Virtues and vices (19). The poison of self-sufficiency

To know

“It exists in the Human nature “an incredible potential to do good” (Martin Luther King Jr). The person was created to achieve that plenitude. That is holiness. For this, the virtues they play a fundamental role. After reflecting on the four cardinal virtues, prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance, the Pope Francisco adds that they are not enough for divine plenitude, the assistance of the Holy Spirit that infuses the three theological virtues: faith, hope and charity. They are theological because God He grants them and they refer to Him. They will be discussed separately in the coming weeks.

The virtues cardinals were perfected and purified when Christianity arrived. Sometimes it is not easy to recognize the good, but for this we have the great Guide: the Holy Spiritwho also strengthens us to achieve it.

To think

If the good is lived, separated from the Holy Spiritone can fall into pride and commit injustices. Some saints have suffered persecution from those who did good, as the Lord says: “The time will come when anyone who kills them will believe that he is doing a service to them.” God” (Jn 16, 2). This happened to Saint Charles Borromeo, from the 16th century. He promoted the reforms of the Council of Trent. But within the “Order of the Humiliated”, they planned to assassinate him and one of their members shot him at point-blank range with his firearm. He miraculously came out unharmed and forgave. The good Christian, on the other hand, lives in the Holy Spirit and humbly follows Jesus.

To live

The pride it’s a poison powerful: just one drop is enough to ruin an entire life marked by good. If a person performs good deeds and receives praise, but does so only to exalt himself, he is not virtuous.

As Cicero says: “If we do good out of interest, we will be clever, but never good.” The antidote to self-sufficiency are theological virtues, infused by the Holy Spirit in baptism and the Sacraments to act as children of God and deserve eternal life.

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