Archbishop Gomez on Virtue and Courage

Most Reverend José H. Gomez, S.T.D. Archbishop of San Antonio

‘BE NOT AFRAID!’ — THE VIRTUE OF COURAGE

In a few weeks, on April 2, we mark the fifth anniversary of the death of Pope John Paul II. When I think of John Paul, I always think of the very first words of his pontificate — “Be not afraid!”

Those words, which John Paul repeated many times over the years, come straight from the heart of the Gospel. From beginning to end, the Gospel is a divine call to courageous love — the courageous love of God and of our neighbor.

“Be not afraid!” is what the angel tells Mary at the Annunciation. (Lk 1:30) At the Resurrection, another angel uses the same words to tell the women at the tomb that Christ has risen. (Mt 28:5) Jesus himself uses these words to strengthen his apostles. (Jn 6:20) And the Gospels tell us that these were his first words after the resurrection: “Be not afraid!” (Mt 28:10)

This is fortitude. It is the ability to live in the presence of God and serve him without fear — without being afraid of God or being afraid of what others might say or do. Fortitude, the Catechism tells us, is the moral virtue that enables us to conquer our fears, to face temptations and troubles, even persecution, as we try to lead a Christian life and to do what God wants us to do. (no. 1808)

Before Christianity, philosophers used to teach that courage was a virtue found only on the battlefield. But as Christians, we know there are many “battlefields,” many places where our faith is challenged and tested. Our workplaces might be such a battle ground, or our homes, or the political arena. Often we find our hardest struggles in our own hearts.

It takes a lot of courage to live our Catholic faith. That is why God gives us this virtue, infusing it in us at baptism, along with the other cardinal and theological virtues.

God understands the weakness of our human nature. Sometimes we can forget that. It is a part of our human nature to be afraid of things that might hurt us and to try to avoid those things.

But our fears can undermine our efforts to follow Jesus Christ. Why? Because many of the things that Jesus Christ asks of us are “counter-cultural.” He asks us to live in ways that are sometimes very different from the way of life promoted by our culture. To live the way Jesus wants us to live can bring us into conflict with our neighbors, with our employers, even with our laws.

So we need courage. Courage is the woman who, despite the pressures of society and maybe even her family, refuses to abort her unborn child. Courage is the business owner who refuses to deny his or her principles or to act dishonestly even though doing so might be very profitable and rewarding financially. Courage is the politician who votes to defend life, even though it might cost him re-election.

How do we grow in this virtue of courage? By growing in self-discipline. The more we work to overcome our natural selfishness, the greater strength of character we develop, and the stronger we become morally.

Remember, little things mean a lot in the spiritual life. Little acts of self-denial, made out of love, can yield big results. Getting up five minutes earlier every day to pray will build self-discipline and help us to offer our day to God. Making time for daily Mass is another excellent habit that can help us to grow in moral strength.

At home, try to give more of your time to your loved ones. Make time to read something together or to play a game as a family. Many of us are so busy in the world, that when we come home, we retreat into ourselves; we are stingy and guarded with our time, even with our loved ones. We need to break out of our selfish routines or habits if we are going to grow in virtue.

One of the most important things we can do is to get into the habit of accepting our difficulties with patience. St. Paul reminds us that our afflictions help us to grow: “Affliction produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope doe not disappoint us because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.” (Rom 5:3-5)

Let us pray for the gift of the Holy Spirit called courage, that we might grow in the virtue of courage during this season of Lent. Let us make John Paul’s words, the words of the Gospel, be our watchword: “Be not afraid!”