In this podcast, we reflect on the virtue of fortitude as the motivation to overcome temptation. St. Josemaria Escriva tells us that “a task which presents no difficulties lacks human appeal - and supernatural appeal too. If you find no resistance when hammering a nail into a wall, what can you expect to hang on it?” (The Forge, no. 245). In order to win the prize, you cannot dodge the fight that takes you to the end.The virtue of fortitude is essential for the spiritual life and human development. Msgr. Dolan explains the reality of deferred gratification, which is putting off what we want and taking care of what we should do. He explains further that deferred gratification goes hand in hand with gumption, which is the ability to decide what is best in any particular situation and go straight into action. The danger in the spiritual life is abandoning the struggle and simply giving up. We can either view challenges with fear and stress, or we can choose to view them with excitement.

In the Gospel reading for the first Sunday of Lent, we hear of the temptation of Christ in the desert. Christ, as the perfect model of virtue, embraces the virtue of fortitude when faced with the temptations from Satan. As you go through this Lenten season, how can you strengthen the virtue of fortitude and say ‘no’ to the temptations you face in our own life.

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