Virtuous Living Made Simple requires that we understand what a virtue is and that we work each day to align our lives with virtue. Virtue is moral excellence. It is integrity and honesty. It is making the choice in each situation that will bring goodness and life for each person involved, as well as the world. It requires that we know who we are and what we stand for. We must recognize when we are being influenced by something that seems right, but we know is not right.
This presupposes we have taken the time to know what IS right and we have made the choice to do the right and good thing in each situation we face. As we practice virtue, we develop character.
Living a virtuous life also requires that we have a compass that pulls us toward knowing and doing the right and good thing in every situation we face. That compass is our faith. Do you have a good, solid, moral compass that leads you to do the right and good thing? Do you see that your children or adolescents are highly influenced by this culture and have a desire to tune into Social Media more than their faith and the faith you have worked so hard to give them? Do you find their friends are not necessarily kids you approve of, but you're not sure what you can do about that? Do you find your children or adolescents push back on attending Mass with you on Sunday? Are you frustrated that other, negative, unholy games, websites, and platforms consume your young person's time - things you do not support - but have found their way into your young person's life and you have less influence over what they view and absorb than when they were younger? Are you afraid you are losing your vital place in their lives?
Catholic Parents: We must be role models for our children and grandchildren. We must know what our children and adolescents are doing on technology and set limits and rules for their use of Social Media, the Internet sites they visit, and provide guidance for them. We must set a good example and never visit websites that are unholy or not virtuous. Psychology teaches us that the human brain is not fully developed until about the age of 26, which means the examples provided for our children, adolescents, and young adults by parents, grandparents, teachers, people from Church, and neighbors are very important for their moral and ethical development. Be an example and a role model that makes a difference for a young person! Always do the right and good thing. Live a virtuous life!!
Our Catholic faith calls us to create a "domestic church" at home with our families, so that the Mass we attend on Sunday comes home with us and helps us incorporate holiness into our everyday thoughts, words, and actions all throughout every aspect of our lives.
We are vital to the building of the Kingdom of God in our midst when we repent and believe in the good news (Mk. 1:15). That is our Catholic Mission in the world today: to evangelize the culture. We do that as individuals at home, at work, with friends and neighbors, and anyone else we encounter throughout our day. We may be the one person who touches that person's soul and offers them the light of Christ. We cannot and must not miss the opportunity to transform our broken world and offer the holiness of Christ to everyone we meet.
This is the core of virtuous living, and for all Catholics, this comes from our faith in God the Father, Jesus Christ His Son, and the Inspiring, Life-Giving Holy Spirit! We may be the remnant spoken of in the Scriptures, which is a concept mentioned 69 times! As Isaiah 37: 31-32 states: "The remaining survivors of the house of Judah shall again strike and take root below and bear fruit above. For out of Jerusalem shall come a remnant, and from Mount Zion, survivors. The zeal of the Lord of hosts shall do this."
Please contact Dr. Kate Walsh-Soucheray and learn about the programs she has written and created to help Catholic families address the tumultuous culture in which we are living and doing all we can to raise good families who will make a positive, holy difference in the world today. Also, find
Dr. Walsh-Soucheray's weekly podcast "Virtuous Living Made Simple" on Spotify.
Reach out to Dr. Walsh-Soucheray to learn more about "Integrating Catholic Thought Throughout the Curriculum" for Catholic schools: ksoucheray@ifhwb.com.
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