The three theological virtues

The theological virtues are three: faith, hope and charity. They are called theological because they come from God and lead us straight to him (theos is Greek for God). We don’t earn them by our own effort: God places them in our souls at Baptism, and they grow as we practice them. Saint Paul names them together and says that the greatest of the three is charity (1 Corinthians 13:13).

1. Faith

   Believing in God and in all that he has told us, because he is truth itself and never misleads us. We live it by praying, learning the faith and sharing it.

2. Hope

   Trusting that God wants to bring us to heaven and gives us the help to get there, even when things go wrong.

3. Charity

   Loving God above all things, and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God. It is the greatest of the virtues, and it gives life to all the others.

The theological virtues are the root of the cardinal virtues, which we gain by our own effort and God’s help. An old set of symbols shows them: a cross for faith, an anchor for hope and a heart for charity.

To read more, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 1812, 1813, 1814, 1817, 1822.

The feast that goes with this topic

September 8Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre

In the app, the lesson “Faith: saying yes to God” in Unit 1 goes with this topic.