Prudence and Fortitude

CCC 1806  
Prudence is the virtue that disposes practical reason to discern our true good in every circumstance and to choose the right means of achieving it; "the prudent man looks where he is going." (Prov 14:15) "Keep sane and sober for your prayers."(1 Pet 4:7) Prudence is "right reason in action," writes St. Thomas Aquinas, following Aristotle.  It is not to be confused with timidity or fear, nor with duplicity or dissimulation. It is called auriga virtutum (the charioteer of the virtues); it guides the other virtues by setting rule and measure. It is prudence that immediately guides the judgment of conscience. The prudent man determines and directs his conduct in accordance with this judgment. With the help of this virtue we apply moral principles to particular cases without error and overcome doubts about the good to achieve and the evil to avoid. 

CCC 1808  
Fortitude is the moral virtue that ensures firmness in difficulties and constancy in the pursuit of the good. It strengthens the resolve to resist temptations and to overcome obstacles in the moral life. The virtue of fortitude enables one to conquer fear, even fear of death, and to face trials and persecutions. It disposes one even to renounce and sacrifice his life in defense of a just cause. "The Lord is my strength and my song." (Ps 118:14). "In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." (Jn 16:33)

These are 2 of the 4 cardinal virtues mentioned in the Cathecism of the Catholic Church (CCC). Learning about prudence and fortitude helped me especially during this time of discernment.

The 4 cardinal virtues, namely: prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance are human virtues that can be achieved by anyone - Christians and non-Christians. 

The other 3 theological virtues, namely: faith, hope and charity, on the other hand relates directly to God.

Read more here...   

I dreamed a dream

This was played on the radio a while ago and it took me back to the December of 2005 when I sang this song during a Christmas Musical:

I dreamed a dream in time gone by
When hope was high
And life worth living
I dreamed that love would never die
I dreamed that God would be forgiving

But the tigers come at night
With their voices soft as thunder
As they tear your hope apart
And they turn your dream to shame

And still I dream he'll come to me
That we will live the years together
But there are dreams that cannot be
And there are storms we cannot weather

I had a dream my life would be
So different from this hell I'm living
So different now from what it seemed
Now life has killed the dream I dreamed. 

Musical by: Les Miserables 

In the Bleak Midwinter‏

This song came to my mind as I wrote my last post:

 

In the bleak midwinter, frost wind made moan, 

Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow, 

In the bleak midwinter, long ago.

Our God, heaven cannot hold him, nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away when he comes to reign.
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.

Angels and archangels may have gathered there,
Cherubim and Seraphim thronged the air;
But his mother only, in her maiden bliss, 

Worshiped the beloved with a kiss.

What can I give him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;
Yet what I can I give him: Give my heart.

Alas, as Jesus said, "In the world you have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)

The winter of my life

The coldness and bleakness of winter

The snow flakes falling onto the ground

The loneliness in the shades of white

But beyond the horizon

The sun dawns

And shows her glory

Soon the snow will melt

To give way to spring

When flowers will bloom again

Hope

A new beginning

 Where in God's hands I am

Janice Tan, 2011

Nuts for buttons!

What's the worst problem today?

Blessed Mother Teresa said, "Further it is the custom in our Society, and my known wish, that the Sisters receive Holy Communion on the tongue, which to my knowledge they are doing everywhere" (Mother Theresa, India 1995; Athi Thoothan Editor, Aquinas, p. 13, Vol 2, No 1 March 2000).

"Not very long ago I said Mass and preached for their Mother, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, and after breakfast we spent quite a long time talking in a little room. Suddenly, I found myself asking her -- don't know why -- 'Mother, what do you think is the worst problem in the world today?' She more than anyone could name any number of candidates: famine, plague, disease, the breakdown of the family, rebellion against God, the corruption of the media, world debt, nuclear threat, and so on. 

"Without pausing a second she said, 'Wherever I go in the whole world, the thing that makes me the saddest is watching people receive Communion in the hand.'" 

(Father George William Rutler, Good Friday, 1989 in St. Agnes Church, New York City, a precise transcript taken from a tape of his talk available from St. Agnes Church. Note: Fr. Emerson of the Fraternity of St. Peter was also a witness to this statement by Blessed Mother Teresa)

Is bread and wine really Christ?

  
John 6: 53-58

 Jesus replied to them: In all truth I tell you, if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Anyone who does eat my flesh and drink my blood has eternal life, and I shall raise that person up on the last day.

For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me and I live in that person. 

As the living Father sent me and I draw life from the Father, so whoever eats me will also draw life from me. This is the bread which has come down from heaven; it is not like the bread our ancestors ate: they are dead, but anyone who eats this bread will live for ever.

And this is the reason why we, Catholics, believe that the Holy Communion we receive is the True Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. It's so important that Jesus mentioned it 3 times in a row!

Ave Regina Caelorum

This is the first attempt of Companions of the Bride's recording. Pray that there'll be more to come!

We have sung the last part on a lower note to give it a more reverential finish.

Ave Regina Caelorum is one of four Marian antiphons, with following versicles and prayers, traditionally said or sung after each of the canonical hours of the Liturgy of the Hours. The prayer is used especially after Compline, the final canonical hour of prayer before going to sleep. It is said from the Feast of the Presentation (February 2) through Wednesday of Holy Week

Latin text with translations as below:

AVE, Regina caelorum, Ave, Domina Angelorum: Salve, radix, salve, porta, Ex qua mundo lux est orta:	HAIL, O Queen of Heav'n enthron'd, Hail, by angels Mistress own'd Root of Jesse, Gate of morn, Whence the world's true light was born.
Gaude, Virgo gloriosa, Super omnes speciosa, Vale, o valde decora, Et pro nobis Christum exora.	Glorious Virgin, joy to thee, Lovliest whom in Heaven they see, Fairest thou where all are fair! Plead with Christ our sins to spare.

Totally adorable!