When we pray the Rosary, it is common for the person presiding to state at the beginning of the rosary right after reciting the Apostles Creed (and before praying the first three Holy Marys), “for faith, hope and charity”.

I thought it might be helpful to reflect on what these three theological virtues mean and why they are important to understand.

Our Catholic Catechism teaches the theological virtues are the foundation of Christian moral activity … they are infused by God into the souls of the faithful to make them capable of acting as His children and of meriting eternal life (Catechism 1813).

Faith is the theological virtue by which we believe in God and believe all he has revealed to us (Catechism 1814) …the disciple of Christ must not only keep the faith and live on it, but also profess it, confidently bear witness to it, and spread it (Catechism 1816).

Hope is the theological virtue by which we desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ’s promises and relying not on our own strength, but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit (Catechism 1817)…it keeps man from discouragement; it sustains him during times of abandonment…buoyed up by hope, he is preserved from selfishness and led to happiness that flows from charity (Catechism 1818).

Charity is the theological virtue by which we love God above all things, and our neighbor as ourselves for love of God (Catechism 1822)…charity is superior to all the virtues (Catechism 1826)…the practice of all three virtues is animated by charity, which binds everything together in perfect harmony…charity upholds and purifies our human ability to love (Catechism 1827)...the practice of the moral life animated by charity gives the Christian the spiritual freedom of the children of God. He no longer stands before God as a slave, in service of fear…but as a son responding to the love of Him who “first loved us” (Catechism 1828).

Remembering these three theological virtues when reciting the first three Hail Marys in a rosary gives profound testimony to our faith in and love of God.

The noun, Rumination, means a deep considered thought about something.

-By Deacon Tom Gryzbek