Meaning: Consideration of the consequences of one’s actions and thinking ahead.
Opposing Trait: Failing to consider later consequences.
Ways to Cultivate: Pray, think, act, learn how to gather information and to decide, and plan out long-term and short-term goals.
The three theological virtues relate directly to God. They encourage Christians to live in a relationship with the Holy Trinity. The theological virtues are the foundation of Christian moral activity; they animate it and give it its special character. They inform and give life to all the moral virtues. They are infused by God into the souls of the faithful to make them capable of acting as his children and of meriting eternal life: (CCC 1812-1813). They are faith, hope, and charity.
Four virtues play a pivotal role and accordingly are called “cardinal”; all the others are grouped around them. The four cardinal virtues are temperance, justice, fortitude, and prudence.
Education in Virtue is a program for students Little Deacons through twelfth grade to grow in virtues and see the virtues as concrete expressions of their Catholic faith. It is an interactive program and curriculum structured on the teachings of St. Thomas Aquinas regarding the virtue and gifts of the Holy Spirit. The program was developed by the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist from Ann Arbor, Michigan. It is designed so that the entire student body, LDs through grade 12, is studying the same virtue each week, to provide a whole school and home focus. The program covers 38 virtues over the course of a year.
Each week Little Deacons through grade 12 students learn about the same virtue along with Saints who exemplify the virtue. Everyday time is dedicated to Education in Virtue through prayer, role-playing, modeling, and the saints. Although the virtue is covered with more depth in the upper grades, the same definitions for each virtue are used at all grade levels so the students become familiar with the particular meaning of each virtue. Students will learn about and how to live out the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity, and the cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance, as well as many related virtues. Teaching will include a breakdown of each virtue into know it, guard it, pray it, and live it.
We are all called to be disciples of Christ. In the school setting, the call to discipleship is extended not only to students but to administration, teachers, support staff, and parents. It is through the Education in Virtue the language of the virtues will be integrated into all facets of daily school life. School staff will work with children on virtuous behavior and explicitly teach the children to be the best version of themselves.
