Vatican City, 14 May 2014 (VIS) – The
Holy Father, in the catechesis of this Wednesday's general audience,
mentioned the first three gifts of the Holy Spirit considered during
the previous weeks: wisdom, understanding and counsel, and went on to
talk about the fourth gift, fortitude. To explain the importance of
this gift, he offered the example of the parable of the sower. The
seeds which fall on the road are eaten by birds, and those which fall
among the stones dry out; only those that fall on good soil grow and
bear fruit.
The sower is the Father, who sows the
seeds of His Word. “The seeds often encounter the aridity of our
heart and, even when accepted, risk remaining sterile. With the gift
of fortitude, however, the Holy Spirit wakes the ground of our heart
from its torpor, uncertainty and all the fears that may hold it back,
so that the Word of the Lord may be put into practice, in an
authentic and joyful manner”. The Pope spoke about all those
difficult moments and extreme situations in which the gift of
fortitude manifests itself in an extraordinary way, and remarked that
the Church is “resplendent with the witness of many brothers and
sisters who have not hesitated to give their lives in order to remain
faithful to the Lord and to His Gospel”, and that nowadays there
are still many Christians who offer witness to their faith in
perilous circumstances. He added, “We all know people who have
experienced difficult situations and great suffering. But, think of
these men, these woman, who lead difficult lives, who struggle to
maintain their families, to bring up their children: they do all of
this because the spirit of fortitude helps them. ... These brothers
and sisters of ours are saints, everyday saints, saints who are
concealed among us; they have the gift of fortitude that allows them
to carry out their duties as persons, as fathers, mothers, brothers,
sisters and citizens. … And it is good for us to think about these
people: if they do all this, if they can do it, why can't I? It is
good for us to ask the Lord for the gift of fortitude”.
However, “it should not be thought
that the gift of fortitude is necessary only on some occasions or in
particular situations. This gift must constitute the base note of our
Christian being, nurturing in us a sanctity lived in the ordinariness
of our daily life”. Pope Francis commented that the phrase of the
apostle Paul, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me”.
Before concluding, the Pontiff added that “at times we are tempted
by idleness or we are discouraged, especially when faced with the
burdens and trials of life. In these cases, we must not lose heart,
but must instead invoke the Holy Spirit, so that the gift of
fortitude might lift our hearts and transmit new strength and
enthusiasm to our life and to our following of Jesus”.
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