to the Logos-form

Mary bore the Word in her womb and became the Mother of the Incarnate Word. It is the Word that is the Origin, development, and the completion of every life form. The beauty of all creation resides in the Word. The longing/ the groaning of all creation is a sacred journey from the state of a unique being in creation into the state of the Word. Mary now fully participates in the Word that she once carried in her womb; all beauty and brightness now become her garment. She makes it her continuous prayer that the Word’s harmony and communion be manifest in every living thing, in all peoples, conscience of all humanity, and throughout all of history.

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God-consciousness - Life of Virtues

Virtues are the beauty of human life, aiming at flourishing. A virtue is a stable and firm disposition to do good. Today, it is rooted in a response to the challenges of modern life, the fragmentation of meaning, and the pursuit of an authentic, integrated self.

The scholastic tradition organized virtues into a hierarchy.

Human Virtues (Moral Virtues):

These are the foundational virtues that allow us to live well in community. They include prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance. They are accessible to human reason and are about ordering our passions and actions toward a good life.

Christian Virtues (Theological Virtues):

These are specifically Christian virtues: faith, hope, and charity (love). They are infused by God and direct our will toward God as their ultimate end.

In the context of a theological framework, moral virtues are perfected by the theological virtues, following the principle grace builds on nature. For example, without charity, prudence can become mere calculation, and justice can become rigid legalism.

The Will

The scholastic view of the will is that it is a rational appetite, free to choose, but also in need of proper formation. Intellect discerns and knows the truth factor. Will choses.

The Habit Loop

Your framework of a habit loop—trigger, process, reward— Trigger: The trigger is a cue that tells your brain to go into an automatic mode and which habit to use. Triggers can be almost anything: a time of day, a particular location, a specific person, a preceding action, or a certain emotional state. For example, seeing a donut shop (location) might trigger the urge to buy a donut. Process: This is the routine or behavior itself. In a habit, the process is what you do in response to the trigger. This is the behavior you want to automate. For example, stopping the car, going inside, and purchasing the donut. The process is the action that the brain links to the trigger. Reward: The reward is the positive reinforcement that makes the brain decide that this particular loop is worth remembering for the future. The reward can be physical, emotional, or social (a compliment from a friend). The reward satisfies the craving and tells, "This is good; let's do it again."

God's Influence: A Transcendent Frame of Reference

God consciousness transforms this understanding of virtue by introducing a transcendent motive and a divine exemplar.

Transcendent motive:

The concept of God gives a higher purpose to the moral virtues. For a believer, acting justly is not just about social harmony; it is about reflecting God's own justice in the world. Being courageous is not merely about overcoming fear for one's own good, but about trusting in God's providence and acting in accordance with a divine will. This theological perspective imbues the moral virtues with a meaning that goes beyond the immediate, human-centered goal of flourishing. The virtue becomes an act of worship and an expression of one's relationship with God.

The Divine Exemplar:

God is understood as the ultimate embodiment of all virtues. God is perfectly just, perfectly merciful, and perfectly wise. This provides a perfect, unchanging standard against which all human virtue can be measured. While a person can strive to be as courageous as a hero, they can also strive to be as just as God. This divine exemplar serves as both an inspiration and a constant guide, helping to prevent the virtues from becoming self-serving or relative.

God consciousness Strengthening the Will:

The theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity, which are gifts from God, work in tandem with the human moral virtues. Faith provides the conviction that the virtuous life is the true path. Hope provides the perseverance to continue striving for goodness even in the face of setbacks. Charity (divine love) animates and perfects all the other virtues, giving them a divine motivation that transforms them from good habits into acts of love for God and others. For example, a person may be temperate to maintain their health (a human virtue), but a person motivated by charity may also be temperate to better serve their community (a divine motivation).

God consciousness is the key to this formation because it provides the ultimate frame of reference for our choices. It influences the will by:

Reorienting Desire: It redirects our will from finite goods (wealth, status) to the infinite good, which is God.

Clarifying Purpose: It offers a clear, ultimate purpose for our lives, allowing us to see our actions not as isolated events but as part of a larger divine plan.

Strengthening Resolve: The reward of peace and purpose from the God consciousness habit loop strengthens our resolve to act virtuously, even when it is difficult.

The need to revive God consciousness today is urgent for several reasons:

Combating Fragmentation: The modern world is characterized by a fragmentation of self and meaning. God consciousness offers a unifying principle that integrates our moral, spiritual, and professional lives into a coherent whole.

A Cure for Disorientation: We live in an era of unprecedented information and choice, which can lead to a state of moral disorientation. God consciousness provides a stable compass, a "North Star," to guide our ethical and personal decisions.

Deepening Community: As we discussed in our previous conversation, God's presence is made real through the human community. Reviving God consciousness in individuals will, by extension, revitalize the community. It is a spiritual and social imperative. When individuals are consciously living out a divine life, they become the hands and heart of God for others, embodying the mutual support that is the very purpose of the Body of Christ.

For Aristotle, the motivation to be virtuous is rooted in a natural desire for this flourishing. A person acts courageously to overcome fear and achieve a good outcome, and this repeated action makes them a courageous person. The entire process is centered on human reason and the human community. For example, justice is no longer just about fairness for social harmony, but about honoring the inherent dignity of every person as an image of God. This divine framing elevates the virtue and strengthens the will's commitment to it. God consciousness is not just an influence here; it is the very lifeblood of these virtues. Through this consciousness, faith is not merely intellectual assent but a living trust; hope is not blind optimism but a confident anticipation of God's promises; and charity is not a mere feeling but a divine love that animates all our actions.

This loop is how God consciousness becomes a "second nature," as the scholastics would say—not something we force, but a natural disposition that shapes our character and actions.

Trigger: This could be an external event (a moment of beauty in nature, a person in need) or an internal prompt (a feeling of gratitude, a pang of conscience). It’s an invitation to acknowledge a reality beyond ourselves.

Process: This is the intentional act of turning our attention to God. It involves prayer, meditation, or an act of mercy. This is where the scholastic understanding of habit comes into play: a repeated action that, over time, trains our will.

Reward: The reward is not a transactional prize, but a profound and transformative experience. It is a sense of peace, clarity, purpose, and a deeper connection to both God and others. This reward reinforces the habit, making it more likely to occur again.

Conclusion

virtues are stable dispositions that guide human flourishing, but these are perfected and given ultimate meaning by a theological framework. while human virtues are developed through reason and aimed at earthly well-being, they are elevated and perfected by the theological virtues, which are infused by God. Without this divine influence, virtues can become rigid or self-serving. The will is a rational appetite and is need of formation. The concept of the habit loop—trigger, process, reward—can give us great insight. A trigger prompts an intentional process of turning to God (e.g., prayer or an act of mercy), which results in a spiritual reward (e.g., peace or purpose). This reward reinforces the habit, strengthening the will and reorienting a person's desires toward the ultimate good. God consciousness serves as a unifying principle to combat the fragmentation of self, a compass to cure moral disorientation, and a spiritual imperative to deepen community. God consciousness transforms human virtues from mere dispositions into a profound and meaningful participation in the life of God.

Preparedness

If we trust someone, it is a sign that we have known their faithfulness deep in our heart. Similarly, we can trust God, only if we have really believed and known God’s faithfulness in our heart. Love for God is not a condition or an obligation, but something that spontaneously arises in one who has truly known God. This divine life is surely within us. It is not enough to speak eloquently about this faithfulness; we must open ourselves to receive the gentle touch of that abundant life.

To be able to trust the intimacy God, we must also examine how tenderly we are connected to ourselves. Our love and faithfulness towards God may not be perfect with all our hearts. We may not have been trained to love and be faithful in such a way, and our pains and burdens may stand as defensive walls, making it rather difficult. The pains that have not known the touch of God can solidify into images of a God who is judgmental and who acts with punishment. This can reinforce a divine image within us that is prone to blame, judge, and suggest harm. This is why due preparation is needed, alongside love and faithfulness. This preparation must also be practiced not as a condition, but as an openness.

Faith is that relationship in which our own growth and life experiences, together with the life and freedom we know in God’s goodness, become really true. Openness is the door to that profound divine experience that embraces the heart, and that is true preparation. The infinite goodness and faithfulness, a nakedness of "this is what I am," is where the truth of me is seen and known by God, where mercy is poured in, goodness is planted in a gentle spirit, and the strength needed for that is sought with the same faithfulness in a new heart. These elements together are what we must call preparation and the fear of God. The fear of God is not a trembling in fear, but a thrilling pulsation of life.

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Preacher of grace

 St. Dominic Guzman, found his days and nights accompanied by God. He found in the weariness and suffering of humanity a living, breathing image of the crucified Christ. The Word revealed there was to be contemplated and proclaimed in compassion and kindness. As the mystery of the Incarnation had the light for all people, he contemplated this truth in the human conditions of   poverty, struggle, and frailty of human existence. At night, he was not simply praying for them, but carrying them in his heart, allowing his contemplation of God's truth to be informed and illuminated by their real-world condition. He found in the misery of the world the Word incarnated and completing them. He spoke to people in compassion the living truth of Christ as the life for their deep cry.

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