siete virtudes - Tuesday 5th week Lent

Today, in our series of reflection on virtues, let us take a look at the so called cardinal virtues.  The siete virtudes in our processions and the four women in Church art would often remind us of these virtues.  One can see this in the sanctuary of the Jaro cathedral or in the procession of the siete birtudes sa reyna Elena ukon sa flores de mayo.  A woman holding a pillar reminds us of the virtue of fortitude.  A woman holding a scale or balance reminds us of the virtue of justice.  A woman holding a pitcher reminds us of the virtue of temperance.  And a woman holding a mirror reminds us of the virtue of prudence.  These are the four cardinal virtues as listed in thebible, in the book of Wisdom.  The word cardinal comes from the Latin word cardo meaning the hinge, ang besagra on which all the other virtues pivot and are attached.  Ining apat ka mga birtud daw mga besagra kon sa diin na-angot kag nagalibot ang puertahan.  Ang kaalwan, ang kaputli, ang kaayo, ang pagpasensya, ang sensitivity, ang kaluoy, ang courtesy kag iban pa nga mga birtud all fall under one of these cardinal virtues, the four cardinal virtues – prudence, justice, temperance and fortitude.

These corresponds to the four human faculties, and these virtues have the function of perfecting or it hs the function of making excellent these four human faculties.  First the intellect.  The intellect should be aided by prudence which means the habit of doing the right thing at the right time. 

Then we have the faculty of the will which is aided by justice.  Justice is the habit of giving everybody what is due to others.  

Then you have the third faculty which is appetite of desire.  the appetite of desire makes us attracted to the pleasurable sa mga manamit.  Desire is perfected or balance by the virtue of temperance agod indi sia magsobra. 

Then we have the fourth faculty which is the appetite of aversion.  This is perfected or balanced by courage or fortitude agod nga mangin maisog kita bisan pa may pagpang-alang-alang tungod sang kasakit.

St. Thomas Aquinas says that these virtues make us good persons because they help us to live in a righteous manner.  So a good person is one who is prudent, he has practical wisdom, he does the right thing at the right time, ara sia pirme sa lugar, mabinagbinag niya sing maayo kon ano ang nagakadapat niya buhaton sa sini nga situwasyon kag sa sina nga tion.  A good person is also just, he gives what is due to others.  He is temperate which means wala sia nagapatama, may control sia sa iya kaugalingon, mapunggan niya ang iya luyag, may ginatawag kita nga moderation sa mga bagay-bagay.  And finally one is a good person because he or she is courageous, mabatas niya bisan mabudlay ukon masakit, matakod niya, maatubang niya.

These are the four cardinal virtues and it is called cardinal because all other virtues that make us good persons fall underneath these four.

Today we are invited by our gospel to look at Jesus, to turn our eyes to Jesus.  Our gaze is not just directed to the power of his cross but we are also invited to look into his person because he is a good person, he has what it takes to become a good person possessing the four cardinal virtues.