Penance & Reconciliation and the Virtue of Justice

Posted by Caitlin Sica on Feb 18, 2021 7:12:00 AM

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of a 40-day pilgrimage toward the joy of the Resurrection. On this day, millions of Christians around the world will hear the words, “Remember that thou art dust, and unto dust thou shalt return,” as they are marked with the dust of ashes. Ashes are a sign of pride—we are marked for Christ; and of humility—we are dust, we cannot save ourselves, we need a Savior. More than a dismal season marked by restricted freedoms, Lent offers us the opportunity to come home to Christ. We are given the time and space to examine the parts of our heart that remain stony, and, with the help of our Lord, turn them into flesh. We are presented with a chance to walk in solidarity with Christ as he journeys to the Cross, so that we too might die to self in order to experience new life. 

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Topics: cardinal virtues, Confession, justice, penance, mercy, moral virtue, reconciliation, sacraments, virtue

Confirmation and the Virtue of Fortitude

Posted by Caitlin Sica on Jan 20, 2021 10:08:51 AM

When I was 17, I had to get blood drawn. My mom went with me, and the phlebotomist happened to be an old acquaintance of hers. Making small talk, my mom asked the phlebotomist how her daughters were. She mentioned that one of her daughters was going through Confirmation, albeit reluctantly, and that she was encouraging her daughter to finish it “just in case, you know, she ever wanted to get married in the Church, it’s always a good thing to have in your back pocket.” I was so surprised at her attitude, as was my mother, who delivered some smart remark (ever so politely) about how she was pretty sure Confirmation meant a whole lot more than that. I’m not sure why this memory is so vivid, but I’ve never forgotten it. 

Though this may come as a surprise to some, Confirmation is not about becoming an adult in the Church, or deciding for yourself whether or not you want to remain Catholic, or graduation (read: freedom) from Faith Formation/CCD classes. (If you were ever under the impression that it was, you’re not alone; at one point, I was too.) And it is certainly not just “a good thing to have in your back pocket.”

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Topics: cardinal virtues, moral virtue, sacramental formation, sacraments, virtue, Confirmation

Baptism and the Virtue of Faith

Posted by Caitlin Sica on Jan 13, 2021 7:02:00 AM

As a young girl, I always loved the Sundays when a Baptism took place in the context of the Mass. There were many reasons I found Baptisms captivating; for starters, they punctuated our usual Sunday routine with something out of the ordinary. But more than that, I was drawn up into the joy and the excitement of the sacrament. I loved seeing the little babies, water poured over them, oil lathered on their foreheads, their candles lit, the priest saying “________________, in the name of Christ, we welcome you into the Church,” and the choir singing, “Blessed be God, O blessed be God, who calls you by name, holy and chosen one.” 

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Topics: baptism, faith, moral virtue, sacraments, theological virtues, virtue

"Can TV Make Us Better People?"

Posted by Anna Bradley on Sep 26, 2019 7:03:00 AM

Members of the Notre Dame community gathered in Washington Hall on Monday, September 16 to welcome Mike Schur, creator of NBC’s hit comedies The Good Place and Parks and Recreation. Along with Professor Meghan Sullivan, director of the God and the Good Life Program, and Christine Becker, associate professor of Film, Television, and Theater, Schur was tasked with answering the question:

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Topics: moral virtue, television, The Good Place

Living and Handing on the Faith

The McGrath Institute Blog helps Catholics live and hand on their faith in Jesus Christ, especially in the family, home and parish, and cultivates and inspires everyday leaders to live out the fullness and richness of their faith in the simple, little ways that make up Church life.

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