Heroic Virtue. Sacrificial Love. A Life Worthy of the Saints.

The Offer of Life

In July of 2017, Pope Francis Issued a Motu Proprio stating “the offer of life is a new cause for the beatification and canonization procedure, distinct from the causes based on martyrdom and on the heroism of the virtues.” Pope Francis goes on to explain the criteria for the offer of Life: “The offer of life, in order that it be valid and effective for the beatification of a Servant of God, must respond to the following criteria:
  1. a free and voluntary offer of life and heroic acceptance propter caritatem (meaning: because of charity or through love) of a certain and untimely death;
  2. a nexus between the offer of life and premature death;
  3. the exercise, at least as ordinarily possible, of Christian virtues before the offer of life and, then, unto death;
  4. the existence of a reputation of holiness and of signs, at least after death;
  5. the necessity of a miracle for beatification, occurring after the death of the Servant of God and through his or her intercession.”

Heroic Virtue

As we continue to study Tom’s life it seems that not only did he exhibit virtue throughout his life but quite possibly Heroic Virtue which is another “path” to sainthood in addition to the “offer of life” or martyrdom.

The Catholic Dictionary defines heroic virtue as: “The performance of extraordinary virtuous actions with readiness and over a period of time. The moral virtues are exercised with ease, while faith, hope, and charity are practiced to an eminent degree. The presence of such virtues is required by the Church as the first step toward canonization. The person who has practiced heroic virtue is declared to be Venerable, and is called a ‘Servant of God.’”

Benedict XIV noted that in the matter of heroic virtue the practice of the virtues and works must be unusually prompt, joyful, unhesitating and habitual.

Bishop Barron explains heroic virtue: “It means that the person in question exhibited in the course of his life virtue to a “heroic” degree.”

Tom Vander Woude lived a life of Heroic Virtue especially in the virtues of: Faith, Hope, Charity, Prudence, Justice, Temperance, Fortitude, Magnanimity and Humility.

Testimony after testimony speak to Tom’s virtue, especially the ones noted above which he “exercised with ease” not because they were easy for him but because he had practiced them over a “period of time” during his life with a “prompt, joyful, and unhesitating readiness” which built in him the “habitual” practice of these virtues to a heroic degree.

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