A Quick Sunday Note About Fortitude to Start the Week Off Right

We're going to focus on fortitude this Sunday. As you likely know, fortitude is also known as courage. The reason we'll focus on fortitude: Some us us may need a good dose of it to endure the ongoing attacks on both our country and our Holy Catholic Religion.

In case you haven't noticed, the return of the C-Virus Mess is not a mere extension of what began in March of 2020. Back then we were told by our government leaders that they needed two weeks to "flatten the curve." Now we're being told we must produce "papers" (vaccine "passports") in order to go about many everyday activities. If you're good with this, you won't need to read further. If you see this as an assault on our liberty as a people, and our conscience as individuals, read on.

Add this to a long list of government actions that undermine liberty and natural law that we've seen over decades of a rejection of our country's Judaeo-Christian tradition.

Our Catholic Religion has always endured blows, just as did Our Lord during His Passion. He told us we would face adversity, even death when He walked amongst us. Nothing new there. But what may be new for some of us is the source of such blows: our own people. So many of our Bishops and clergy have gone along with the draconian measures imposed by the government - even to the point of preventing the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, along with the suppression of the Sacraments. Some have joined the "Get the Vax" club, even offering their parish facilities as sites to get the jab. And in the face of legitimate concerns about the use of aborted baby's cells to develop these shots, we've been told "No worries." (Yes, the argument's a bit more nuanced than that, but in the end it does seem to be a lot of dancing around the issue that aborted fetal cells have been used - something that at least a few faithful Bishops have noted as being sinful.)

Add this to the decades of action by many of our Bishops and clergy that undermine established Catholic doctrine and tradition. 

Now the heat is being turned up another notch. "Mandates" by governments and corporations intended to force us to get the jab proliferate. People face losing their livelihoods is they don't knuckle under. In addition, new "booster" shots are being pushed on those who did take the jab. Blanket minimizing or outright denial of some pretty serious - even lethal - side-effects of the jabs continue. This despite growing evidence that a prudent person should at least think twice before submitting to the shot(s). Those opposed to taking or even reluctant take the jab are being demonized more and more.

Some of those prudent persons have decided to take a stand. But with that, they have to face the prospect of constant personal attack that will include losing their source of income - or worse (witness Australia and New Zealand, as extreme examples).

See why we're focusing on fortitude?

To help us focus on fortitude, let's start with a definition, this from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1808:

Fortitude is the moral virtue that ensures firmness in difficulties and constancy in the pursuit of the good. It strengthens the resolve to resist temptations and to overcome obstacles in the moral life. The virtue of fortitude enables one to conquer fear, even fear of death, and to face trials and persecutions. It disposes one even to renounce and sacrifice his life in defence of a just cause. “The Lord is my strength and my song.” “In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

Like all virtues, acquiring fortitude takes effort to build up and sustain. The Enemy knows this and uses all his wiles to undermine those efforts. And those whom the prudent would oppose won't take opposition lying down. If you're among the prudent, expect your fortitude to be tested.

With that understanding, we remind ourselves that God will give us the grace we need to persist in building fortitude (or any other virtue). If we take that first step of desiring fortitude, and ask for His help, help will be forthcoming. 

That good news should help sustain us in these increasingly difficult circumstances. Adding to this good news, next week we'll ask for the help of one our good "friends" - the late Father William Doyle - whose spiritual writing has helped so many times in the past. You'll see why he's probably the most appropriate source to turn to in our quest to build and sustain fortitude.

Happy Sunday!