarrassing, or unpopular, and yet I know that it is the right thing to do, give me the grace to do it, no matter the cost. Amen.

Definition

Acting in a way that inspires confidence and trust; being reliable.

Practical Examples

• I tell my parents the whole truth about where I am going and what I am doing.
• When I say I'll get something done, I actually do it.
• I don’t let unnecessary things take priority just because I don't feel like keeping the previous commitment. If it is impossible to fulfill my previous commitment, I contact the other person ahead of time to apologize and explain.

Prayer for Trustworthiness

My Lord, please help me to grow in the virtue of trustworthiness. I want to be reliable, to be someone to whom others know they can turn. Many are counting on me — family, friends, teachers, coaches. Help me to make choices today that earn their trust. Amen.

Definition

Having a thankful disposition of mind and heart.

Practical Examples

• I recognize the blessings in my life — even during difficult times.
• I refrain from complaining by trying to replace negative thoughts with grateful ones.
• I express thankfulness to others — even when they don't give me what I want (e.g., when a teacher or parent says no to a request, I still say "Thank you" because I know that they have my best interest at heart).

Prayer for Gratitude

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love for me and for providing for me in abundance. Help me to live my life with a spirit of gratitude. When I am tempted today to dwell on the negative, open my eyes to the good — the good things You have given and the good things You are doing. Amen.

Definition

Treating others with the respect due to them as sons and daughters of God; recognizing that all are made in God's image and likeness (also known as politeness).

Examples of Things said by Courteous People

• "Thank you."
• "Pardon me." "Excuse me."
• Addressing adults as "Sir," "Ma'am," "Mr./Mrs. ____," "Sister," "Father," "Officer"
• "Here, let me get that door for you."
• "Go ahead. You can ask your question first."
• "May I get that for you?"
• "Here, let me get that door for you."

Prayer for Courtesy

Dear Lord, please help me to act with courtesy toward every person I encounter today. In all the little acts of holding doors, being polite, and offering help, help me to love them and to love You in them. Amen.

Definition

Being easy to approach and easy to talk to; being friendly.

Practical Examples

• I am warm and friendly with others (e.g., making eye contact, smiling and having a cheerful tone even when I don’t feel like it).
• I invite other people to join my conversation or lunch table.
• I say "good morning" and "good night" to my family members.

Prayer for Affability

Lord Jesus, help me today to be affable. May my smile, greetings, and conversation create an environment in which all those around me feel welcome and loved with the same love You have for them. Amen.

LEARN MORE ABOUT "affability"

Definition

Giving to each, beginning with God, what is due him.

Overall concept

God's image stamped in human nature is the source of both rights and duties. What is owed to other people is based on our relationship to them. My first responsibility is to my family, Church, and school. After that, my local community, my country, and the world.

Practical Examples

• I give respect to the authority figures in my life.
• I value my education, therefore I do my homework and listen during class.
• I owe it to every human person to treat him/her with the deepest respect.

Prayer for Justice

My Lord, please help me to grow in the virtue of justice. I owe You my love and respect, and I owe the same to every person I encounter today. Please give me the courage today to joyfully give that to You and to them. Amen.

LEARN MORE ABOUT "SOCIAL JUSTICE"

Definition

Docility is the willingness to be taught.

Practical Examples

• "I really appreciate that advice."
• "Would you please, at some point, be able to give me some feedback on how I ____? I’m trying to work on this and would really appreciate your thoughts."
• "Coach, I’m always having trouble with ___. How can I improve?"

Prayer for Docility

Lord Jesus, You are God and yet You willingly and joyfully let Yourself be taught by Mary and Joseph. Please help me to grow in the virtue of docility so that I, too, can be humble enough to accept advice and correction with deep gratitude toward those who love me enough to give it. Amen.

Definition

Foresight is the consideration of the consequences of one’s actions; thinking ahead.

Practical Examples

• I think about how long I will need to get a project done or how much time it will take to study for a certain test.
• I prepare items for the next day (e.g., lunch, sports equipment, assignments, computer).
• I have an awareness of what’s coming up on the family schedule.

Prayer for Foresight

Dear Lord, please increase in me the virtue of foresight. Help me to think ahead today so that I can be responsible in my duties, respectful toward those who are counting on me, and ready to give of myself for the good of others. Amen.

DEFINITION

Prudence enables one to reason and act rightly in any given situation.  In other words, prudence helps you to know what you should do and how you should do it.

PRACTICAL EXAMPLES

• I refrain from reacting too quickly to things, giving myself time to figure out how to respond.
• I put on the "pause" button especially if I'm feeling angry so that I don't say something I regret later.
• I exercise caution about the jokes I make — thinking first about whether my joke might be misunderstood or misinterpreted
• I follow through with my decisions once I make them.
• I consider whether the activity I'm doing in the moment is a good use of my time.
• I apologize when I have poor judgement or when I make a mistake that hurts someone's feelings

Prudence in Action

• "I think I might need a bit of time to think about it."
• "Let me talk to my parents and see what they think."
• "I'm really sorry that I said that — it was poor judgment on my part and I'm sorry that I hurt your feelings."
• "Would it be OK if we talk about this tomorrow? I think I might just need to calm down a bit."