Tag: Virtue

Jesus: Truly Obedient to the Father

Posted: by Virginia Lieto

Jesus in Garden

Jesus is the quintessential model for obedience. We see the first example of obedience in Luke 2:49, where we read, “Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” Jesus had an awareness of the Father’s will and was obedient to the calling to discuss scripture with the learned men in the Temple. Yet, on the heels of this statement, in verse 51, we also see that Jesus was obedient to his step-father, St. Joseph and his mother Mary, when once reunited with His parents. Luke tells us, “He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them” (Luke 2:51).

We see another example of Jesus’ obedience to the Father in the passages of the Temptation of Jesus… Read more…

Model of Obedience: Our Blessed Mother

Posted: by Virginia Lieto

Blessed_Mother_1

Obedience, what does it really entail? Everyone always wants to know just how much we can get away with before we are deemed disobedient. Instead, how about giving some thought to what it means to truly obey God, with our free will fully exercised? Does that concept sound daunting? Well, Peter Kreeft offers an excellent definition of obedience to God while fully exercising our free will, and this quote gives me hope that I can be obedient to God:

Since our highest freedom means freedom to be ourselves, we are most free when we are most obedient to God’s will,… Read more…

How Obedient are You to Christ’s Teachings?

Posted: by Virginia Lieto

law-of-god

Obedient

Do you cringe when you hear the word? Does simply hearing the word make you assess how obedient you are in this life; whether it be at work, at home, but most importantly in following Christ’s teachings? I think everyone could easily come to the conclusion that when it comes to being obedient, we could all improve.

There is this natural tension within us to want to rebel; to do things our own way, especially in our ever-growing secular, relativistic society. Being obedient requires us to follow certain laws, or rules, set forth by governing bodies. There are four… Read more…

Finding Patience: A Hare’s Testimonial

Posted: by Virginia Lieto

FHC Pic for Cathy

Meet my guest, Cathy Gilmore, a children’s book writer in her own right. Cathy lends her voice to the blog tour in opining about my new book, Adventures of Faith, Hope, and Charity – Finding Patience.

 

Virginia’s story portrays a family in the midst of a move; with the challenges of a new home, new neighbors, and new schools. The refreshing surprise is the way her characters cope. Difficulties are handled with prayer. Children are pictured generously praying for each other, demonstrating trust in Divine providence. Guided by wise, loving parents, the siblings don’t just ask God to fix their problems, they pray for God to bless them with the virtue, in this case… patience; their need for strength in the midst of trial.

Virginia’s way of personifying virtues, … Read more…

Grateful Hearts: Count Your Blessings!

Posted: by Virginia Lieto
Man holding arms up in praise against golden sunset
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Grateful hearts humbly acknowledge that there is a need to be filled, via the talents of others. We consider it a blessing from God when someone steps up to address the need that we couldn’t otherwise fulfill ourselves. We are grateful to God and to our fellow man for rushing to our aid!

What are you grateful for these days? When was the last time you counted your blessings? I can attest from experience that when I count my blessings and express my gratitude to God, my mood improves. I have had many opportunities to do so, while going through… Read more…

Gratitude is Personal and Reverent

Posted: by Virginia Lieto

gratitude3

Gratitude is personal. Here is an example. If a person needs to take a taxi to the doctor’s office, he simply does so. However, if this person were to receive a ride to the doctor’s office by a neighbor or friend, then this person would most likely feel a sense of gratitude. He/she would express gratitude by saying thank you for the kindness expressed. Therefore, for gratitude to exist, two human beings must be involved; one that gives, without expecting anything in return, and one that receives. “…gratitude is the expression of a personal encounter in human need.” 1 For the giver, an act of kindness, or the striving to meet another’s need, must be voluntary. No sense of quid-pro-quo should exist.

Besides being personal and voluntary, Father Romano Guardini offers a third condition for gratitude in Learning the Virtues That Lead You to God: Read more…

Thank You! Two Words: Never Overused!

Posted: by Virginia Lieto
photo by Dominik Gwarek
photo by Dominik Gwarek

“Thank you” can never be said too much. Gratitude is a sense of thankfulness to God and to your fellow man for kindnesses extended to you, expressed in word or in deed.

Everything good that comes our way is a gift from God. We came into this world with nothing. We leave with nothing. All that we obtain in between comes from God. Therefore, we say thank you to God for meeting our needs and blessing us in abundance; for providing us with possibilities and opportunities. We even say thank you to God for times of… Read more…

Friends are Gifts from God

Posted: by Virginia Lieto

Ginny and Beth Ann

Friends are gifts from God. Think about your life-long best friend for a moment. Why have you been friends for so long? What keeps your relationship so strong? Certain people come into our lives for a time, and then major life changes, like a job change, or a move across country separates you and the friendship wanes. Yet, with your life-long best friend, neither time and/or space seem to matter. Why do you think that is?

Certain relationships can weather… Read more…

A True Friend Loves Without Fail

Posted: by Virginia Lieto

Marital Love

A true friend loves without fail; that is the foundation of true friendship. True friendship requires mutual love between parties. How does a friendship result? First, you identify common interests. Next you perceive desirable character traits in each other. You are drawn to each other, and want to mutually pursue getting to know each other better. Through the interchange of dialogue, you come to know more about each other, and the friendship blossoms. You build trust with each other. Before you know it, you have mutual love for each other, and call each other friend.

The same can be true for our relationship with God. Read more…