Spirituality : Is Virtue Possible?

What is virtue? Many seem to think that virtuous
behavior has something to do with self-righteousness
and judgmental haughtiness toward our
neighbor. Others might believe that virtue is sinister,
cold and aloof. Many simply have decided that virtue is
not for the average faithful but for saints, and, perhaps,
for priests and nuns.
All this stems from a concept of virtue that does not
count on the action of Divine grace. Though a variety of
virtues can exist in every human being, after the fall, it is
most difficult to lead a virtuous life without the help of
God. Perfect virtue is never self achieved excellence, is
not human perfectionism, but always a gift from above.
Sure, from our side, we have to collaborate with grace to
become virtuous. It is, as Saint Francis de Sales puts it,
our continuous responsibility “to remove the obstacles
to grace.” However, if we at least seriously try do collaborate
with the Donor of all
gifts to do so, he will never deny
us the grace to become truly virtuous:
“Non ponentibus obicem
Deus non denegat gratiam,”
teaches the Church: “To those
who do not present an obstacle
God will not deny grace.”
Thus, through serious desire and prayer for an ever
greater love of God, every one can become virtuous for
“virtue is a good habit consonant with our nature,“ as
Saint Augustine says. God wishes us to live according to
the nature he has created for us and he gives us all the
natural and supernatural help to overcome the frailty
and weakness that has entered this nature through sin.
Thus, virtue is not a steel corset artificially pressed upon
us, but the completion of the good nature originally
gifted to us by the Creator. The “habitus operativus
bonus,“ the operational good habit we acquire through
continuous exercise of virtuous acts turns us into what
we really are. Saint Francis de Sales again puts it in a nutshell:
“Do not desire to become what you are not, but to
be well what you are!” Sin and especially pride hinders
us to be what we are, while humble virtue supported by
grace shapes us in what we really meant to be: loving
children of the Almighty Father.
Msgr. R. Michael Schmitz

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