Prudence & Fortitude

To live well is nothing other than to love God with all one’s heart, with all one’s soul and with all one’s efforts; from this it comes about that love is kept whole and uncorrupted (through temperance).  No misfortune can disturb it (and this is fortitude).  It obeys only [God] (and this is justice) and is careful in discerning things, so as not to be surprised by deceit or trickery (and this is prudence).
Augustine of Hippo

How many highly anticipated events have you been forced to cancel over the last month? How many more do you anticipate being canceled over the next three weeks or more? These decisions, made by you or forced upon you by the law or others, were undoubtedly challenging. Yet they were made or accepted knowing it was the correct decision to do what is right and protect the vulnerable.

We find ourselves living in a seemingly unprecedented time with cancelations of public liturgies, stay-at-home orders, isolation, and financial uncertainty. Yet there is nothing unprecedented about it. In 1919 as a country and as a people of faith we faced a similar situation confronted with the realities of the Spanish Flu. Although no one alive now remembers what it was like, we can find solace in our shared experience with loved ones who have since passed.

Prudence is one of the Cardinal Virtues of the Catholic Faith. It is the ability to recognize what is right. A person becomes prudent by learning to distinguish what is essential from what is non-essential, to set the right goals, and to choose the best means of attaining them.

Fortitude is another Cardinal Virtue. It ensures firmness in difficulty and constancy in the pursuit of good. Those who practice fortitude persevere in their commitment to the good once they have recognized it, even in the extreme case they must sacrifice even their own life for it.

In our prudence, we recognize the value of staying home. In our fortitude, we persevere through the challenges of separation from family and friends. We continue to focus on our families as the world around us seems to fall apart. We may even feel as though we are falling apart.

Even changes we choose present challenges. When changes are forced upon us the challenges can feel overwhelming. In cultivating prudence, we increase our ability to distinguish between right and wrong as our options increase. In cultivating fortitude, we increase our willingness to continually choose what is right even when it goes against what we actually desire.

Isolation, quarantine, remote learning, working from home. However you talk about it, it’s hard to find the good. Leaning into the potential for growth in virtue, allows us to create a positive out of a negative situation.

For a more in-depth look at virtue and a thorough explanation of what a Cardinal Virtue is, check out this fantastic article from Catholic Answers. 

Written By: Melissa Capella