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Show 180: Virtue · The Uncensored Catholic

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Speaker 1: A Hey, y'all, welcome to today's show. We will get
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into the subject of virtue today, yet again a very
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Catholic topic. Look, I mean I was raised Presbyterian and Methodists,
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went to a Presbyterian college, worked as a Methodist youth minister,
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and then at a Southern Baptist university became Catholic. I
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can just say that in Protestant circles, virtue is not
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something discussed very much. It's not really even a concept.
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So again this is one of those said it's Catholics
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we need to know. But it's really important that when
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you're talking to a Protestant friend, a relative, you know,
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teachings on things like good works and virtue and such
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as that, so that you can help them come to
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a clearer understanding. For that, we will get into radio replies,
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a few questions and answers for the priests, if I
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can turn the pages. I was actually just hitting a
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coconut with a hammer. You know, I love fresh coconut actually,
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and there is an old dessert that I haven't had
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in probably twenty five years, and they were real popular seventies.
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My mom made informed me in the eighties. They were
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called Hello dollies or magic cookie bars, and I got
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this craving for him all of a sudden, like I said,
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haven't had them in decades. And I don't really have
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that big of a sweet tooth, but I do love
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dark chocolate and coconut. Most people would make this with
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milk chocolate. Anyway, to look up the recipe, but you know,
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I have to use fresh coconut. The stuff in the bag,
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it's okay, the frozen whatever, it's just okay. The stuff
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in the can and you get a fresh coconut. You know,
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even now when our bidenomics, it only cost a couple
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bucks at the grocery store. You know the famous Harry
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Nielsen song the Coconut, you know, put the lime in
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the coconut and call me in the morning. I love
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that song. By the way, Harry Nilsen was a genius,
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and that's one of the first and funniest music videos
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ever done. If you haven't seen it, pull up on
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YouTube right this very second. The Coconut song. The man
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was just brilliant. Actually kind of a tragic figure, but anyway,
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in the song he says that the coconut was a dime.
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Well now they cost a buck. Ninety nine in North Carolina.
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But still get yourself some fresh coconut. Now here's what
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you do. Take a drill, or you can use a
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hammer and nail. Go to the eyes of the coconut.
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Poke three holes in it, drain out all the liquid.
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Then pop it in the oven at four hundred degrees
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for about twenty to thirty minutes, and that will roast
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the coconut. It'll pull away from the shell. Then just
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whack it with a hammer and it comes right out.
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Then you can rate it up and use it. It's cooked,
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it'll keep for weeks in the refrigerator. You can freeze it.
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You can do whatever you want with it. You know,
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I love a good ty curry with coconut. I mean
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I like coconut. I mean you know, I do have
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some Creole heroage, so I think that's sort of a
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genetic memory for me. But I like coconut quite a bit.
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I'm just saying, do the real thing is so much better,
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And it really is. And if you ever look at
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that desiccated coconut in the bag, it's got some weird
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chemicals in it. But anyway, that steps all over my hands.
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So they have a little trouble turning the pages here,
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Let's get to the subject at hand. The questioner says,
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you claim that the Catholic Church has not only the
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marks of unity and holiness, but although also of Catholicity.
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What does the word catholic mean? And they answer, it
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is derived from the Greek language. It means universal and complete.
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And as Christ told his apostles to go and teach
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all nations all his doctrines, the word catholic is reserved
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for the Church, which alone teaches all of Christ's doctrines
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to all peoples. The Catholic Church, say it ignacious. If
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Antioch wrote about the year and was first to use
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the word to designate that the true church, that's true,
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all right. If your Protestants tell you that Constantine invented
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the Catholic Church in whatever three thirty seven or whatever,
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they always say, No, you can pull up Saint Ignatius
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of Antioch from about one ten. He was actually ordained
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by I believe it was word dame by Saint Peter. Actually,
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let me see was he Clement was our dained by
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Saint Peter, and Ignacius was ordained by Saint Paul. So
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I mean this is literally the first generation of the
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church after the Apostles, and Saint Ignatius writes about the
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Catholic Church. He writes it, he writes that word, okay,
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I mean you can prove to them that the only,
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the one holy Catholic and Apostolic Church has been the
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Catholic Church from the very first post biblical Christian writings,
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the ones who earned directly from the very apostles who
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wrote the New Testament. He wrote, where the bishop is,
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there is the Catholic Church. And you know I've talked
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about this before. You can find his writings online. Just
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look for the early Church Fathers. Really easy to find.
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And send my book, my Conversion Story, you know. If
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you can't find it for some reason, just email me
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all right, Judson at Judson Carol dot com, and I
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will send you a link to Saint Ignatius's works, because
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they if a Protestant will listen to you, it should
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clear up all doubt and confusion and they'll have to
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admit that the one true Church is the Catholic Church
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that's been there from the beginning. The problem is getting
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him to listen to you. Donatism broke away from the
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Church in the fourth century just as Protestantism in the
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sixteenth century, and Saint Augustine declared that this harrison he
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was cut off from the Catholic Church in the same
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fourth century. I guess it's Pashian, Pacian, Passean, or Pakian.
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I don't know. Use the word Catholic as a mark
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of identification, saying Christian is my name, Catholic my surname.
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He did not wish to be taken for one of
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those who protested against the Catholic Church, yet still continue
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to call themselves Christian. Whence do you get the name
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Roman Catholic? Well, they answer, the word Roman Catholic is
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just derived from the fact that Saint Peter established the
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headquarters of the church in Rome. I am not a
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Roman Catholic in any sense of Roman citizenship. I am
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an American Catholic in communion with that church which has
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its center and run. And the person asks what is
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the difference between a Catholic and a Roman Catholic, And
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they answer, the same is between a Britisher and an
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Englishman if you wish, as that between the Jewish and
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Mosaic religions, there is no real difference. The words Roman
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Catholic do not mean that there are other kinds of Catholic,
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but only that all true Catholics belong to that great
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Church with its center at Rome. There are no Catholics
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apart from that one great universal Church. Those who leave
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the church cease to be Catholic. At the time of
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the Reformation, Protestants left the Catholic Church. They cannot leave
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it and belong to it. The only way they can
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be Catholic is to return to the Catholic Church that
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their forefathers should never have left. Person says, is not
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the Catholic Church broader in meaning than the Roman Catholic Church.
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Catholic means universal, not Roman Catholic, and they answer Catholic
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and Roman Catholic are alternative expressions. The Roman Catholic Church
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is the Church universal on Earth. All Catholics in Europe, America, Asia,
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Africa and Australia and the rest of the world are
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subject to the Bishop of Rome. Were you to stop
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any man indiscriminately on the street and ask him to
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direct you to the nearest Catholic church, he would unhesitatingly
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point out what you term a Roman Catholic Church. The
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average man makes no mistake in practice on this point,
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and we'll wrap it up with this one. The guy asks,
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if the word Roman identifies your church as the only
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Catholic church, where do other churches come in? And they
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answer they are man made substitutions which do not come in,
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but which went out. Modern Protestants do not advert to
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the fact that they have been robbed of membership of
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the true Church by their ancestors. Protestant churches cannot claim
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to be founded by Christ, yet they confuse many people.
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But the true church may be discerned by finding out
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the one which goes back to Saint Peter and through
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him to Christ, and he and he who is subject
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to the Pope is in communion with the very successor
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of Saint Peter. All right, now, let's get to Father
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Spirago's exhaustive Catechism of Catholic Church. We are gonna begin
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the subject of virtue. Let's see, virtue consists in proficiency
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in the practice of good works and the tendency of
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will toward what is good resulting from persevering. Exercise by
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good deeds has meant whatever is done in obedience with
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the will of God or is pleasing in his sight
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by practice, in writing painting, athletic or other sports, et cetera.
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Proficiency and dexterity is attained, and the will becomes disposed
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to where the action in question. Practice makes perfect. Habit
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is second nature. It is difficult to break off any
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habit which we have accustom ourselves. One or two isolated
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good deeds does not constitute virtue any more than one
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or three vines, or one two or three vines, sorry,
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constitutes a vineyard. Certain good qualities or propensities, the gift
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of either nature or grace, are often called by the
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name virtue. There are natural, inborn good qualities. Dispositions are virtues.
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Many men are naturally meek, obedient, liberal, or honorable. And
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when he says liberal, he doesn't mean politically liberal, he
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means generous. Okay, actually means liberality in terms of being generous.
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Hence it is that some of the Heathen were distinguished
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for their virtues. There are also supernatural dispositions which are
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imparted by the Holy Spirit. When we receive sanctifying grace,
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that is the sacrament of baptism or penance, the Holy
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Spirit renders as capable of accomplishing what is good for
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the love of God. This supernatural capability is something more
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than a mere qualification for the performance of what is good.
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A certain inclination there too, is also given us. But
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this disposition or inclination is not the same as proficiency
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or ease in the exercise of virtue. The latter must
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be won by practice. The capabilities imparted by the Holy
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ghosts stand in the same relation to the actual virtue
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as the seed does to the plant, or the gift
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of one of the senses Ege's sense of sight to
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the use of that sense. The good disposition imparted by
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the Holy Spirit is called infuse virtue, and the proficiency
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attained through the practice is called acquired virtue. The power
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imparted by the Holy Spirit the power is imparted by
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the Holy Spirit do not at once cause us to
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act aright. It is requisite for us to employ them
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frequently in order to gain proficiency in virtue. The only
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perfect virtues i e. Those acts of virtue which are
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performed for the glory of God, which will be rewarded
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after death. God does not merely require of us good deeds,
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but a good intention in accomplishing those deeds. Only when
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done with good intention, with a view toward His glory.
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Are they pleasing to Him and entitled to a reward.
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Without the love of God, there is no true virtue.
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The actions we perform for the love of God acts
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of perfect supernatural Christian virtue. They are as we have
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seen natural virtue. There are, as we have seen natural virtues,
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which are inspired by earthly motives and not done with
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the view of the glory of God. These only receive
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a temporal recompense Matthew six ' two and have no
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value for the Kingdom of Heaven Matthew five point twenty.
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The difference between natural and supernatural virtue may be compared
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to the difference which exists between objects which are merely
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guilt and those that are fashioned of solid gold. Virtue
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can only be acquired and increase by dint of struggle
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and self conquest. That means exertion of will. For many
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obstacles have to be encountered. Inward hindrances, the evil proclivities
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of the human heart, and outward hindrances the contempt and
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persecution of men. Nothing else is wanted to cause a
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boat which is launched on a fast flowing river to
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be carried away by the stream and swallowed up in
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the waters, then the rowers should cease to ply their oars.
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But if the boat is going against the current, strenuous
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exertion on the part of the crew is required to
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bring it to its destination. And that's really very true.
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I don't know if you all have ever tried to
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canoe or kayak up or river. It can be done,
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but it's going to wear you out anyway. So it
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is with man. He needs but to give way to
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the frailty of his corrupt nature, to be born to
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eternal tradition, but to contend against the force of his passions,
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the seductions of the world, and the temptations of the devil,
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and guide his bark or boat to the haven of
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everlasting felicity calls for no slight effort on his part.
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The Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence Matthew's eleven twelve. The
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path of virtue is a difficult ascent, not an easy descent.
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Virtue is one not in time of peace, but in warfare.
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Many appear to be virtuous, but are not so in reality,
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because their virtue costs him nothing. Those who desire to
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obtain proficiency in art or dexterity or in a trade,
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must give themselves much trouble in learning it. Only in
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proportion as you do violence to yourself will you make
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progress in virtue. The most formidable obstacles have to be
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overcome at first. Afterwards, advancement becomes more easily, becomes more easy,
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and as we advance in virtue, it brings happiness, and
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thus we are stimulated to greater efforts. But suffering is
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inseparable from virtue. Wherefore, he who shrinks from suffering and
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persecutions will never be rich in virtue. He who fears
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the world, says say ignacious, will never accomplish anything worthy
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of God's acceptance, for nothing great can be done in
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God's service without provoking the enmity of the world. He
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who strives in earnest to obtain virtue will necessarily be humble,
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for he will feel his unfrailty as one who climbs
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a steep ascent becomes conscious of his bodily weakness. Consequently,
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the most virtuous are the most humble. Virtue procures for
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us real happiness, both in time and in eternity. The
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Greeks related of Heracles, one of their heroes, that at
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a spot where two roads met, he found two maidens
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awaiting him pleasure and virtue. The former spoke flattering words
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to him and promised him a life of enjoyment. The
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latter gravely warned him that many sorrows awaited him, but
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they would be followed by an everlasting reward. Heracles wisely
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followed where this one guided him. Sin, although it leads
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to perdition, is unquestionably most alluring. Virtue is difficult and laborious,
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but it is attended with blessings, the fear of the Lord.
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The practice of virtue is the way to obtain true
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happiness of an earth. That's from Psalms. Much peace have
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they that love the law? That's also from Psalms. Above all,
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the virtuous man would have joy at his latter end.
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And that's either from Ecclesiastes or Sealin. I can't quite
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tell how joyfully Saint Paul spoke of his approaching dissolution
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Seco Timothy for seven. That means his death. By the way,
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nothing can really harm one who loves God. All things,
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however adverses they may appear, work together. Unto good Romans
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eight twenty eight. Many temporal blessings are bestowed upon him
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from Psalms. He is compared by the Psalmist to a
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tree planted by the running waters. A virtuous life contributes
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to one's physical well being. The practice of virtue, moreover,
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enlightens and the understanding and gives intelligence of the teaching
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of Christ. He himself says, if any man would do
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the will of God, he shall know the doctrine, whether
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it be of God John seven seventeen. The practice of
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virtue entitles us to eternal salvation. Also from Psalms, godliness
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has promise of the life that now is and of
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that which is to come first Timothy four eight. Makes
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us rich and honorable in God's sight. She is to
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be preferred before kingdoms and thrones and riches are nothing
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in comparison with her. That's from Wisdom seven eight. And
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as always say, if you don't have a Bible that
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includes the Book of Wisdom, you don't have a real Bible.
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You have a fake, counterfeit Bible. And you need a
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real Bible. It is a treasure which cannot decay or
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be stolen from us. Matthew six point twenty. Noble ancestry,
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high position, etc. Does not make us round before God.
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Virtue alone procures for us in mortal honors, eternal riches,
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and never ending felicity or happiness. Virtue makes us resemble God,
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and it admits us to the friendship of God. If
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we are humble, gentle, generous, and otherwise virtuous, we shall
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be like to Almighty God, and whom is the perfection
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of every virtue. We should therefore be careful to stay
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the divine attributes, that we may imitate them and become
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true children of very heavenly Father. The virtuous man is
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a friend of God. For our Lord says, whoever shall
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do the will of my Father, that is in heaven,
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he is my brother and sister and mother Matthew twelve fifty.
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Similarity of tastes and feelings makes men's friends. Virtue renders
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us beautiful in God's sight. Physical beauty is deceitful in vain.
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That's from Proverbs. I guess thirty one thirty. True beauty
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is out of the heart. All the glory of the
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King's daughter is within. That's from Psalms. This loveliness is
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not apparent now, but it would be made visible one
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day in the winter. All the trees are bare, though
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they are not lifeless, but when the summer comes, they
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are closed with verdant foliage, green leaves. So the virtuous
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now appear insignificant and contemptible. For their true glory, their
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inner self is hidden from humankin from humans. We'll just
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go with that. But when this life is done, those
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who are counted dead shall rise as the son in
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the kingdom of their father. Matthew thirteen forty three. Why
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the wicked, who were deemed happy shaw on morning weep.
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Virtue alone makes us true Christians. The seal of baptism
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is not enough, nor even the sacardotal robe that means
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even the priesthood. A Christian without virtue is a husk
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without a kernel, a spring without water, a vine without
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grapes In vain do we call sells Christians if we
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are not imitators of Christ? And you may remember from
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yesterday's discussion that Protestantism has a false doctrine caused once saved,
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always saved, that you don't have to do anything good,
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you don't have to do anything for charity, and it
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doesn't matter how much you sin. We want you to
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accept Jesus Christ as you're lowered and save, you're forever saved. Well,
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the Bible doesn't say that the Catholic Church never teaches it,
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never taught it, and common sense and logic prove it
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to be false. So one must have virtue, and virtue
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is not an easy thing to attain. Everything virtuous goes
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against concus or what we might call our fallen human nature.
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Concupiscence is our propensity to do bad, to do the
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wrong thing rather than the right thing. There is actually
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going to be a part two on this show on virtue.
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It's it's a long chapter. So when I join you
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again tomorrow, God willing, we will get into the topic
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of the different kinds of Christian virtue. I'm gonna wrap
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this one up now. You'll have a great even hope
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to talk to you tomorrow. Remember the words of Saint
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Padre Pio, pray, hope, and don't worry.