Happily, the series on virtue and Divine Providence continues. This series is taken from a paper I once wrote. Why do I put the coming selections on this natural law blog? I think it's because I love the writings of G.K. Chesterton and Pope John Paul II. Their writings are part of this series, which you will soon see as we continue ...
In Catholic thought, there is a well-known axiom: “Grace builds upon nature.” This is no trite saying or pious platitude. Indeed, the reality denoted by this axiom is crucial to the life of grace and virtue in man. It is very interesting to observe that we see this truth not only in the lives of individual men, but also in the lives of nations—in the history of mankind. For, on account of their natural moral virtues, the Roman Republic opposed, fought, and eventually defeated the child-sacrificing empire of Carthage in the Punic Wars. In God’s Providence (God’s Loving Plan for mankind), this prudent action paved the way for the most grace-filled event in history: the Incarnation of the Son of God with the consequent Redemption of mankind from the evil tyranny of slavery to the Evil One. For the Roman world was much better disposed for the spread of the Gospel than a Carthaginian world-empire would have been.
These Romans had the natural moral virtue of prudence; they were prudent. For prudence is about choosing the right means to a good end, and ultimately about man choosing the means that will get him to the end for which he was made. Certainly, the God of love did not plan for human beings, His children, to form a worldwide civilization of child sacrifice. The Roman Republic chose the means to bring mankind one step closer to the Civilization of Love and the Culture of Life, whether they knew it in those terms or not. As for the preparation for the Incarnation, God certainly knew what He was doing. Ancient Rome and ancient Israel both had their respective roles in God’s plan.
Note: to see pictures, click on the link: theselive.blogspot.com
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