YOUCAT*: A virtue is an interior disposition, a positive habit, a passion that has been placed at the service of the good. [1803, 1833]
Do you bite your nails? That’s a bad habit. Do you brush your teeth at least twice a day? That’s a good habit. The Holy Spirit provides us with good habits known as virtues.
Virtues help us control our passions and guide our actions according to faith and human reason. But virtue isn’t easy. There’s a lot of pain that goes into doing what is good. But all things good in life are worth working for.
We’ve all heard that “practice makes perfect.” You can’t win the World Cup without the conditioning and drills that come before the big game. Trust God, go to Mass, and make prayer part of your day to help you live virtue.
“The goal of a virtuous life is to become like God.” —St. Gregory of Nyssa
*Youth Catechism of the Catholic Church
Lisa Gomes is the director of the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry