Virtue of the Month for March is Courage

1CHvirtuemarchThe virtue of the month for Challenge and Conquest in March is courage. Courage is a virtue that requires both effort and grace. Fortitude is a virtue we can pray to God to give us. Courage takes  hope and strength. Little acts of courage will lead to being able to face more challenging situations. Someone who practices fortitude perseveres in their commitment to do good, even in the case when they must sacrifice their own self for it. Fortitude is a virtue we need to ask God to help us with. We need to find our strength in knowing he loves us and is with us. It involves great self-sacrifice . There are different types of fortitude and courage people show in hard times. Sometimes tough situations call for us to be strong physically to help someone or to persevere. That is why it is so important to take care of your health and be strong. Psychological fortitude allows us to face tough situations with enthusiasm, a positive attitude, and even joy. That is why it is important to learn to think positively in both easy and difficult situations. As a Christian virtue and a gift of the Holy Spirit, spiritual fortitude is strongly linked to hope and faith. We believe in the love that God has for us. The gift of fortitude can allow us to do unimaginably great things. This type of strength and courage comes from a deep faith in God. We see the greatest example of courage in Jesus, when he was crucified and died for our sins. Lent is a time to think about sacrifice and real courage. The cross is the complete opposite of cowardliness. Think about what Jesus went through in the 24 hours leading up to his death. He is an example of every type of courage and fortitude.

1CHvpope quote marThe Serenity prayer can be found on the back of the Challenge holy card this month. It is a prayer to be more courageous. “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,  the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. ”

The Youcat number of the month is all about the fear and courage the apostles discovered in Pentecost.  #118 What happened on Pentecost? Fifty days after his Resurrection, the Lord sent the Holy Spirit down from heaven upon his disciples. The age of the CHURCH began. On Pentecost the Holy Spirit transformed fearful apostles into courageous witnesses to Christ. In a very short time, thousands had themselves baptized: it was the birthday of the Church. The miracle of the languages on →PENTECOST shows that the Church is there for all peoples from the very beginning: She is universal (= the Latin term for the Greek kat’ holon, catholic) and missionary. She speaks to all men, overcomes ethnic and linguistic barriers, and can be understood by all. To this day the Holy Spirit is the “soul” of the Church, the essential principle of her life.