Translation: Faith makes us stronger

Virtue is not won, it is an achievement
Virtue, from the point of view of behavior modality, makes people and their actions qualify as good. To act virtuously means to realize the true meaning of life; it is to cultivate, to nourish our deepest being that is destined to eternal union with God.

Thomas Merton, a Trappist monk, wrote: “The only true way for me to be myself is to be one with Him. In Him is the ultimate meaning of my existence. Therefore, there is only one problem on which my existence, my peace and my happiness depends, which is to discover myself as I discover God. If I encounter Him, I also find Him, and if I find my true self, I will find Him. ”

Here lies the great mystery: only when we find our true self, can we find our deepest self and true. And, only if we find our true self, can we find God. These two paths are the path of virtue. Obviously, virtue is not won. One can not go to the shop of virtues and buy a package of faith, justice, hope. On the contrary, virtue is acquired in the practice of actions, related to this same virtue, thus we become persons of faith, acting in faith and, almost without realizing it, we have faith. We become bearers of hope if we act with hope, and, acting in a hopeful way, we become people of hope. In this way, the virtues express, on a deep level, what we have become. Let us seek today to practice the virtues concretely.

The Lord bless you!
Your brother,

Wellington Jardim (Eto)
Co-founder of the Canção Nova Community and administrator of the FJPII