Definition of Fortitude and 35 Ways to Grow in it

From the Modern Catholic Dictionary by Fr. John Hardon:

 

FORTITUDE. Firmness of spirit. As a virtue, it is a steadiness of will in doing good in spite of difficulties faced in the performance of one’s duty.
 

There are two levels to the practice of fortitude: one is the suppression of inordinate fear and the other is the curbing of recklessness. The control of fear is the main role of fortitude. Hence the primary effect of fortitude is to keep unreasonable fears under control and not allow them to prevent one from doing what one’s mind says should be done. But fortitude or courage also moderates rashness, which tends to lead the headstrong to excess in the face of difficulties and dangers. It is the special virtue of pioneers in any endeavor.

As a human virtue, fortitude is essentially different from what has come to be called animal courage. Animals attack either from pain, as when they are wounded, or from fear of pain, as when they go after humans because they are angered, whom they would leave alone if they were unmolested. They are not virtuously brave, for they face danger from pain or rage or some other sense instinct, not from choice, as do those who act with foresight. True courage is from deliberate choice, not mere emotion. (Etym. Latin fortitudo, strength; firmness of soul; courage of soul.)

 http://www.therealpresence.org/cgi-bin/getdefinition.pl

 

To get us started in keeping track of points for our conquest game, below I completed a list of things we could do in our daily lives that might help us to grow in fortitude.  I'm sure you will think of other things you could do as well.  We should always keep in mind that any strength we have comes from God, not ourselves.  Since fortitude is one of the Seven Gifts of the Holy Ghost, we should ask for growth in this glorious virtue.

 

1. To continue on a project you have been given that is not going well, or that you don't like.

2. To get out of bed at the first sound of your alarm when you want to keep sleeping.

3. To go to bed before it gets late at night, even though you would like to continue surfing the internet.

4. To not complain or try to get out of a difficult project.

5. To finish a project on time even when it requires extra focus and dedication.

6. To finish what you start.

7. To learn a new skill that will help you perform better at your job.

8. To follow the teachings of the Catholic Church, even when it's tough, and others stand in your way.

9. To respond with true charity and meekness when ridiculed by others.

10. To stand for truth when it might cost you.

11. To defend someone else even though it may hurt how you look in others' eyes.

12. To have the courage to look at your own shortcomings when you are tempted to be critical of others.

13. To smile and say hi to those you don't want to smile at.

14. To spend time with those you find difficult, while trying to see Christ in them.

15. To help someone with something when you don't want to help them.

16. To resist the urge to treat others disrespectfully. 

17. To resist the urge to participate in gossip.

18. To resist despair or thoughts that may cause you to give up what you should continue.

19. To resist the temptation to worry about things.

20. To resist the urge to become angry at someone

21. To overcome the fear of going to confession.

22. To overcome the fear of seeking counsel.

23. To overcome the fear the fear of being incompetent.

24. To do or learn something new, knowing that it will take you out of your comfort zone.

25. To make short prayers of trust when you are lacking in trust or doubting our Lord's help.

26. To see your crosses as blessings and to thank the Lord for them, uniting them to His cross for the salvation of souls.

27. To fight against temptations from the devil.

28. To say your daily prayers and to spend time in mental prayer even when you don't feel like it.

29. To resist the urge to stop doing something that is tough, when you know it is God's will for you.

30. To keep promises, commitments, and resolutions you have made, and to resist any temptations to back out.

31. To fight against any type of evil in the world knowing the cross will come because of it.

32. To make a prayer of resignation to God's will when you are enduring any kind of suffering.

33. To continue to make acts of love in mental prayer even though you are experiencing dryness.

34. To resist temptations to stop mental prayer early or allow your mind to wander during mental prayer.

35. To ask God or His saints to help you to grow in fortitude.

 Death of Judas Maccabeus by José Teófilo de Jesus (1758–1847) 

 

2 Machabees 6:31
Thus did this man die, leaving not only to young men, but also to the whole nation, the memory of his death for an example of virtue and fortitude. 

 

 

Fortitude

 The virtue that we will focus on for the next 52 days will be fortitude. This is such a manly virtue, and one that is needed so much in our modern times. The women in our lives are counting on us to be strong in this virtue. How many men today find themselves wandering aimlessly in life, unable to keep their word, unable to persevere in a path God has set them on? It is effeminate to quit something once it is started, that is clearly in God's will. How the devil loves to attack us men here. He wants to disturb the waters of our soul, to cause us to doubt the help of Our Lord, and then to bail. To give up and listen to the devil only increases our insecurity and fear, while hurting Our relationship with God.

Our Queen Mary, is calling us men to grow in fortitude which is built upon the strength of Jesus Christ. Our Lord has a strong, fatherly heart and he is willing to help us become the men he is calling us to be. We are called to be strong men, willing to carry our cross. True peace will come when we stop worrying, complaining, and looking for an excuse to drop the cross and walk away. True peace will come at that moment when, despite feeling the full weight of the cross, we pull our faces out of the mud to see Our Immaculate Queen, and continue on by resigning ourselves with love to God's will.

Luke 9:23
And he said to all: If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
 

  

The glorious St. Michael will be our patron for the virtue of fortitude. Since this virtue is one used in battle he will be the perfect patron since he fights demons, and will defend us when we call upon him and ask him to help us grow in this virtue.

While focusing on the virtue of fortitude we should pray the prayer of St. Michael in Latin or English each day, asking St. Michael to help us to grow in this virtue.
 

Sancte Michael Archangele, defende nos in proelio; contra nequitiam et insidias diaboli esto praesidium. Imperat illi Deus; supplices deprecamur: tuque, Princeps militiae coelestis, Satanam aliosque spiritus malignos, qui ad perditionem animarum pervagantur in mundo, divina virtute in infernum detrude. Amen 

 

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in the battle, be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil; may God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and all the other evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

Daniel 12:1
But at that time shall Michael rise up, the great prince, who standeth for the children of thy people: and a time shall come such as never was from the time that nations began even until that time. And at that time shall thy people be saved, every one that shall be found written in the book.

Speculum Justitiae

Ecclesiasticus 43:35
Who shall see him, and declare him? And who shall magnify him as he is from the beginning?

Luke 1:46-55
And Mary said: My soul doth magnify the Lord. And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid; for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. Because he that is mighty, hath done great things to me; and holy is his name. And his mercy is from generation unto generations, to them that fear him. He hath shewed might in his arm: he hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart. He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble. He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. He hath received Israel his servant, being mindful of his mercy: As he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed for ever.

The Mirror of Justice, by Blessed Cardinal John Henry Newman

Here first we must consider what is meant by justice, for the word as used by the Church has not that sense which it bears in ordinary English. By "justice" is not meant the virtue of fairness, equity, uprightness in our dealings; but it is a word denoting all virtues at once, a perfect, virtuous state of soul, righteousness, or moral perfection; so that it answers very nearly to what is meant by sanctity. Therefore when our Lady is called the "Mirror of Justice," it is meant to say that she is the Mirror of sanctity, holiness, supernatural goodness.

Next, what is meant by calling her a mirror? A mirror is a surface which reflects, as still water, polished steel, or a looking glass. What did Mary reflect? She reflected our Lord but He is infinite Sanctity. She then, as far as a creature could, reflected His Divine sanctity, and therefore she is the Mirror of Sanctity, or, as the Litany says, of Justice.

Do we ask how she came to reflect His Sanctity? It was by living with Him. We see every day how like people get to each other who live with those they love. When they live with those whom they don't love, as, for instance, the members of a family who quarrel with each other, then the longer they live together the more unlike each other they become; but when they love each other, as husband and wife, parents and children, brothers with brothers or sisters, friends with friends, then in course of time they get surprisingly like each other. All of us perceive this; we are witnesses to it with our own eyes and ears; in the expression of their features, in their voice, in their walk, in their language, even in their handwriting, they become like each other and so with regard to their minds, as in their opinions, their tastes, their pursuits. And again doubtless in the state of their souls, which we do not see, whether for good or for bad.

Now, consider that Mary loved her Divine Son with an unutterable love; and consider too she had Him all to herself for thirty years. Do we not see that, as she was full of grace before she conceived Him in her womb, she must have had a vast incomprehensible sanctity when she had lived close to God for thirty years? A sanctity of an angelical order, reflecting back the attributes of God with a fullness and exactness of which no saint upon earth, or hermit, or holy virgin, can even remind us. Truly then she is the Speculum Justitiae, the Mirror of Divine Perfection.

Article 12. Whether justice stands foremost among all moral virtues?

Objection 1.  Justice isn't first among the moral virtues because justice is about giving to each his due, but generosity is giving to others what we have, which is more virtuous. 

Objection 2.  Aristotle says that magnanimity (greatness of mind and heart) includes justice and all the virtues.  Therefore magnanimity is greater than justice.

Objection 3.  Aristotle says that virtue is about things that are difficult and good, and fortitude is about more difficult things than justice.

On the contrary, Cicero says justice is the most impressive of the virtues.

It is clear that legal justice (justice that directs man toward the common good) is first among the moral virtues since it involves multiple people, rather than just one.  In addition, particular justice (directed to just one person) is also first among the moral virtues for two reasons.  The first is that justice is in the will, which is the higher part of the soul while the other moral virtues are in the sensitive appetite, which is the lower part of the soul.  The second is that Aristotle says that the greatest virtues are those which help others, since virtue is about doing good to others.  Aristotle goes on to say that greatest honors are given to the brave and the just, since bravery is useful to others in warfare, and justice is useful to others both in war and in peace.

Reply to Objection 1.  A generous man gives while thinking about his own growth in virtue, while a just man gives to another his due, while thinking about the common good.  Justice is directed to everyone, but generosity can't extend to everyone.  Also generosity is based on justice.

Reply to Objection 2.  When magnanimity (greatness of mind and heart) is added to justice it increases the good of justice, but without justice it wouldn't even be a virtue.

Reply to Objection 3.  Fortitude is about the most difficult things, but is only useful in warfare.  Justice is useful in both war and in peace.

www.newadvent.org/summa/3058.htm#article12


Praised be Jesus Christ!

This article definitely should motivate us to practice acts of justice since it states clearly that this virtue is the first among all moral virtues.  We have until Wednesday of next week to focus on this glorious virtue.  Let's finish strong.

FOR MARY!

Article 11. Whether the act of justice is to render to each one his own?

Praised be Jesus Christ!

I am going to attempt to explain what I think St. Thomas is saying in these articles in very simple terms. I am not qualified for this, so keep that in mind when you are reading. I will most likely make some mistakes, and if I can't figure out what he is saying I may have to just skip that sentence, section, or even the whole article.  I will try this out and see how it goes.  Below is my first attempt at this.

In the Immaculate Heart,
Jared


Objection 1:
Justice is not to render to each person their own because St. Augustine says giving to the poor would be an act of justice. When you give to the poor you are giving what is not theirs. Therefore justice is not to render to each one his own.

Objection 2:
Tully (Also known as Cicero 106–43 b.c, Roman philosopher) says that generosity is a form of justice. When we are generous we give to others what doesn't belong to them, therefore justice is not to render to each one his own.

Objection 3:
Justice is not only about giving out material things but also repressing bad actions such as adultery, or murder. Rendering to each his due seems to describe the giving out of material things, so to render to each one his own is not a good way to describe an act of justice.

On the contrary, St. Ambrose says that justice gives to each his due.

I answer that, Each mans own is that which is due to him.  Strictly speaking justice is nothing else than to give to each his due.

Reply to Objection 1: Justice is a cardinal virtue so other secondary virtues, such as mercy, and generosity are connected to it.  

This suffices for Objection 2

Reply to Objection 3: Aristotle says that when speaking about justice "profit" is used for what is excessive and what is deficient is called "loss." Justice is commonly used when speaking about buying and selling, where the expressions "profit" and "loss" fit well, yet they are transferred by Aristotle to all other matters involving justice. Thus we can use "to render to each one his own" when describing justice.

Original article found at: http://www.newadvent.org/summa/3058.htm#article11

Virtues/Vices Quick Guide

This is something I put together for the 8th grade religion class that I teach.

Virtue - Good habit
Mnemonic for Cardinal Virtues: PJFT (Peanut-butter, Jelly, French, Toast)

Wisdom Chapter 8:7
P -> Prudence - making good decisions
J -> Justice - giving to each his due
F -> Fortitude - perseverance, strength
T -> Temperance - restraint in temptation or desire

1 Cor. 13:13
Theological Virtues: Faith, Hope, Charity
Faith - The acceptance of the word of another, trusting that one knows what the other is saying and is honest in telling the truth.
Hope - The confident desire of obtaining a future good that is difficult to attain.
Charity - The infused supernatural virtue by which a person loves God above all things for his own sake, and loves others for God's sake.
    - Servant of God Fr. John Hardon S.J., Modern Catholic Dictionary

Vice - Bad habit
Deadly Sins - Another name for the seven capital sins. They may be called deadly because they are tendencies to those basic sins which, if deliberately and fully consented to, deprive a person of the supernatural life of God in the soul.
    - Servant of God Fr. John Hardon S.J., Modern Catholic Dictionary

Galatians 5:19-21
1 Corinthians 6:10
Mnemonic for Seven Deadly/Capital Sins: PALE GAS
P -> Pride - high opinion of oneself, desire to be considered as better than one is
A -> Anger - emotional sense of displeasure
L -> Lust - desire for sexual pleasure outside of God's purposes for it within marriage
E -> Envy - sadness or discontent because of another person's success
G -> Gluttony - eating or drinking an excessive amount
A -> Avarice - extreme desire for material things
S -> Sloth - laziness

Note: I first heard about these mnemonics from Dr. Taylor Marshall.  He has a great blog at http://taylormarshall.com/, and I suggest that you check his blog out.

Article 10. Whether the mean of justice is the real mean?

The Philosopher says (Ethic. ii, 6; v, 4) that the mean of justice is to be taken according to "arithmetical" proportion, so that it is the real mean.

I answer that, As stated above (09; I-II, 59, 4), the other moral virtues are chiefly concerned with the passions, the regulation of which is gauged entirely by a comparison with the very man who is the subject of those passions, in so far as his anger and desire are vested with their various due circumstances. Hence the mean in such like virtues is measured not by the proportion of one thing to another, but merely by comparison with the virtuous man himself, so that with them the mean is only that which is fixed by reason in our regard. On the other hand, the matter of justice is external operation, in so far as an operation or the thing used in that operation is duly proportionate to another person, wherefore the mean of justice consists in a certain proportion of equality between the external thing and the external person. Now equality is the real mean between greater and less, as stated in Metaph. x [Didot ed., ix, 5; Cf. Ethic. v, 4: wherefore justice observes the real mean.

http://www.newadvent.org/summa/3058.htm#article10

Article 9. Whether justice is about the passions?

The Philosopher says (Ethic. v, 1) that justice is about operations.

The true answer to this question may be gathered from a twofold source. First from the subject of justice, i.e. from the will, whose movements or acts are not passions, as stated above (I-II, 22, 3; I-II, 59, 4), for it is only the sensitive appetite whose movements are called passions. Hence justice is not about the passions, as are temperance and fortitude, which are in the irascible and concupiscible parts. Secondly, on the part of the matter, because justice is about man's relations with another, and we are not directed immediately to another by the internal passions. Therefore justice is not about the passions.

http://www.newadvent.org/summa/3058.htm#article9


Praised be Jesus Christ!  Fellow Knights of the Immaculate Queen.  Let us all beg of St. Mary the virtue of justice.  Let us start by showing our friends, family, and superiors the love and respect that they deserve.  We should make it a point to be at work on time, and to put in an honest days work for our employer.  We should in charity correct those God has given us care over when they are in need of correction, and let us give God His due by setting time aside for prayer each day.  Let us remember to thank Him for all that we have been given. 

Mary, Queen of All Hearts, take possession of the hearts of all men!

Article 8. Whether particular justice has a special matter?

The Philosopher reckons (Ethic. v, 2) particular justice to be specially about those things which belong to social life.

I answer that, Whatever can be rectified by reason is the matter of moral virtue, for this is defined in reference to right reason, according to the Philosopher (Ethic. ii, 6). Now the reason can rectify not only the internal passions of the soul, but also external actions, and also those external things of which man can make use. And yet it is in respect of external actions and external things by means of which men can communicate with one another, that the relation of one man to another is to be considered; whereas it is in respect of internal passions that we consider man's rectitude in himself. Consequently, since justice is directed to others, it is not about the entire matter of moral virtue, but only about external actions and things, under a certain special aspect of the object, in so far as one man is related to another through them.

http://www.newadvent.org/summa/3058.htm#article8