Virtue of the Month

The Virtue of the month for Challenge and Conquest in the month of November is Perseverance. We need to persevere in order to be virtuous people because virtue is the habit of doing good. Habits come about because we repeat something over and over again, persevering and not giving up at the first difficulty. The kind of person who tends to give up when they face difficulties lacks perseverance. When things do not come easily for you and you get frustrated and want to quit rather than persist and work through the problem.

According to St. Thomas Aquinas, the lack of perseverance is a vice called “softness.” A soft person lacks character. They are like a spongy “Nerf ” football that is easily bendable. Like a Nerf football, the soft person is easily changed. Final perseverance is the preservation of the state of grace till the end of life. The expression is taken from Matthew 10:22, “He that shall persevere untothe end, he shall be saved.” “Only love is capable of resolving difficulty. Love is a celebration, love is joy, love is perseverance.” – Pope Francis

At the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry, the word was just spreading about who he was and what he could do, not everyone knew about him. Fishermen like to fish in the early morning and evening because the fish are more likely to bite. For Peter, this was his job and he lived off of fishing, so he would go out and fish all night so he could sell his fish in the morning to the markets. Apparently, Peter had a bad night and had caught absolutely nothing. So Jesus comes up to him because the crowds are kind of forcing him to the shore and Jesus needed a place to get into so he could teach them. Peter’s boat was ideal so Jesus taught. Peter listened and then Jesus asked Peter to put out his nets again and persevere in faith that he would catch something- and he did. Christ shows us in this passage that sometimes God asks us to persevere in what we do but if we follow his request, we will find a great reward.

Prayer of Offering

Here is a quick prayer you can say at the beginning of your day to help you demonstrate the virtue of perseverance:

God, Our Father, I offer you today all that I think and do and say. I offer it with what was done on earth by Jesus Christ your Son. Amen.

Catechism Corner

The Catechism number of the month is all about Persevering in virtue. It is number 1810 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

“Human virtues acquired by education, by deliberate acts and by a perseverance ever-renewed in repeated efforts are purified and elevated by divine grace. With God’s help, they forge character and give facility in the practice of the good. The virtuous man is happy to practice them.”