Values and Virtues

Eloquent & Truthful

Eloquent: the ability to speak or write fluently, persuasively and appropriately. We are eloquent when we use language to express our ideas or opinions clearly and with conviction. When we choose our words, we should do so carefully so they are kind and compassionate, and don’t hurt others. Eloquence isn’t limited to speaking and writing. We can express ourselves in other ways like music, drama, painting or dance. We should use our creative gifts to say things in a way that is interesting, truthful, memorable and faithful.

Truthful: God wants us to be truthful in all we do. Jesus said, ‘I am the way, the truth and the life’, so being honest and truthful means we are following in his footsteps and living life the way God wants us to. Being truthful is being faithful to ourselves and to Jesus. We should stand up for the truth.

Where we hear about this in the Bible?

1 Thessalonians 5:11

Lord, help me to use my words to encourage others and build them up far more than critiquing or criticizing them.

Faith-filled & Hopeful

Faith-filled: We are faith-filled when we are living life as God inspires us to live it, putting the Gospel into action through our actions. We have to build on it every day through prayer.

Hopeful: We are hopeful when we are optimistic about the future, we trust ourselves and others, and we don’t give up. Our faith teaches us that God is hope.

Perhaps you could be more faith-filled by sharing this prayer with your child at home.

Share this evening prayer with your child

Thank you, God, for a lovely day,

for sun and rain, for work and play.

For all my family and my friends,

and for your love, which never ends.

Amen.

Compassionate & Loving

Compassionate: We are compassionate when we feel sympathy and concern for other people who are in difficulty, whether they are near to us or far away.

Loving: We are loving when we show our sympathy and concern for other people by our actions and by our words.

Share this Prayer for Compassion with your child

(St Teresa of Calcutta)

Lord, open our eyes that we may see you in our brothers and sisters.

Lord, open our ears that we may hear the cries of the hungry,

the cold, the frightened, the oppressed.

Lord, open our hearts that we may love each other as you love us.

Renew in us your spirit.

Lord, free us and make us one.

Amen.