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May 2008 Family
Newsletter GLOBAL CATHOLIC NETWORK (By Deacon Bill Steltemeier) “The gift of fortitude makes us persevere in holiness. It gives us the strength to forge ahead in the face of opposition and weakness. It gives us supernatural endurance, a spiritual daring.” — Mother M. Angelica Dear Family, Spiritual Daring. Yes, this is a lesson that Mother Angelica has taught us time and again. The Gift of Fortitude is tangibly operative in her life – even from her earliest years unto the present day! This same Spiritual Daring can be witnessed in the lives of the Saints, in the most holy life of Our Blessed Mother, and of course it is supremely manifested in the life of Our Blessed Lord. Is the Gift of Fortitude operative in us? Sometimes it is only by looking at the opposite that we can best judge. So allow me to ask another question: Are we spiritual cowards? Before we can answer this, perhaps we need to define what a spiritual coward is and what it is not. First, would you consider experiencing fear a ‘dead give away’ of spiritual cowardice? Surprisingly enough, it isn’t. The gauge of spiritual daring/cowardice comes not in the feeling of fear but in our response to fear. Does fear paralyze us so much that we choose comfort over Christ? Does it lead us to make bad decisions based on human respect instead of principle and true charity? Are we always pessimistic, seeing only the dark side of life? Do we throw cold water on the enthusiasm of others because we are afraid of following their example? Do we shrink from a life of holiness, allowing fear to control us? If we answer ‘yes,’ then there is some spiritual cowardice within us. On the other hand, in the face of persecution, do we hold fast to truth in humility and love? Allowing the waves of fear to pound against our fragile hearts, do we hold firm to the anchor of Jesus? This, my friends, is what Spiritual Daring or Fortitude is all about. Too often, when we see such a term, we imagine the loftiest deeds: the missionary journeys of St. Paul, the martyrdom of St. Peter, the extreme tortures of the English martyrs and so on. Truly such heroes of the faith gave the Gift of Fortitude ‘an extreme workout!’ While it is abundantly true that such heroic courage is indeed Spiritual Daring, we must never forget that such daring can be much more commonplace as well. Some of the most admirable displays of Spiritual Daring are quite hidden from the eyes of the world. We have only to look at the life of cloistered nuns to make this point. Take St. Thérèse for instance. She died at the age of 24, having entered the Monastery at a very young age. Her life was devoid of opportunities to exercise Spiritual Daring. Or so it would seem. For those of us who have studied the life and writings of the Little Flower, we know that nothing is further from the truth! With the strength and vision of a martyr, St. Thérèse saw each and every day within the Monastery as a battlefield upon which she could fight for the Lord – and she won. How splendidly she won! She greatly admired the French heroine and martyr, St. Joan of Arc. Not only did she admire her, but Thérèse sought to follow in her footsteps. Yes she sought to follow in St. Joan’s footsteps, but with her own feet so to speak! Granted their paths were vastly different, as are the paths for every soul. But the same Spiritual Daring which led Joan to be burned at the stake, led Thérèse to the Carmel, and led Mother Angelica to found EWTN. And it is the same Spiritual Daring that leads each and every one of us along the path of holiness. Fortitude can and must be present in the life of every Christian if we are to follow Our Lord. Family, as the great Solemnity of Pentecost quickly approaches, so let us ask the Sanctifier – the Holy Spirit – for an outpouring of all His Gifts. But let us ask Him especially for the Gift of Fortitude or Spiritual Daring – so that we may be Christian in name and in deed. I love you, Family. In Jesus and Mary, Deacon Bill Steltemeier Chairman & Chief Executive Officer |
