An Advent Calendar for my Friends – December 20

An angel on the Bridge of Angels in Rome.
Picture by JunoMagic, 2005.

The Angel of Prudence

by Anselm Grün

Prudence is the first of the four virtues. It is the ability to find out what is here and now acceptable and beneficial for me. The Latin word for prudence is prudentia. This is derived from providentia and means caution, providence. Someone who is prudent is looking ahead. She acts circumspectly. She is looking beyond what is here at this moment in time. She has a wide horizon. She judges reality the way it is. For the Greek philosopher Aristotle prudence was the prerequisite for all other virtues. First I have to recognize reality for what it really is. Then I can act accordingly. According to Josef Pieper this virtue “enables the human being to be and do what she is really meant to do”. My life will only be worthwhile if I orient it towards reality. The ancient ones made a distinction between prudence and wisdom. Wisdom understands the mystery of being, prudence sees how understanding of reality can be used in every moment and how it can be put to use in daily life.

You need the Angel of Prudence if you have to make a decision. Your Angel of Prudence sees further than you do. He has a wider horizon. He looks ahead, he has foresight (providentia) about which consequences your decision might have. You have to ask your Angel of Prudence to be able to distinguish between what the most profound motivations for your decisions are and which decision can match them best in reality. You need the Angel of Prudence if you want to judge a situation accurately. You are called upon to solve an argument. Many people think in their eagerness that all they need to do is to love. Then everything will turn out alright. A prudent person is going to look at a situation carefully. She will ask for the reasons of the conflict. She will ask for several different opinions. And only after she has heard and thought about everything, she reach a decision and is going to look for ways to settle the dispute. A prudent person looks at everything and tries to understand everything in order to be able to decide correctly.

Jesus said that a man who builds his house on a rock is prudent. He doesn’t build his house on the sandy ground of illusions, on the sand of enthusiasm, but on the rock of real experience, such as Jesus related in the Sermon on the Mount. The prudent person considers everything. She acts with deliberation. And she knows what is crucial. The prudent person is not a “know-it-all”, but someone who recognizes what is essential and considers it. Jesus praises the prudence of the unfair steward who manages to find the right solution in a difficult situation. In a hopeless situation he realizes that he cannot deal with his guilt that way without losing all self-respect. The prudent person will find a solution that is adequate for each situation. Prudent women look ahead. Silly girls live only for the moment. Prudence is obviously a condition for making our lives work.

In German we often connect prudence with cunning, but that is beside the point. The German word for prudent “klug” actually means: subtle, tender, graceful, educated, adept, courageous, dauntless. Someone who is prudent does not only use her mind for thinking, but also her heart. She will dauntlessly use an opportunity that arises. And she sees the subtle nuances which remain hidden to cruder people. Prudence is the practical wisdom of implementing knowledge into action suited to reality. Therefore knowing a lot will not help you much if you do not recognize an opportunity. Therefore I wish that the Angel of Prudence may help you to recognize how to find a way that may lead you to more freedom and liberty and love at any given moment.

© by Anselm Grün, 50 Engel für das Jahr, 1997;
 translation by JunoMagic.