Ah, virtues, a great choice. Many philosophers and ethicists have treated the issue, and, if you’re curious, the Church does not say, “Here is the official list of all virtues.” Nevertheless, it is traditional to enumerate as the seven key virtues the four cardinal virtues of wisdom, justice, fortitude, and temperance, along with the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity. You can find a good deal of information about these
here (Catechism of the Catholic Church) and
here (Catholic Encyclopedia).
Sometimes the virtues can seem fairly abstract. One thing I might suggest that you could do to take a concrete approach toward them would be to focus on the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy (see
here and
here). These are, as St. Thomas Aquinas among others taught, two sets of seven things that every Christian should take as an obligation. I would say that if you finished Lent and had done each of them, I mean seriously, at least once, you would have learned quite a bit about the virtues.
Corporal Works of Mercy
- To feed the hungry;
- To give drink to the thirsty;
- To clothe the naked;
- To shelter the homeless;
- To visit the sick;
- To ransom the prisoner;
- To bury the dead.
Spiritual Works of Mercy
- To instruct the ignorant;
- To counsel the doubtful;
- To admonish sinners;
- To bear wrongs patiently;
- To forgive offences willingly;
- To comfort the afflicted;
- To pray for the living and the dead.
