Heroic Virtue is the result of a series of battles wherein we overcome our fallen human nature to rise up to the occasion, cooperate with God’s grace, and rise from the slumber of a lifeless existence without grace. We are spiritual warriors who struggle against our weaknesses as well as the trials that this world places in our way. Each battle we win makes us grow in virtue so that in the end someone who has gained heroic virtue no longer has to make an effort because it becomes so much a part of the person that it has become second nature. That is what “heroic virtue” means.

Another way of looking at it is this: heroic virtues are the fruits of cooperating with God’s grace. These instinctive virtues are what the Church looks for in a person who is being considered for canonization.

While the result of cooperating with grace is habitual good works, it may work the other way around too. An external act is motivated by the will or intent of a person. In the Summa Theologiae, St. Thomas Aquinas says that an external act does not add any goodness or malice to the intent. While this is true, constantly doing something can, however, condition the will to act as such.

The Church, for example, constantly asks us to pray, give alms, and fast especially during Lent. They are outward expressions of interior conversion. In other words, these are done in the hope of reorienting the interior life to change for the better. This is because moral virtues are acquired by human effort. They are the fruit and seed of morally good acts; they dispose all the powers of the human being for communion with divine love.

In a cherished second-century manuscript entitled The Shepherd of Hermas, fasting is said to deny oneself in order to become more generous to those who are hungry. The external action may lead to a change in disposition. The operative word is “may,” for it is only through one’s will that a change can be made. But, isn’t it better to have a catalyst than nothing at all? Aren’t our chances at interior change improved if there is an act that prompts us to do so?

Sacred Scripture presents faith first and foremost as trustful adherence to God. The Letter to the Hebrews gives the Church a classic description: “Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.” Faith grasps realities that surpass human sight and anchors the soul in God’s promises.

Saint Paul emphasizes its relational character: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God”.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches:

" Faith is a personal adherence of the whole man to God who reveals himself. It involves an assent of the intellect and will to the self-revelation God has made through his deeds and words.
CCC § 176

And again:

" Faith is a gift of God, a supernatural virtue infused by him.
CCC § 153

Faith, therefore, is not merely intellectual agreement with religious ideas, nor is it a vague optimism or emotional confidence.

It isn’t blind belief without reason, but recognizing that our intellect is finite, and must eventually bow before what an infinite God says. This is where acceptance of doctrinal “mysteries” come in. We believe that in the liturgical celebration of the Mass, the bread turns to the body of Christ because he says, “this is my body,” and that wine turns to his blood because he says, “this is my blood,” and to “do this in remembrance of me.”

It is a theological virtue because it has God as its direct object and origin. It enables the believer to enter into a living relationship with the Triune God and to receive His saving truth.

Examples of Faith

The Gospels consistently present Jesus calling forth faith and praising it. A striking example is the healing of the centurion’s servant. The centurion declares, “Only say the word and my servant will be healed” . Jesus responds with astonishment: “Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith”. This faith recognizes Christ’s authority and trusts entirely in His word.

Here faith is humble, confident, and obedient. It does not demand signs but rests in who Christ is.

The Blessed Virgin Mary stands as the preeminent model of faith. At the Annunciation, she assents to God’s plan without full understanding: “May it be done to me according to your word”. Elizabeth proclaims her blessed precisely for this reason: “Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled”.

Among the saints, Saint Abraham — whom Scripture calls “our father in faith” — believed God’s promise against all human expectation. He entrusted his future entirely to God, becoming a model for all believers.

Faith in Everyday Modern Life

Faith is lived today in concrete and often hidden ways. Here are some examples:

First, a parent who brings a child to Mass and prayer despite exhaustion demonstrates faith by trusting that God’s grace works through ordinary fidelity. The action flows from belief in God’s promises rather than visible results.

Second, a professional who refuses unethical practices, even at personal cost, lives faith by placing trust in God’s providence rather than immediate security.

Third, a believer who remains faithful to prayer and the sacraments during spiritual dryness practices faith as perseverance without consolation, trusting God’s presence beyond feelings.

In each case, faith is not theoretical but embodied trust that shapes decisions.

Step 1. Ask God explicitly for an increase of faith

Faith grows when it is humbly requested. Scripture records the apostles’ simple prayer: “Increase our faith”. Asking for faith acknowledges its supernatural origin and expresses trust in God’s generosity.

This prayer forms humility and openness. It reminds the believer that faith is sustained by grace, not by effort alone. Regularly asking for faith keeps the soul receptive and dependent on God.

Attach this prayer to a daily trigger (upon waking, before work, or after Communion) so it becomes habitual rather than occasional.

Step 2. Set aside daily time for prayer, however brief

Faith cannot remain alive without prayer. Daily prayer need not be long or elaborate, but it must be faithful. Setting aside a consistent time in the morning or evening to acknowledge God’s presence is an essential act of trust.

In prayer, the believer places life before God as it truly is: hopes, fears, gratitude, struggles. This repeated turning toward God forms the habit of reliance. Faith grows because prayer continually reaffirms that God is real, attentive, and involved. Even brief daily prayer teaches the soul that it does not stand alone.

Fix both a time and a place, even if the prayer lasts only two minutes.

Step 3. Read Sacred Scripture regularly, especially the Gospels

Faith is nourished by hearing God speak. Regular reading of Sacred Scripture, particularly the Gospels, allows the believer to encounter Christ directly. This need not involve extensive study; a short passage read prayerfully is sufficient.

Through Scripture, faith is informed and purified. God’s promises, commands, and actions shape the believer’s understanding of who God is and how He works. Regular exposure to Scripture guards faith against distortion and forgetfulness. Over time, Scripture becomes a familiar voice that steadies faith amid uncertainty.

Read one Gospel paragraph daily rather than aiming for quantity.

Form the habit: Father Mike Schmitz has a Bible in a Year podcast on Spotify. Listen to it daily.