The Virtue of Fortitude
Excerpt from The Groundwork of Christian Perfection
Fortitude is that virtue which hold together and strengthens all other virtues. It is what helps the soul to persevere in the faith under the most difficult of circumstances and brings about other virtues such as courage, confidence, magnanimity, magnificence, perseverance, and patience. Fortitude is the virtue practice when the saint stands against the world and gives up all he has to stand with Christ and His Church.
Yours in Jesus and Mary.
From the book The Groundwork of Christian Perfection by Reverend Patrick Ryan (Benzinger Brothers, 1910, pages 53-55).
The Virtue of Fortitude
Fortitude in a general sense is the resolution and effort which are required in the performance of every virtuous act. It is the support of all other virtues. As the root of a tree supports the trunk, branches, fruit, and flowers, so Fortitude sustains, and is the strength of the whole system of moral and Christian virtues.
In its strict and specific signification it is “a virtue which enables us to overcome all the obstacles that oppose us in the practice of good and the endurance of evil.” It enables us to endure any hardship or persecution, rather than abandon our duty. In this strict sense it gives a special firmness of mind which is required for sustaining or repelling the difficulties which are sure to accompany the discharge of certain Christian duties.
It is a virtue which helps us to keep our reason right in very difficult circumstances, such as death, or martyrdom. Fortitude enables us to overcome the dangers and difficulties which come in the way of our duty towards God, towards our neighbor, and towards ourselves. It helps us to bear all sorts of persecutions, and afflictions, rather than offend God. It is a virtue that is necessary for every Christian. The performance of our duty is Fortitude.
Christian Fortitude especially reveals itself on the occasion of danger of death, for at that solemn moment, everyone will admit that it is most difficult to retain the standard of right reason — and yet even death itself must, when the occasion arises, be accepted by the Christian man rather than that he should deny his religion or any of the revealed truths connected with it.
The Fortitude needed for martyrdom is the most excellent of all fortitudes: for, “Greater love than this no man hath than that he lay down his life for his brother” (John 15:13): the brother for whom martyrdom is endured is Christ the Savior — the Exemplar — the Judge, and the Eternal reward.
The effects of martyrdom are: (1) Sanctifying grace, (2) the remission of the guilt and punishment of sin, (3) the aureole of special glory which is reserved by God for those who shed their blood for Christ.
The conditions of martyrdom are: (1) the infliction of death in hatred of the religion of Jesus Christ, (2) its acceptation on account of revealed truth, (3) that death be willingly accepted, (4) that at least attrition be had by the victim if he happens to be in mortal sin at the time.
Fortitude holds a middle place between temerity and audacity, and has for its formal object or motive the moderation of what is done; whereas all other virtues have for their motive the honesty of the acts themselves in so far as they are virtues.
Sin is committed against Fortitude by excess or by defect. Rashness, audacity, and presumption are sins against this virtue by way of excess. Fear, cowardice, pusillanimity, sloth, and human respect are sins by way of defect.
The virtues which spring from Fortitude, and which belong to the Fortitude group are, Confidence, Courage, Magnanimity, Magnificence, Perseverance, and Patience.
Confidence makes one believe himself able to encounter dangers and to support the difficulties which will be met with in reasonable undertakings.
Magnanimity inclines one to perform works worthy of great honor.
Magnificence, sometimes called munificence, which is a branch of Magnanimity, leads one to perform works of external splendor, such as building a church, or endowing an hospital, for the glory of God.
Perseverance, helps man to do good to the end, in spite of all the vexations with which his path is strewn.
Patience regulates grief or sorrow according to right reason.
To acquire this great virtue we must imitate our Divine Lord, the Apostles, the Martyrs, and the Saints.
We read in the life of St. Clement of Ancyra that the Emperor Diocletian placed before him the instruments of his martyrdom to terrify him — and on the other side a quantity of gold, silver, and precious stones to allure him, and said to the Saint, “Make your choice — if you persist in loving your God, see the death that awaits you; but if you deny him all the riches before you shall be yours.” The martyr drawing a deep and indignant sigh, protested with the Apostle that “neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor might, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).