To have faith is to believe in God, in all that he has said and revealed to us, and in all that the Church proposes for our belief (CCC 1814). A fundamental aspect of faith is prayer, in which one raises his/her mind and heart to God (CCC 2559) in response to God's call (CCC 2567). 

Therefore, we strive to live the virtue of faith by praying as we can every day. How one prays isn't as important as taking time to focus on prayer. However, for anyone seeking help with prayer, consider these Prayers:

• Start the day with the Morning Offering prayer.

• Pray with the Scriptures using the ancient Lectio Divina method of prayer.

• Reflect on the Incarnation of Christ with the Angelus prayer.

• Participate in the daily prayer of the Church with the Liturgy of the Hours.

• Meditate on specific events in the life of Jesus and Mary with the Rosary.

• Invoke God's mercy by praying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.

• Pray St. Thomas Aquinas's Prayer to Acquire the Virtues for help with growing in virtue.

• Pray the Examen at bedtime to review your effort in striving to live virtuously today.

Hope is the virtue by which we persevere through adversity and avoid discouragement or despair (CCC 1818). Because we are made by God to be in community with each other, we are called to "bear one another's burdens" (Galations 6:2) and to encourage others in the same way we are encouraged by God (2 Corinthians 1:4).

Therefore, we strive to live the virtue of hope by connecting with someone every day by:

• Talking and listening to someone for a DVR in person or on the phone.

• Being attentive to someone in need.

• Seeking additional help:

  • Work with a certified spiritual director for guidance on the spiritual journey.

  • Get professional counseling from a licensed therapist to address psychological pain and trauma.

  • Work with a life coach who can facilitate continuous improvement.

"The practice of all the virtues is animated and inspired by charity" (CCC 1827). Jesus also summarized all the commandments with charity (love). "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments" (Matthew 22:37-40).

Therefore, we strive to live the virtue of charity by demonstrating love every day for others by:

• Strengthening relationships at home, work, or elsewhere.

• Performing corporal works of mercy (ie. feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, shelter the homeless, visit the sick, visit the prisoners, bury the dead, give alms to the poor)

• Performing spiritual works of mercy (ie. counsel the doubtful, instruct the ignorant, admonish the sinner, comfort the sorrowful, forgive injuries, bear wrongs patiently, pray for the living and the dead)

Prudence is the virtue that "guides the other virtues" and enables us to "apply moral principles to particular cases without error and overcome doubts about the good to achieve and the evil to avoid" (CCC 1806). It is like making a plan based on lessons learned and acting on that plan with the knowledge of what lies ahead. The plan doesn't need to be perfect, but failing to plan is planning to fail. Or as General George S. Patton Jr. once said, "A good plan, violently executed now, is better than a perfect plan next week."

Therefore, we strive to live the virtue of prudence by planning & reviewing virtuous habits every day by:

• Documenting what we're planning to do to live the virtues of Faith, Hope, Charity, Justice, Fortitude, and Temperance.

• Tracking our progress throughout the day on doing what we planned to do for these virtues.

• Reviewing the results at the end of the day and reflect on what helped or hindered progress.

The virtue of justice enables us to be in right relationship with God and neighbor (CCC 1807). To do this, we must give due respect to God and others. Therefore, we strive to live the virtue of justice by giving due respect to God and others every day. 

• Examples of giving due respect to God:

  • Practice the Precepts of the Church (ie. attend Mass, go to Confession, receive the Eucharist, observe days of fasting/abstinence, support the Church). Find a nearby location for Mass, Confession, or Adoration.

  • Read the Daily Bible Readings and/or participating in a regular Bible study.

  • Read the Catechism of the Catholic Church to understand the teachings of the Church.

• Examples of giving due respect to others:

  • Perform your job to best of your ability.

  • Think, speak, and act toward others in ways that respect their human dignity as children of God.

  • Control your response to others' words or actions to align with how Jesus would respond.

Fortitude "ensures firmness in difficulties and constancy in the pursuit of good" and "strengthens the resolve to resist temptations and to overcome obstacles in the moral life" (CCC 1808). Therefore, we strive to live the virtue of fortitude by doing something difficult every day. Some ways to do this are by:

• Making progress with something you've been procrastinating.

• Breaking down a difficult task into more manageable sub-tasks.

• Seeking help from others as necessary.

The virtue of temperance "directs the sensitive appetites toward what is good and maintains a healthy discretion" (CCC 1809). Likewise, a temperate person refrains from an unhealthy habit and replaces it with a healthy habit.

Therefore, we strive to live the virtue of temperance by replacing unhealthy habits every day with new habits like:

• Getting proper rest, nutrition, and exercise.

• Reading to increase your knowledge.

• Managing your finances responsibly.

• Spending more time with people, places, & things that encourage virtue.

• Spending less time with people, places, & things that encourage vice.