Contemporary Western civilization is in an age of paganism and intellectual poverty. Angels and virtues are more and more seen as simplicities unworthy of debate and consideration. However, increasingly evident is that with the loss of Western civilizing concepts (such as angels and virtues), individuals become less free, less obligated to their communities and each other, and more enslaved to a Godless destitution with more life not worthy of bragging about much less living. Virtue’s Alphabet: From Amiability to Zeal reacquaints all with virtues thereby helping humanity be in the image of God, rather than a brainless, robotile imitation of the latest sensational suggestions from the fraud press and the megamedia. This book is not just a list of simpleminded virtues, but it teaches how to be a genuine human being with or without overt Christianity.

Donald DeMarco, being smarter than most of us, has figured out how to provide a real “How to do it” book! All the other secular “How to do it” books can be put back on the shelves. The author provides the angelic and virtuous foundations for a reclaiming of nature and a conveying of the meaning of civility and decency. This collection of alphabetized virtues is to gain an awareness of genuine “manhood” (virtue) whether male or female. The book fills a void in that it appears that most teachers and parents have abandoned the virtue concept. While William J. Bennett’s The Book of Virtues and Donald DeMarco’s earlier book, The Heart of Virtue, helped somewhat, this new work of Dr. DeMarco comes with a friendliness and uplifting dimension on every page. These alphabetized virtues are presented in an instructive way which makes you feel good. Indeed, the entire book is a “feel good”! These deeply moving stories illuminate what real life is all about. This book is a “WOW”!

It has been a long time since I have been instructed so palatebly and pleasantly in such a brief period. In fact, the last time I heard anyone formally talk about virtue was a middle-aged priest about 15 years ago at Mass. In his homily, the priest actually talked about “virtue.” It sounded foreign because we hear so little of virtue. I have always made it a point, when not totally impossible, to go to the celebrating priest after Mass and say, “Thank you for Mass, father,” and then disappear. This time I gave my “thank you,” but also commented that it was refreshing to hear about “virtue” for a change. The priest was genuinely surprised responding with a broad smile and positive nodding of the head instead of his usual bland “You’re welcome.”

Today the world has forgotten about virtue when these words are irreplaceable in terms of the creation of a civilized functional human being. Intellectual distortions today result in a massive verbicide of many words, and most young people do not know what these words mean. But not only does this book convey the intellectual meaning but paradigms of action are provided giving life to the word. Virtue’s Alphabet reinstills an awareness that our purpose in life on one level is “to know love and serve God in this world so we can be with Him in the next,” and at the other level, “to be decent and transcendental whenever possible.”

The one chapter on “Empathy” affected me more than the others. This was only because, many years ago, in the early 1960s, I was writing many letters to the United Nations trying to get them to start a special organization for empathy — UNOE — the United Nations Organization for Empathy. In spite of all my letters, no one ever wrote back. With Don DeMarco’s book, I chuckle that it may actually have been a good idea.

Virtue’s Alphabet confirms my theory that “words are angels.” St. Thomas Aquinas’ second hierarchy in description of angels described the Virtues as those angels involved in the operational effectuation of universal ordering. Whatever angelic Virtues have to do with humans, they involve community aspects and laws. In this regard, Virtues are angels as quanta affirming special interactions of genuine Christians. That is, when personal ordered energy is given and taken, Virtues are the angels which especially create prudence in operational dealings. To me, Virtue Alphabet demonstrates that “Virtues as angels” order and structure the identity of genuine humanity leading to Transcendental Love.

The Bible contains many personifications of words. One of my favorites is:
And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him:

The spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the spirit of counsel and of fortitude, the spirit of knowledge and of piety, and he shall be filled with the spirit of the fear of the Lord.

St. Bernard’s translation of Isaiah 11:2–3 makes the Gifts of the Holy Spirit to be spirits themselves. Words as angels and virtues as Virtues, are spiritual personifications transcendentally communicating spiritual energy as messengers to and from God. Virtues (angels of the Virtue order) enable the operation of transcendentals for all created being in the giving and taking of ordered energy.

Few books are as filled with angelic substance as Virtues Alphabet: From Amiability to Zeal. As I say to all my young patients “Words are angels, don’t you know? Use your words to be a peacemaker instead of a troublemaker.” This book reflects the traditional angelic dynamism so needed today. I will read this one to my grandchildren every chance I get. At Christmas, copies will be given to all my children, even though adults. This book will give all an angelic boost.