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Following in the footsteps of the Acts of the
Apostles, written by St. Luke, Shepherd's Cross Christian Helps Ministry
exists by the grace of God to further the first century Apostolic tradition
serving in the Great Commission. |
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Virtue and Vice: An Introduction
By taking sources from many of Lewis’s classic literary works, Klein has brought about, by a course of action, an alphabetical dictionary on the subject of virtue and vice. An index of Lewis’s quoted sources is found in the Harper San Francisco published reference book on page ninety-five. My first goal is to read Klein’s book. Second, after reading Lewis’s written words that he pondered upon, to prayerfully reflect on the meaning given by the late founder of the Inklings. Third, intermittently chose words from the many Ms Klein has placed in her edited edition for composing a “reflective essay”—a piece of writing to complete at the end of this spiritual exercise — in order to have an opportunity to look back on what thoughts resulted during times of silence in solitude. As you read these many essay titles, you will undoubtedly be interested in some and less interested in others. I tell my students, “If you are stuck on a test question go to the next. You may always return to the skipped over questions.” I share with you the reader this same free advice. You will find at the end of each topic a set of home practice, as I like to refer to homework. Upon completion, you may share with me via of email, city_of_david_outreach@yahoo.com . The virtues are Faith, Hope, Charity, Fortitude, Justice, Prudence and Temperance. When I hear about the subject of the virtues, I think back to my parochial educational days at St. Mary’s Elementary School in California. My early education was formed as the Sisters of St Joseph in Orange taught me. When I think about the subject of the virtues, I further recall my beloved first grade teacher, The Wonderologist, as she was fondly called later in her life, Sr. Marie Margarita. Sister first taught me the virtues as an educator and later as an adult continuing contact with her by example reflected through her Christian vocation. Virtue, for these written exercises, will be defined as, conformity to a standard of right, a particular moral excellence. I would also like to suggest a definition for Sin as being the absence of truth and the absence of love. I offer this definition for Vice as being the pursuit of life, of liberty and of happiness with the absence of being in the will of the Creator, God. I define God as the Blessed, Holy Trinity, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. “Now as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.” St. Mark 12:26 Okay, on with the adventure! |
