294 PASSIONS ORDERED TO THE GOOD BECOME VIRTUES

YOUCAT Lesson 294

YOUCAT the catechism for Catholic youth

294  Is someone a sinner if he experiences strong passions within himself?

No, passions can be very valuable.  They are designed to lead to and reinforce good actions; only when they are disordered do the passions contribute to evil.  [1767-1770, 1773-1775]

Painting: …..Jesus’ agony in the Garden of Gethsemane.  …..”From all My wounds, like from streams, mercy flows for souls, but the wound in My Heart is the fountain of unfathomable mercy.  From this fountain spring all graces for souls.  The flames of compassion burn Me.  I desire greatly to pour them out upon souls.  Speak to the whole world about My mercy.” –Diary, #1190, St. Maria Faustina Kowalska …..294

Passions that are ordered to the good become virtues.  They then become the motive force of a life of fighting for love and justice.  Passions that overpower a person rob him of his freedom and entice him to evil, we call vice.  396

 “Virtue is what one does passionately; vice is what one cannot stop doing because of passion.”   St. Augustine (354-430)

1767-1770, 1773-1775

II. PASSIONS AND MORAL LIFE

…….1767   In themselves passions are neither good nor evil. They are morally qualified only to the extent that they effectively engage reason and will. Passions are said to be voluntary, "either because they are commanded by the will or because the will does not place obstacles in their way."( St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae I-II,24,1 corp. art.)⁴⁴ It belongs to the perfection of the moral or human good that the passions be governed by reason.( Cf. St. Thomas Aquinas, STh I-II,24,3.)⁴⁵ –CCC

…….1768   Strong feelings are not decisive for the morality or the holiness of persons; they are simply the inexhaustible reservoir of images and affections in which the moral life is expressed. Passions are morally good when they contribute to a good action, evil in the opposite case. The upright will orders the movements of the senses it appropriates to the good and to beatitude; an evil will succumbs to disordered passions and exacerbates them. Emotions and feelings can be taken up into the virtues or perverted by the vices. --CCC

…….1769   In the Christian life, the Holy Spirit himself accomplishes his work by mobilizing the whole being, with all its sorrows, fears and sadness, as is visible in the Lord's agony and passion. In Christ human feelings are able to reach their consummation in charity and divine beatitude. --CCC

…….1770   Moral perfection consists in man's being moved to the good not by his will alone, but also by his sensitive appetite, as in the words of the psalm: "My heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God."( Psalm 84:2.)⁴⁶ –CCC

IN BRIEF

…….1773   In the passions, as movements of the sensitive appetite, there is neither moral good nor evil. But insofar as they engage reason and will, there is moral good or evil in them. --CCC

…….1774   Emotions and feelings can be taken up in the virtues or perverted by the vices. –CCC

…….1775   The perfection of the moral good consists in man's being moved to the good not only by his will but also by his "heart." --CCC