𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓣𝓱𝓮𝓸𝓵𝓸𝓰𝓲𝓬𝓪𝓵 𝓥𝓲𝓻𝓽𝓾𝓮𝓼There are three theological virtues. They are the virtues…
There are three theological virtues. They are the virtues of faith, hope and charity. They are called theological for three different reasons. First, these virtues are related to God. Second, they are given by God. Finally, it is God who reveals these virtues to us and infuses them into the souls of the baptized.
ᴠɪʀᴛᴜᴇ ᴏꜰ ꜰᴀɪᴛʜ
“Faith is the theological virtue by which we believe in God and believe all that he has said and revealed to us, and that Holy Church proposes for our belief, because he is truth itself” (CCC, 1814). If I want to understand life, I need faith. The world around us proposes so many ideas that are untrue and faith is required in order to know what is true.
ᴠɪʀᴛᴜᴇ ᴏꜰ ʜᴏᴘᴇ
“Hope is the theological virtue by which we desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ’s promises and relying not on our own strength, but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit” (CCC, 1817). Hope helps us to trust in God’s promises and it teaches us to rely not on ourselves but on God.
ᴠɪʀᴛᴜᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴄʜᴀʀɪᴛʏ
“Charity is the theological virtue by which we love God above all things for his own sake, and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God” (CCC, 1822). Charity is the greatest of all the virtues. In Heaven, the virtue of charity will remain but we will no longer have need of faith or hope.