New years are for fresh starts and new habits to better ourselves. Yet unfortunately, most of us give up on our lofty goals by February and fall back into our old ways. But what if that didn’t have to be the case? What if when we failed, we saw it as an opportunity to practice virtue and get back up again?
Practice makes perfect, especially when it comes to the virtues. In fact, the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) defines a virtue as, “a habitual and firm disposition to do the good. It allows the person not only to perform good acts, but to give the best of himself… he pursues the good and chooses it in concrete actions. The goal of the virtuous life is to become like God (CCC 1803).”
When we practice saying yes to the right things every day, they eventually become habit. We start choosing the good without conscious effort. But it requires determination, over and over again.
To kick off the new year, we are launching a four-part series on the cardinal virtues of the Catholic Church—fortitude, justice, prudence, and temperance—to inspire and encourage us to choose the good this year. Today, I will share my experience with the virtue of fortitude.
Struggle To Do What’s Right
Fortitude is the virtue that helps us resist temptations, conquer fear, overcome obstacles in the moral life, and face trials or persecutions. It even “disposes one to renounce and sacrifice his life in defense of a just cause,” which is exactly what the martyrs did (CCC 1808). I’ve witnessed this virtue play a big role throughout my journey of faith.
When I went to college, I swore to myself I would never drink at a fraternity party, much less attend one. Yet, the very first weekend on campus, what did I end up doing? Yep, you guessed it. This began a four-year back-and-forth battle to choose the right thing. I was growing in my faith and trying to choose virtue over vice, but still struggled to say no to the party culture. I didn’t apply fortitude in the face of this particular temptation.
Thankfully, Jesus worked miracles in my heart, put the right people in my path, and completely transformed me by my senior year. I served as a FOCUS missionary for three years after graduation where I was challenged daily to give my yes to the Lord—my fiat—instead of trembling over my fears. I had the opportunity to practice fortitude in more ways than I could count.
Standing For Truth
During my first year as a missionary, I went home for a break and spent time with some old friends. I remember one friend—after having too much to drink—saying a curse word followed by, “Oh! Sorry, don’t want the holy roller to think I’m a sinner!” While I appreciated the sentiment of watching her mouth in front of me, I also felt like I was being mocked for living out my faith.
I could have let the comment upset me and brood in it, but instead I made a quick comment about how I’m a sinner too. I took the occasion to explain how I’m not there to judge for cursing or drinking, but I simply made a choice to not partake in the drinking for the evening. This small comment opened up an opportunity for some deeper faith conversations in the future. In contrast to my earlier college party days, I practiced fortitude in the face of this seemingly small mocking. If I had not upheld virtue, my friend and I would have never had the chance to discuss our beliefs together.
When we uphold the virtue of fortitude, we risk being mocked, but that’s okay. During these times, I have found it helpful to draw near to the Lord for courage to live out my Catholic identity. His life was full of mockery infinitely worse than mine, yet that didn’t stop Him from doing the right thing. Boldly living out this virtue when the world tells us something different requires a daily prayer life to live in the peace and encouragement of the Lord. By rooting myself in prayer, I am able to stand up for the faith when needed.
Granted, there have been plenty of opportunities where I have fallen silent or didn’t act amidst an injustice or mockery occurring. However, when I remember to pray, “Come, Holy Spirit, come quickly,” He fills me with fortitude and gives me the grace to stand for Him.
Fortitude in Fear
The virtue of fortitude again came into my life when I recently became pregnant with my husband and I’s second child after losing our first to a miscarriage. While it has been such a joy-filled journey, there has also been an immense daily fear of another loss. It was (and still is) a daily choice to practice fortitude and trust in the Lord in the face of these temptations to despair. I find inspiration in the Blessed Mother who trusted in God’s plan for her life and pregnancy as I choose to give my fiat—Your will be done, Lord—despite the daily fear.
Having my husband and closest friends call out the lies has helped in my practice of fortitude. Instead of dwelling silently in my worry, despair, and distrust— which are not from God—I have pushed myself to courageously ask them to speak truth into my heart. They cover me in prayer when the temptation to fear overwhelms me, and I do the same for them.
It’s Our Choice
The majority of us will not be called to practice fortitude by giving our lives for a just cause. But we will all face various temptations, fears, obstacles, and trials in our moral lives. We have the choice to stand up for Truth with fortitude or to cower in fear during these pivotal moments. It all comes down to that habitual disposition of virtue—the practice of small, daily acts of living out the desire to do what is right and good.
This new year, may we set resolutions to uphold virtue and persist with fortitude despite the temptation to do differently. How will you open yourself to grace and choose virtue this year?
All my love,
