We throw the word “virtue” around a lot, but what does it really mean? The Catechism defines virtue as a “habitual and firm disposition to do the good,” or, in other words, being ready to give the best of ourselves everywhere and all the time (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 1803). It’s what turns a nice-ish person into someone you would trust with your life, no questions asked, because you know they won’t let self-interest or a bad mood get in the way of what’s right. It doesn’t mean that they’ll never mess up, but if they do, they’ll come clean and make it right as soon as possible.

Jesus is the perfect model for every virtue. Do you want to be known for courage, kindness, or generosity? Look at Him: Jesus is perfectly courageous, kind, and generous. Name any virtue: He’s mastered it.

For instance, we like to talk about how Jesus’ obedience saved us, and that’s correct. Jesus obeys his Father’s will, and that self-gift wins our redemption. But in Him, obedience is simple love for the Father and the Father’s will. Same with his courage, kindness, and generosity: they’re all love.

We, on the other hand, are not perfect, and our actions aren’t made of pure love. But that’s what we’re called to. All the virtues are expressions of love.

And Jesus paid attention to some virtues we might find kind of surprising. Right at the beginning of his homily “Human Virtues” (the inspiration for this series!), St. Josemaría reminds us of the night Jesus went for dinner at a religious leader’s house. A woman who everyone knew was a sinner came up to Him and washed his feet, and the religious leader, in St. Josemaría’s words, thought badly of it. He “couldn’t imagine that Jesus could have so much mercy in his heart.”

Jesus read the Pharisee’s thoughts and said, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house and you gave me no water for my feet; she has washed my feet with her tears, and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss of greeting; she, from the moment she entered, has never ceased to kiss my feet. You did not pour oil on my head; she has anointed my feet, and with ointment. And so I tell you, great sins have been forgiven her, for she has greatly loved.”

Jesus cares about the little expressions of kindness and charity – water for his feet and a kiss of greeting – because they come from love. And the kind of love He values is strong:

That kind of love gets up and tries again, even after big falls. It keeps on giving in times of difficulty, instead of losing patience as soon as things don’t go its way. It’s not afraid to tell people what (or Who, with a capital W) it believes in.

I think that’s the kind of person we all want to be, and anyways, “if we accept the responsibility of being children of God, we will realise that God wants us to be very human. Our heads should indeed be touching heaven, but our feet should be firmly on the ground” (Friends of God, no. 75).