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VirTrue: Reverence (Reverentia) a Part of Faith

VirTrue - Helping Man Grow in Truth and Virtue

This episode is brought to you by the Saintmaker from Sophia Institute Press. Integrate your whole life with this personal, spiritual, and professional planner. The Saintmaker has been life-changing for me personally and has been a huge aid in my own journey with the virtues. 👋 Intro In this episode of VirTrue, Jethro Higgins explores the virtue of Reverence, a sub-virtue of Faith that prepares the way for the virtue of Religion. Reverence teaches us to recognize the greatness of God and respond with the honor that is due to Him. ✨ Virtue Description Reverence begins with perception. It is the moment a person realizes he is standing before something greater than himself. When the soul recognizes the majesty of God, it responds with humility, attention, and care. Reverence changes the way Christians approach the Mass, Scripture, sacred spaces, and legitimate authority, reminding us that every moment unfolds before the presence of God. ⚖️ Vice of Deficiency: Contempt Contempt treats what deserves honor as if it were unworthy of it. Instead of recognizing the dignity of God, sacred things, and rightful authority, contempt lowers them. In modern culture this often appears as sarcasm toward religion, casual behavior in church, or speaking about God and holy things without seriousness. ⚖️ Vice of Excess: Credulity Credulity gives reverence too easily and without discernment. It assumes that anything which appears spiritual must automatically deserve honor. Instead of testing whether something truly comes from God, reverence is attached to personalities, rumors, emotional experiences, or supposed spiritual signs. 🪞 Personal Reflection Jethro reflects on how reverence was formed through growing up in a traditional Catholic family and serving as an altar boy. While reverence often came naturally, modern habits such as socializing inside the church after Mass reveal how easily sacred spaces can be treated as ordinary. 🌍 The Secular Perspective Even cultures that reject traditional religion still demonstrate reverence toward something. Today many people place that reverence in ideas like autonomy, science, data, or personal experience. When reverence is not directed toward God and holy things, it is often redirected toward other perceived authorities. Tells Us What You Think Share your thoughts on this episode in the comments whereever you are listening or wacthing from. VirTrue is only possible because of listeners like you. Consider becoming a paid subscriber and help us to continue sharing the virtues with the world. 🕊️ Example Saint: St. John Vianney St. John Vianney (1786 to 1859), the Curé of Ars, lived with profound reverence for the Eucharist and the sacred mysteries of the Church. Through prayer, careful celebration of the Mass, and long hours hearing confessions, he helped restore reverence in a parish that had grown spiritually indifferent. 🙏 Act of Reverence O my God, You alone are holy and worthy of all honor. I will approach Your presence with humility and attention. I will treat Your holy name, Your Church, and Your sacred mysteries with the honor they deserve. I will show proper respect to those who share in the authority You have established. Keep my heart from contempt that lowers what is sacred, and from credulity that gives reverence where it is not due. With Your grace, I will strive to live each day mindful that I stand always before You. Amen. 🛡️ Closing Prayer Lord, bless us with faith, hope, love, prudence, temperance, fortitude, and justice that we may live as you intended man to live, in all virtue and righteousness. Help us to flee from sin, and avoid all temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil. Protect us with a spiritual hedge in front of us, behind us, above us, below us, to our right, and to our left, within us, and all around us, and seal it with the blood of your precious Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Help us to keep you in everything that we think, say, and do. Amen. Go out and fill the world with virtue, deus vult! Follow Us on Social Media and Popular Podcast Networks: Get full access to The Social Catholic at socialcatholic.substack.com/subscribe