This blog is an article for the Together Paper of Wagga Wagga Diocese February Edition.
For many, it was a moment that interrupted the usual rhythm of the season and reminded us how quickly joy and fragility can exist side by side. Not long before the year ended, we all heard of something horrific that deeply moved us — something shifted in our collective climate that day.
We were approaching a season of celebration, and to witness an act of violence in a place iconic to our country — a place many of us hold memories of or may even have considered visiting during the holidays — likely caused pause and reflection. Those of us who remained in the Diocese at that time may have experienced a kind of wave of interior sombreness, a stillness brought on by shock.
Yet beyond the violence itself, we also heard stories of heroism: people who risked their own lives to stop the horror and to help those who were injured. We heard of people who ran toward the scene instead of away from it, to help others. What we witnessed were acts flowing from the virtue of Fortitude.
The Catechism tells us that 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 one’s life in defence of a just cause” (CCC 1808).
In other words, some of the bravest acts of heroism in our time come from the exercise of this virtue. Yet fortitude is not only present in moments when decisive action is required; it is often in the quiet, hidden moments of perseverance that fortitude is most deeply strengthened.
You may notice a different writer to usual in the Together Paper this month, as our much-loved Emily Shaw is currently on leave welcoming the newest member of the Shaw family, (and if you’ve met the little one, you’ll know she’s already another crowd favourite). Congratulations to the Shaw family and thank you to Emily and Ben for being such beautiful and bold witnesses of faith.
Living the Christian life well, as the Shaw’s do, is no small feat. In our current climate — where everyone seems to be judged for something — choosing to have a family and remain open to children and to forming them, as so many families across the Wagga Diocese do, is itself an act of fortitude. The perseverance required in changing nappies, cutting up more fruit, buying yet another pair of shoes, and meeting the constant needs of children are hidden sacrifices — and profound acts of love where the virtue of fortitude is exercised through perseverance — these are not day by day exercises, but moment by moment. This is true strength, shaped by truth and growth in virtue.
This virtue is not reserved for dramatic moments or specific vocations. Virtue is not exclusive — it is for all of us. Fortitude can be strengthened each time we notice fear rising within us, or anxiety taking hold. And is there not much today that invites anxiety, particularly through the news we consume? Yet Our Lord reassures us: “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.” Matthew 6:34
We are called to be wise and prudent — another virtue for another day — in the decisions we make today, but we are not called to live in fear. When headlines unsettle us about the economy or global events, or when our own parish or parish priest invites us to step forward and contribute in a new way, the invitation remains the same: be not afraid – Mark 6:50.
February also marks the beginning of a journey for a group of people from across our Diocese who have made the bold decision to give nine months of their year to learning more deeply who they are, discerning their gifts, and exploring how they are being called to serve the Church. Each of them has said, in one way or another, “Lord, I will not be afraid,” or perhaps more honestly, “Lord, even though I am afraid, I will follow you.” And this, ultimately, is what Christ asks of us all — not once, but in each moment of each day.
Written by Stina Constantine
Founder & director of Virtue Ministry and keynote speaker