A couple moved into their new home and everything seemed perfect. They were excited to make the place truly their own, and within a matter of weeks, it felt like home. Their pictures hung on the walls, favorite books lined the shelves, and as the old saying goes, there was "a place for everything, and everything in its place."
But there was a little problem. One of the cupboard doors in the kitchen refused to stay shut and flush like all of the others. The husband tried all sorts of remedies to fix it but nothing he did seemed to work. Every time he would walk in the kitchen, all he could think about was the door that just wouldn't quite shut. It began to drive him crazy and he found himself thinking about the cupboard door even when he wasn't home!
But one day, in the midst of obsessing over the singular flaw in their new home, his wife put a calming hand on his shoulder and got his attention.
"Sweetie, look at all of the other ones," she said.
When he took a step back and looked around the kitchen in its entirety, he saw that it was filled with cupboards that were beautiful, just right, perfect in every way. He smiled, and thought to himself, "What a wonderful new home. Why waste my time worrying over one little cupboard door that won't shut perfectly? Better to keep in mind what a blessing the whole place is."
"Enduring courage; strength of character in bearing pain with patience or in meeting danger undauntedly."
Strength. Not only of body, but of will and spirit and mind. Guts, gusto, what have you. I feel as though fortitude appears in my own life in brief, momentary flashes and then it too often seems to vanish into thin air. How to hold on to it is still a mystery to me.
"Enduring courage." It's not uncommon to wonder how one's courage can endure in such a frightening and brutal world. How can one persistently stand up for good in a world filled with poverty, hatred, violence and despair? Wars never cease so long as man is filled with pride and greed. Each new conflict, each death, each dashed dream can seem like another nail in courage's coffin.
We can only hope to live the virtue of fortitude if it is nourished by faith. Faith complements and indeed fuels fortitude. Such a virtue of strength amidst pain and suffering must be held in the highest esteem. Standing firm for our Lord and his Gospel of life, rooted in the truth of his resurrection and his promise to prepare a place for us, we can live in fortitude. As Scripture says, "God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your strength, but with the temptation will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it" (1 Corinthians 10:13). We can be filled with fortitude - enduring courage and meeting danger undauntedly - for that fortitude is the very presence of God himself in our hearts, filling us with his own courage and strength!
O Heavenly Father, grant unto me your steadfast endurance - the patient fortitude you displayed at Gethsemane. Amen.
“Arm yourself with prayer rather than a sword; wear humility rather than fine clothes.”
— St. Dominic
