The Virtue of Justice Explained

Continuing his talks on the cardinal virtues—Temperance, fortitude, prudence, and justice—Bobby Angel explains what the virtue of justice is exactly.

St. Thomas Aquinas says justice is balance and giving another person their due. The Catechism says:

“Justice is the moral virtue that consists in the constant and firm will to give their due to God and neighbor. Justice toward God is called the ‘virtue of religion.’ Justice toward men disposes one to respect the rights of each and to establish in human relationships the harmony that promotes equity with regard to persons and to the common good. The just man, often mentioned in the Sacred Scriptures, is distinguished by habitual right thinking and the uprightness of his conduct toward his neighbor. ‘You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor. ‘Masters, treat your slaves justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven’” (CCC 1807).

We understand justice from a very young age. Even children understand when a toy is rightfully theirs. Justice is very prevalent in the Old Testament, and is often contrasted with God’s mercy in the New Testament. Both justice and mercy are aspects of God, and mysteries beyond our comprehension.

Justice essentially means putting God, and nothing else, first. When we do not put God first everything else falls apart and we lose our sense of justice.

Social justice is justice toward social groups such as laborers, a certain ethnic group, or any other demographic in our society. It was popularized by Pope Leo XIII in his encyclical Rerum Novarum when he was addressing the rights of laborers amid the Industrial Revolution. As Catholics, we are called to practice social justice, but—as noted above—if we do not put God first our notion of social justice will be off the mark.

We are also called to practice justice between family and friends. If we are working too hard, or ignoring loved ones for any other reason, they have a right to make this injustice known to you.

How can we act justly? How am I not acting justly? How am I not putting God first? Where am I afraid to speak for justice?

“He has showed you, O man, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8)

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[Amwhoiam]

I've always thought the gospel was talking to me... now I know the gospel is talking to me. Praise the Lord. Thank you for the explanation. I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, but I'm trying, and since I'm God's child 🥰 that's all that matters. Thank you, Lord. Please let me do right and lead me the only way you want me to go. All I want to do is make you proud. God, I love you with all of me. Please help me live the way you want me to live.

[dawnmireles]

July 30, 2021
May God have Mercy on me a sinner. The closer I become to God the more I am horrified by me sins. I am praying for you, please pray for me.

[neon_genesis]

First! God bless everyone at Ascension Presents and everyone watching this, stay safe and healthy, and thank you for all you do

[perpetuamorea-wap]

Thank you Bobby Angel, very clear explanation of Cardinal Justice, one of the four virtues, 2nd virtue. Much appreciated.

[GeorgeAlexa]

For those who are doing BIAY, this was added for day 9 of January 2022. I love it when Father Mike includes these bonus videos.

[Amwhoiam]

I need to go to confession like right now. 😭

[irischuang]

hi Bobby Thanks for the videos on virtues . This is awesome where you link mercy with justice. where is the video on Prudence? can you post the link here?

[lauramhess]

This is a great video about justice! I love specifically how it speaks of Justice and Mercy. Sometimes it feels like social justice loses its purpose or focus. Mercy brings it all together!

[jimyost]

~ Bobby Angel eh? SMH.
One time in April of 1995 I was driving down a busy boulevard in Huntsville Alabama and I noticed a church bulletin board out in front of a church that said "God answers knee mail." At that time the internet was just starting to become popular and a lot of people were doing email. When I read it I thought "How lame of a statement." and I kind of grinned and shook my head. I didn't say it out loud, I just thought it. Then immediately the Lord spoke to me and said:


"Yet do they presume to represent me." 


That blew my mind, for two reasons, the first being that it had been quite awhile since he had spoken to me like that, and also because he had read my mind. So as I was driving past that church and marveling about it, a few seconds later he said: 


"False ambassadors they are to me." 


He didn't say anything else, but he gave it to me to understand that he wasn't just talking about the leadership of that particular church, but that he was talking about the entire system church priestclass, i.e. so-called 'pastors, ' who aren't really pastors at all, but who are functioning self-appointed and autonomous top-down-control  false priests who are being used as mouthpieces by kingdom of darkness religious spirits to control congregations all across the land.


That event took place in the spring of 1995 which was ten years before YouTube was invented. Not long after YouTube was invented the kingdom of darkness religious spirits started flooding it with religionists who are running on soul power that is energized by religious spirits so that the situation now is several times worse than it was in 1995, with the YouTube religionists being used as mouthpieces by religious spirits to control millions and millions of duped Christians. 


One way you can tell that it's working famously well for the kingdom of darkness religious spirits is by reading the comments people post in reply to the religionists' worthless videos. What the comments reveal is that most of the people posting them are very, very controlled (and loving every minute of it), as they throw roses at the religionists who are being used to control them. It's actually very similar to the Stockholm Syndrome.


Man looks at what people do, whereas the Lord looks at why people do what they do. I have a pretty good idea that in the not-too-distant future on judgement day that the Lord is going to ask these YouTube religionists why they presumed to represent him. My guess is that they'll be wishing they had never seen a computer, and that some of them will be wishing they had never been born.

[rosemarymaher]

Enjoy following Bobby’s talks when he is speaking alone.
The virtues are a good theme.Going to check back on the others you have done etc.
Thank you.

[akosibangbang]

Thank you for sharing this message. 👍👍👍👍👍

[kathleenwharton]

Jesus Warned us of and Worry. Christians will suffer consequences of those sins as anyone else.

[Richie]

It's from our mistakes, that we learn the best.
God's blessings and his forgiveness, is what we seek through Christ crucified on the cross✝
Spirit of the living God is the source of our existence.

[thegrayphilosopher]

I am currently reading Plato's Republic, which deals with what Justice is (highly recommended), but St. Thomas Aquinas is on my reading list. "Giving God & neighbor their due." This is an interesting definition. I think it is more in line with the modern definition of Justice, at least it is a medieval scholastic transition to how the masses view justice currently.

[yfa]

GOD Bless you, Bobby & Jackie & family! Thank you so very much! Venerated Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, (found completely innocent of putting children in danger, BTW), spoke well of Divine Favor (Grace) receiving by Grace led act of the will laity like you.
He taught that the universal call to honest devout Godliness, love of GOD and neighbor, the laity will be instrumental in the survival of The Church through our difficult times. Bishop Sheen also spoke of a rhetorical war during these times with a worldly radical secular humanist moral relativist culture of death playing at heartstrings community organizing collectivist mentality - with seeming humanitarian solutions mimicking the Messiah caring for the poor & marginalized on one side *and* non duped believers of Grace led faith on the other side. Sadly, however, Bishop Sheen spoke of a so-called new humanitarian counter-Church within The Church, so pervasive & seemingly kind & Godly that few would recognize it, but as we have seen it is complacent toward the collectivist radical secular humanist moral relativist culture of death, which using the thirst for justice to dupe many into fallible human reason solutions that have failed since time immemorial.
Bishop Sheen, also, unashamedly on Life is Worth Living spoke of the infiltration of The Church before the whole world. Nowadays this is painted as 'tin hat' conspiracy theory by many. He taught that the Devil will not come in as a horned, red cape, pitchfork monster, but as an ear-tickling humanitarianism playing at heartstrings luring deception. The counter-Church will diminish growth in Grace led growth in virtue for individuals & families and focus on collectivist ascendency seeming solutions to humankind's problems - painting a seductive false idea of JESUS The Son of GOD, Savior of humanity. Thus the revisiting of The Mock Trial of JESUS grows to a fever pitch, with most in day to day concerns for family & concern for the common good not even aware of this.
However, we need not worry. Just keep diligently fighting the good fight. We have not been left orphans. Peace.
"We all like sheep have gone astray, each one has turned to his own way, and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all." - Isaiah 53:6
"For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls." - 1 Peter 2:25
"Then Jesus told them this parable: “What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the pasture and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders, comes home, and calls together his friends and neighbors to tell them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost sheep!’ In the same way, I tell you that there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous ones who do not need to repent." - Luke 15:3-7
~
P. S. Notice how JESUS Beloved The Good Sheperd does not get in league with sinners nor give them honorable positions -> however calls them to turn toward GOD in love and devoutness to grow in Godliness. After the repentance, then, as The Good Book says, God honors those who honor GOD. Have a blessed holy week.

[derekhandson]

Was just reading an article about the Catholic Church's role during the Civil Rights Movement. Interesting to see this video pop up at the same time. (Social Justice)

[grantlandking]

You catholics need to stop the idolatry. From physical idols and statues to the worship of multitudes of saints and praying to the virgin Mary. The bible says "come out of her (the catholic church), my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues." Godspeed my friends.

[kathleenwharton]

Jesus explains Justice. If you do not Obey Gods commandments you will suffer the consequences. The choice is always yours!

[Vezmus]

Love comes above all things, even faith. Love of neighbor comes before even the Sabbath.

Matthew 5:23-24
So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.

Matthew 7:12
In everything, then, do to others as you would have them do to you. For this is the essence of the Law and the Prophets.

Mark 2:27
Then Jesus declared, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath."

John 15:12-13
This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

John 15:17
This is My command to you: Love one another.

Romans 13:8-10
Be indebted to no one, except to one another in love, for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. The commandments “Do not commit adultery, ” “Do not murder, ” “Do not steal, ” “Do not covet, ” and any other commandments, are summed up in this one decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

1 Corinthians 13:2
If I have absolute faith so as to move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

1 Corinthians 13:13
And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love; but the greatest of these is love.

James 2:8
If you really fulfill the royal law stated in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself, ” you are doing well.

1 John 4:20-21
If anyone says, “I love God, ” but hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And we have this commandment from Him: Whoever loves God must love his brother as well.

[isaacv.]

How is father mikes vids never 10+ mins