December 4, 2013 WBAS Cat Prayers & Reflections, WBAS Topics Virtues & Values, REL Topic- Virtues/Values
By: Kathy Hendricks
My brother tells a story about his childhood friend, Mack, who was being picked on by a kid in his neighborhood. Tired of living in fear, Mack took matters into his own hands. Confronting his nemesis, he pulled a can of spinach out from under his shirt and was never bothered again.
I don’t know if Popeye cartoons are around anymore, but memories of them remain clear. Whenever threatened by the bully, Bluto, Popeye’s supply of spinach quickly fortified him, enabling him to resolve the confrontation with a one-two punch. As children we, quite literally, ate these stories up.
It’s a tantalizing thought – that a gulp of magic will give us the strength to stand against our adversaries. The reality is much different. Fortitude builds incrementally rather than instantaneously. No wonder that synonyms for it include endurance and resilience. In addition, the enemies we face are often inside of us, making them all the trickier to withstand. Consider the inner demons that drain our souls and leave us weak-kneed and vulnerable. We don’t fight them with fists but with intense soul work that includes prayer, discipline, and honest self-reflection.
As a virtue, fortitude gives us the strength and courage to remain firm in our faith. Stellar models of this virtue are less like Popeye and more like Saint Charles Lwanga and his fellow martyrs from Uganda. When confronted by a bully-king and commanded to renounce their faith in Christ, they drew upon the quiet strength that is the heart of fortitude. Knowing their powerlessness in the face of tyranny, faith was their “can of spinach”, their stronghold, their source of both consolation and challenge. It cost them their lives, but preserved their integrity and solidified their hope. We may not ever have to face down a king or even a kid down the block, but each of us need fortitude to keep the faith.
Bright Ideas
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Read more about Saint Charles Lwanga and download activities to use with your class or family..
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Download my Prayer for Fortitude, and use it in your parish or home in Advent and throughout the year.
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