October 28, 2011
Virtues of the Human Heart and Spirit
The Virtue of Temperance
Scott Whitehouse, a theology teacher at Mater Dei High School in Evansville, engaged his senior students in a project, assigning them to write essays on the “Virtues of the Human Heart and Spirit.”
The assignment included the guidance to “write a one page essay on the merits of the value assigned and offering suggestions on ways that value can be developed to enhance a person’s daily life.”
Students were free to include their own opinions and to challenge the readers to live in accord with the virtue.
Essays have been submitted to the Message on chastity, temperance, charity, diligence, patience, kindness and humility. Selected essays will be published on an occasional basis in the Message.
Jenna Kruse
Temperance, or moderation or self-restraint in action, statement, comes into play in many situations throughout life. “Self expression is good, self- control is great.” This quote, written by an anonymous author, sums up everything that temperance stands for.
Temperance in life situations can be something as small as keeping your mouth closed when you want to say something mean to someone like mother always says, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” Temperance can also be used in more challenging situations such as restraining yourself from retaliating when someone has hurt you. Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:39 that we are to turn the other cheek.
Temperance is a virtue that is important to the youth of today and the future. If parents bestow the virtue of temperance in their children at a young age, these children are more apt to make better decisions all around and act in a just manor with appropriate actions. If everyone was to live their life with temperance, the world would be a better place, a place of peace, the way God intended for us to live. There would be no gangs, drugs, fighting, or war. Those involved in those bad situations would realize the severity and wrongfulness of their actions and would cease.
Temperance is seen every day in many shapes and forms, big or small, and impacts everyone’s life. If developed, little by little, we can put an end to many negative actions in the world and work towards a better tomorrow. Temperance is a little thing that can make a big difference.
Zach Schapker
. . . A person that lives off of less even though they may have the means of a better living probably shows a great amount of temperance. If a person is constantly volunteering to help the less fortunate people, they are showing a good deal of temperance. A temperate person is actually pretty easy to spot these days because it seems as if people have shied away from practicing it.
Reed Rexing
. . . Although the consumption of alcohol is the major problem with the youth of today, we also need to show temperance in television, texting, social net-working, and even in eating.
Jamie Logel
. . . It is okay to go out for ice cream every once in a while, but not every night. Also, I can watch television, but I don’t need to watch it for eight hours.
Kirstin Ethridge
Although many people in today’s society do not practice the virtue of temperance, it is still relevant. Temperance, or self-control, gives a person restraint in difficult situations. In times when someone might otherwise choose to fight, temperance keeps his or her temper in check. It helps one to understand when to speak and when to remain silent and how to use words effectively without harming others. It also urges a person to give of themselves to society instead of only worrying about their own earthly pleasures such as food or money.
Without temperance, a person has gluttonous tendencies. Over-consumption of food, wealth, and natural resources runs rampant in modern society. In the United States, the picture ofgluttony seems to be the top one percent of the population; the upper class controls thirty-eight percent of the nation’s wealth. However, the middle class also plays a role in the greed of the nation. Those who have the ability to use fewer resources such as food and clothing have the responsibility to consume less so that the poor can receive a fair share of the wealth.
Although high school students may not be able to control the distribution of money, as many do not yet have jobs, they should still show temperance in their daily lives. Because Mater Dei is a small school, it feels as though everyone is in everyone else’s business, myself included.
Gossip runs rampant. It feels difficult to avoid talking about other people behind their backs, especially when an exciting or dramatic event occurs within the Mater Dei community. Few students at Mater Dei would say that they gossiped in order to hurt each other, but hearsay can cause unnecessary trouble. The Book of Sirach says, “Let anything you hear die within you; be assured it will not make you burst.” In the end, temperance makes a person more friends than enemies. It should be practiced in all parts of today’s society.
Paul Elpers
. . . I should learn to keep the virtue of temperance in my life because it can give me an attitude that I need to act more Christ-like in my daily life. The vice to temperence, gluttony, is not only detrimental to my health, but it is also a sin because I am not respecting myself as a temple of the Holy Spirit. In fact, it is included in the list of deadly sins, which are all based on self-centered mentalities.
Katie Clements
. . . Temperance, like most other virtues, is something to build within oneself. It is also a way of thinking, therefore making this virtue more internal and difficult for others to see.
Jessica Kelley
A virtue is a moral standard to be desired in people. Virtues, however, can waver when a person’s mind and judgment are constantly thrown into vices of virtues. Among the virtues reinforced in the New Testament, temperance is one to preserve with an audacious spirit. Temperance is the practice of self-control, honor, justice and consideration even when threatened by society.
With time come new inventions, new research, new trends and new standards. Today’s standards have demonstrated an attitude of greed and only looking out for oneself. It can be seen anywhere from television to music to the grocery store or the hallways of a school. These types of practices gradually break down the moral standards set by parents, teachers and even each individual person. These distractions call for a bold spirit with temperance to challenge what is being performed by society. The youth of today will not be able to coexist peacefully without temperance. Without a sense of consideration for other people or justice for what is morally right, the future generations would be led to destruction. It might lead to scenarios as big as war between countries, a small fight in a hallway or perhaps hurting someone.
Without temperance there can be no respect; no respect for emotions, traditions and no respect for one’s own being.
Temperance can be practiced by simply helping someone pick up something they dropped or standing up for someone who is offended by a rude remark. Little actions such as these will lead to bigger actions such as peace. It has worked in the past because the human race is still here today. For generations to continue, they have to look back at what has been done and understand the failures and triumphs and then practice the virtue of temperance to a better life.
I thank those who help me every day in my life. No matter what the struggle is, there seems to be someone always there to help. Whether the people helping realize it or not, they are exemplifying humility. They put me, along with my problems, in front of their lives, to help. There aren’t words to describe how grateful I am for that. If everyone acted as though someone else was more important than them, and helped, without any expectations of a gift in return, the world we live in today may be a better place.
Andrew Emmert
. . . Temperance helps me to hold myself back when I want to say something mean or to tailgate someone that is driving recklessly. It helps me to make smarter decisions and to keep me out of trouble. What are you going to do differently in your life to control yourself in difficult situations?