7 Days of Virtue; Day 4 – Temperance
Think of virtues like your muscles. You work your muscles out so that they can perform for you when needed. Virtue is the same way. You practice, work on the virtue and then, when the time comes, the virtue is there and ready.
Day 4 of the 7 Day Journey through the Virtues: DAY 4 – TEMPERANCE.
Temperance moderates our attraction to pleasure. This can be any form of pleasure… physical, emotional, sexual, mental, spiritual, etc. There is an opposing vice that we should stay away from… insensibility (the complete rejection of any pleasure). Pleasure, in and of itself, is not bad, as long as it is ordered and moderated. There are three major vices that go along with temperance that we all deal with, in one way or another; it is NOT manly to indulge in these sins!
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Gluttony – inordinate consumption of food and/or drink. If they need a fork lift to come get you from the booth to your car, you ate too much. We are incredibly guilty of this in America with our portion sizes. A way to fight gluttony is by fasting.
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Drunkenness – hinders our reason. Drinking to excess means that we are willingly depriving ourselves of our reason (St. Thomas Aquinas). A HUGE problem in our culture. Men, drunkenness is not manly. Being able to stop after 1 or 2 drinks is manly and it doesn’t just mean you do this when you are driving. This is at home, at a party, with a DD, where ever. Losing all ability to think, function, act and control yourself is cowardly. Be a man, put the drink down.
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Lust – is destructive and causes harm. Sex, like fire, is a good thing – in context. If a fire gets out of control, it destroys. If it is used how it is intended, it gives off warmth and can be used to cook. Sex is the same way… if we make the choice to be chaste, we are ordering our sexuality in the way that God intended. Don’t be fooled by society, lust is destructive. Everyone’s NOT doing it – there are those of use who strive for it who are living chaste lives, even in our marriages. St. Thomas Aquinas said: “A man who gives into his lust has weaknesses. From this weakness means that he will give into his passions. He is not free to love.” Are you weak? Be virtuous, control your sexuality, don’t let it control you.
Temperance guides us so that we do not fall into these sins. Being temperate means that we know when enough is enough, too much or sinful.
Man up!
