The spiritual life: an enlivening vision that drives a person’s life’s energy in a certain direction and enables him or her to move beyond one’s present state toward that vision. For Christians, that animating scenario is laid out in the life and person of Jesus Christ.

Virtue is high among the enablers for that vision to take hold in a person’s life. Practicing virtue is what propels that inspiration from  simply a call over to a real-life enactment of its meaning. In one writer’s expression, virtue is that vision as it takes on the flesh of the “sober, empirical, harsh reality of everyday living.” (Karl Rahner)

For instance, Jesus’ call to be transparent and simple. Only repeated acts of honesty can transform a person’s intent to be genuine into a life lived genuinely. And conversely, repetition of these actions opens one further to infusions of this same truth-telling virtue. Acting more transparently, I behave more honestly.

Another instance is humility, striving to live from the consciousness that all is gift. Giving generously reminds me that everything I now have is gift. The reverse: when I receive another’s generosity, I’m more inclined to extend that bounty to others.

Readiness is a key component of virtue, having a fixed disposition to step out in the direction set out by that founding vision. Francis de Sales word “devout” puts a focus on just this, developing a stance that’s ever ready to act on that Christ-infused world view.

Vincent de Paul would readily second such readiness, cultivating an eagerness to take up those habits which open onto Gospel living.