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Dear Assumption Catholic Schools

Our Lenten journey is nearing an end.  Sunday is Passion Sunday – Jesus triumphantly enters Jerusalem.  Then we await the Tridium and in eager anticipation the joy of Easter.  I pray that you are able to spend time with Jesus this week as He makes his way to Calvary.

The virtue for April is Fortitude

The virtue of Fortitude, or Courage, is the strength to do
the right thing in the face of fear and/or difficulties.

PRAYER FOR FORTITUDE
Holy Spirit, Divine Consoler, I adore You as my true
God, with God the Father and God the Son.
I adore You and unite myself to the adoration You
receive from the angels and saints.
I give You my heart and I offer my ardent
thanksgiving for all the grace which You never
cease to bestow on me.
Grant me the gift of fortitude, so that I may
overcome courageously all the assaults of the
devil, and all the dangers of this world which
threaten the salvation of my soul.

From The Catechism
of the Catholic Church #1808
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 his life
in defense of a just cause.

How do we grow this virtue of
FORTITUDE?
We need practice. We need opportunities to rise
above fear and do the right thing.
Read stories about saints who were martyred or
persecuted.
Find a Bible verse about fortitude or courage and
memorize it.
Pray for the gift of fortitude. It is a grace, a gift
that many martyrs of the Catholic faith received
from God so they could give their lives for Him.
That is the courage that comes from God.

FORTITUDE enables us to:
Achieve our goals when the going gets tough.
Control our emotions and fears so we can do the
good and avoid the evil.
Make sacrifices to serve God and others.

Practice praying in public
For example:
Cross yourself and pray when you’re
out to eat.
Pray before and after a sporting
event or other group activity.

Offer up your activities for a specific
intention.
RESOLUTION
FAMILY RESOLUTION
Walk, jog, run together as a family a
certain distance offering it up for a
specific intention.

Matthew 16:24-27
Then Jesus said to his disciples: If any man will come after
me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow
me.
For he that will save his life, shall lose it: and he that shall
lose his life for my sake, shall find it.
For what doth it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and
suffer the loss of his own soul?
Or what exchange shall a man give for his soul?
For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with
his angels: and then will he render to every man according
to his works.
Amen I say to you, there are some of them that stand here,
that shall not taste death, till they see the Son of man
coming in his kingdom.

“Nobody can fight properly or boldly for the faith if
he clings to a fear of being stripped of earthly
possessions.”
– St. Peter Damian
Bishop and Doctor of the Church

“God would never inspire me with desires which
cannot be realized; so in spite of my littleness, I
can hope to be a saint.”
– St. Therese of the Child Jesus
Doctor of the Church

“To fall in love with God is the greatest romance;
to seek Him the greatest adventure;
to find Him, the greatest human achievement.”
– St. Augustine
Bishop and Doctor of the Church

“Virtue is nothing without the trial of temptation,
for there is no conflict without an enemy,
no victory without strife.”
– St. Leo the Great
Pope and Doctor of the Church

The Opposing Vice

COWARDICE
THE WEAKNESS TO FAIL TO DO THE RIGHT THING
IN THE FACE OF FEAR AND/OR DIFFICULTIES.

WHAT IS COWARDICE?
Cowardice is an inordinate fear compared to the good that is
sought to be achieved that prevents you from doing your
duty.
In other words, a person acts cowardly when they let fear
stop them from pursuing some goal that is really worth
pursuing.
Notice that to determine if you are acting cowardly you must
have a goal worth pursuing or something that you do not
want to lose.
Example:
• You know you did something wrong such as hurting
someone’s feelings with what you did or said.
• You know you can apologize and ask for forgiveness.
• But you choose not to because you are afraid of how
awkward you might feel.

CLOSING PRAYER
Lord, I want to be brave for you.
I want to stay committed to you and your teachings.
Help me to grow in the virtue of fortitude so I may do
your will and not give up when things get hard.
Teach me to practice patience and perseverance in
times of difficulty.
I want to honor you, Lord, in all I do whether it’s big
or small.
Give me a heart like yours so I can do all things with
great love.
Amen

In Christ’s Peace

Daniel Minter

President

Assumption Catholic Schools