This month I want to share some ideas on the practice of virtue. A virtue is a deeply rooted good habit pleasing to God. With it our spiritual life is stable; without it our spiritual life has no roots. And without roots we all know that a tree easily dies and falls.
Let's not deceive ourselves thinking that if we read holy books and attend holy gatherings we are therefore holy. This is not true. For the holy things we read and hear of must extend to the way we live our daily lives. We must put into practice holy ideas, for only knowledge of the ideas does not make us holy, only their practice does.
My friends, you must strive to identify which virtue you need the most. Is it generosity? Is it patience? Trust in God? It is important to know your most serious defect, your most serious obstacle which ties you down from going to God. It's important because how else will you know where to place your most serious effort in giving yourself to God. It is easy to give to God what is easy to give, but He wants what is difficult from you. Do you really love Him? Give Him what is a sacrifice to give. Then He will see that you really love Him.
The practice of virtue is like acquiring bodily strength through the building of the muscles of the body. We can't see an improvement day-to-day, but if we make no effort for a month we notice a decline in strength. The same with virtue. We are only moving ahead through the day-to-day practice of the key virtue we have the greatest need to acquire. Be practical and think it out; what is this virtue and how am I going to practice it each morning, afternoon and evening? Exactly, which concrete acts am I going to perform? Make such a plan and keep it for a long, long time and you will enjoy progress.
I sincerely wish I could visit with each of you personally and help you build your spiritual life with prayer and encouragement, instruction and correction. At this moment I am before Jesus Christ in the Most Blessed Sacrament in our chapel in Rome. It is 4:00 in the morning. My prayer for you right here and right now is what I can do for you. May this make up for the physical distance between us.
(This article appears courtesy of Miles Jesu magazine. To learn more about the Catholic lay institute Miles Jesu, call 1-800-654-7945 or visit their website at www.MilesJesu.com.)
