Thought of the Day July 24, 2020 Be courageous
The natural gift of fortitude, we acquire through practice, just as we develop our muscles through exercise. On the other hand the spiritual gift
of fortitude is a grace from the Holy Spirit. Many of the prophets of the Old Testament did not want to be prophets, but were called by God. But once they accepted, for them to speak the word that God had given them for the people of Israel was not easy. They knew that they would have to suffer as a result. But they chose to courageously speak that word in the power of the Spirit.
John the Baptist is a perfect example of a prophet of fortitude with respect to a "private combat", for he did not refrain from speaking out against Herod for repudiating his first wife and marrying his brother's wife while Philip was still alive. This eventually led to his death. But spoke he did fearing to displease God than curry man's friendship.
Over the centuries and even in our own time, it took the charism of fortitude
for martyrs to embrace death rather reject their faith in Jesus Christ.
We may not be threatened by physical martyrdom, but we are called to courageously profess our faith in Jesus as our Lord and Savior in the midst of a culture of secularism and death. Even thought to do so is counter cultural and goes against the so-called mainstream thought of the majority. But whom will I choose to please? God or others? Who will be my final judge? God or others?
Pray for the grace to be courageous whenever the occasion occurs when we are called to speak the truth in love.
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