DAY 5

THE GIFT OF FORTITUDE.

• ACT OF CONTRITION.

  O my God I am heartily sorry for having offended you, and I detest all my sins, because of your punishments, but most of all because they offended you, my God, who are all-good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of your grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near occasion of sin.

• Act OF FAITH.

  My God, I believe in you and all that your Church teaches, because you have said it and your love is true.

• ACT OF HOPE.

  My God, I hope in you for grace and for glory, because of your promises, your mercy and your power.

• HYMN: HOLY SPIRIT LORD OF LIGHT

  Holy Spirit, Lord of light,
  From the clear celestial height,
  Thy pure beaming radiance give,
  Come, thou Father of the poor,
  Come with treasures that endure,
  Come, thou light of all that live!
  Thou, of all consolers best,
  

  Thou, the soul's delightful guest,
  Dost refreshing peace bestow
  Thou in toil art comfort sweet;
  Pleasant coolness in the heat;
  Solace in the midst of woe...

• SCRIPTURE READING (Mark 13:3-37)

• CONSIDERATION.

  Fortitude is a gift of the Holy Spirit strengthening the soul against natural fear and supporting it to end in the performance of duty. Daily the soul, in the state of grace, must go forth to fight the good fight of Christ; to do its duty, which, because it is duty, will always be difficult. The virtue of fortitude leads us into the battle, but we need special encouragement from the Spirit of God to enable us persevere in good, in spite of unforeseen difficulties, hardships, and the grind of routine. That encouragement the Holy Spirit imparts to us through the gift of fortitude. Moreover, whilst we are not called upon to face the roaring lion in the Roman arena like the first Christians we are bound everyday of our lives to fight the roaring lion within us, to struggle against our besetting temptation. God has armed us with the gift of Fortitude for that purpose. Let us therefore pray for that gift to enable us to fight perseveringly the good fight of Jesus Christ until it pleases our Divine Leader to call us from the battlefield of life to enjoy the eternal reward of heaven.

• PRAYER.

  Come, O blessed Spirit of Fortitude, uphold my soul in time of trouble and adversity, sustain my efforts after holiness, strengthen my weakness, give me courage against all the assaults of my enemies, that I may never be overcome and separated from thee, my God and greatest Good.
  Amen.