Author: Virginia Lieto

You can find Virginia blogging about the virtues at virginialieto.com. Virginia has a Master of Arts Degree in Pastoral Theology. She is an adjunct professor of Theology at Saint Joseph’s College of Maine. Virginia is the author of a children's book titled, "Adventures of Faith, Hope and Charity - Finding Patience." Virginia is also a public speaker on the Catholic faith. She lives in Harrisburg, NC with her husband Nick.

Receiving Christmas Joy – Guest Blog by Father Paul Buchanan

Posted: by Virginia Lieto

As a Christmas present from me to you, I offer you a homily about receiving Christmas Joy, written by a very good friend of mine, Father Paul Buchanan, who gave the following homily on Christmas day last year to parishioners at my church. At the time, Father Paul was a Transitional Deacon. He has since been ordained to the priesthood on June 28, 2014, and now serves at Saint Matthew Church, in Charlotte, NC.

Receiving Christmas Joy

Joy to the world! The Lord is come. We all know the line from the carol. But why do we rejoice on Christmas day? It’s not just “because God became a man” – although that is a wondrous thing, and an awesome thing… but it can also be an abstract thing. Something that makes us joyful, …Read More

Choose Joy and Be Happy

Posted: by Virginia Lieto

Choose joy and be happy this Christmas season. How so, when all around you there is violence, pain and strife? It is really not that difficult, because attitude is everything! If you are the type of person who counts your blessings, rather than focus on what’s wrong with life, then you are more inclined to experience Christ’s joy within you. This is the time of year when we usually take the time to reflect on the past twelve months and count our blessings. Let me share with you, the ones I find most important, that I think we can all be grateful for: Read more…

Joy Defined – Joy Awaits You

Posted: by Virginia Lieto

Are you searching for true joy? Has joy been missing from your life, or that of a loved one?

Joy is both a virtue and a fruit of the Holy Spirit. It provides an experience of happiness parallel to nothing else; a sense of deep contentment and satisfaction.

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI shared his thoughts on this virtue in his 2012 address at World Youth day, where he stated, Read more…

Poor and Homeless Need Compassion

Posted: by Virginia Lieto

What can be done to alleviate the suffering of the poor and homeless? How can one person make a meaningful difference? Caring for the poor and homeless requires that we first acknowledge that the poor and homeless exist and need assistance from you and me. Leaving the task to someone else means that we lack compassion and have only pity.

Watch this very interesting, short video, from the New York City Rescue Mission. It has received over 5 million views. I hope it has the same affect on you that it had on me: to raise your self-awareness of the plight of the poor and homeless. Read more at…

Compassion for the Sick and Elderly

Posted: by Virginia Lieto

How can you support the sick and elderly by alleviating their suffering and pain? There are several ways to accomplish this that are up for discussion today. As with all acts of compassion, there are differing degrees of commitment of your time, talent and treasure that can be spent on the sick and elderly. I’ll start with the easy ways, and work my way up to the intense means of acting with compassion. Read more…

Support Local Children – Practice Compassion

Posted: by Virginia Lieto

How do you support local children? Where are the opportunities in your neighborhood or state to act with compassion? How can you enter the sphere of suffering to do what you can to alleviate that suffering, without forming judgment? Keep in mind, that at times the call to compassion may take little effort, and then again, sometimes the Lord is calling some of us to do what we think might be daunting. With that in mind, I’ll start with the easy suggestions and work my way up to the daunting ways in which you can support local children: …Read more

Sponsor a Child – Practice Compassion

Posted: by Virginia Lieto

What a difference you could make if you were to sponsor a child! It is within your power to alleviate the suffering of a child.

Sponsor a Child

Back in 2005, we had a visiting priest come and speak to our parish about the opportunity to sponsor a child in a third world country, where living conditions were deplorable, yet the faith was ablaze. After Mass, I stopped by the table. I saw this picture of a small little Guatemalan girl, named Heydi, age 7. She was dressed in a simple little dress, yet she had no smile. She stole my heart! I immediately entered her sphere of suffering and wanted to do whatever I could to alleviate that suffering. There were many pictures on the table of children in need just like Heydi, but for some reason it was… Read more…

Embracing Compassion – Step into the Suffering

Posted: by Virginia Lieto

Does embracing compassion come easy to you? Or, do fears, doubts and past hurts get in your way and inhibit you from alleviating the suffering of others?

Embracing compassion: “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me” (Matt 25:40). Do you need any additional rationale for embracing compassion? When you care for those who suffer, you minister to the Lord, Himself! Jesus states this exhortation slightly differently, yet appeals with the same message in Matt 10:42 where He says, “ And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because he is a disciple – amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.” Jesus is telling us that we have each been called to be compassionate to our fellow man, in the same manner as Jesus demonstrated compassion during His time on earth.
As humans, we are, by nature, social beings, meant to live in communion with each other. Therefore, we are called by Christ to have…Read more… 

What is Christ-like Compassion?

Posted: by Virginia Lieto

What is Christ-like compassion? How often do we act like the Good Samaritan in our everyday lives? Are we good at expressing pity, but not compassion?

Compassion is defined as the desire to alleviate the suffering of another; to give care and concern. Compassion differs from pity in that compassion requires an act of charity, whereas pity requires only a feeling of sorrow for someone else’s suffering/situation. To have true compassion for someone means that you step into the sphere of suffering, without forming judgment, and you do what you can to alleviate the suffering of someone else. Sounds a little Christ-like, doesn’t it? Read more…

Practicing Gentleness – A Treasured Virtue

Posted: by Virginia Lieto

Practicing gentleness requires strength. Sounds contradictory doesn’t it, since most people equate gentleness with weakness?

Practicing gentleness first requires an assessment of one’s own behavior. Truthfulness and self-awareness should be at the heart of this assessment. If you determine that you are routinely aggressive, or overly assertive, than gentleness is needed. Expressions of aggressive behavior are emotionally based, not reason based, where decisions and reactions stem from emotion, not facts.

How many times have you watched the Dr. Phil show and heard him say to someone acting in an aggressive or overly assertive manner, “How’s that been working for you?” He knows that aggressive/overly-assertive behavior does not produce wanted results.

Practicing gentleness requires…Read more…