The dictionary meaning of fortitude is the strength of mind that enables a person to encounter danger or bear pain or adversity with courage. Fortitude also helps us cope with difficulties and overcome our limitations.

When someone has fortitude it means that they have emotional power or reserves and the ability to withstand adversity. People who have fortitude are described in an admiring way for their courage and this word comes from the Latin word fortitudo, meaning “strength.” Fortitude is also the moral virtue that ensures firmness in difficulties and constancy in the pursuit of the good. It strengthens the resolve to resist temptations and to overcome obstacles in the moral life. The virtue of fortitude enables one to conquer fear, even fear of death and to face trials and persecutions. Fortitude is commonly used when consoling a bereaved person, friend, colleague and family member. As a consolatory word, it gives the briefed some kind of strength. It is usually said in a form of prayer” May God give you and your family the fortitude to bear the loss” and believe it or not this prayer often calms the bereaved at that moment knowing, that some persons are supporting them with prayers and wishing them well in their moment of grief.

Fortitude is one of the four cardinal virtues and this virtue helps us to cope with difficulties and overcome our limitations. For Christians, the model of fortitude is Christ himself, He provides us with a constant example which is going to the extreme of giving up his life for love of us.

Fortitude is also the gift of the Holy Spirit which helps us to overcome our fear and also willing to take any risks and ready to stand up for what is right in the sight of God, even if it means accepting rejection, verbal abuse, or even physical pain and death.

Saint JoseMaria once said in one of his daily texts that” No man, whether he be a Christian or not, has an easy life. To be sure, at certain times it seems as though everything goes as we had planned. But this generally lasts for only a short time. Life is a matter of facing up to difficulties and of experiencing in our hearts both joy and sorrow. It is in this forge that man can acquire fortitude, patience, magnanimity and composure. And in Friends of God point 77, he said that “the person with fortitude is one who perseveres in doing what his conscience tells him he ought to do. He does not measure the value of a task exclusively by the benefit he receives from it, but rather by the service he renders to others. The strong man will at times suffer, but he stands firm; he may be driven to tears, but he will brush them aside. When difficulties come thick and fast, he does not bend before them”.

These were words written many years ago but which today are what we are witnessing. The whole world is burdened with so much difficulty; people are undergoing different degrees of pain. There is suffering everywhere, hunger, joblessness and all manner of pain and in the midst of all of that, we remain strong, patient though, we are sometimes driven to tears but we are still smiling, praying and hoping that the pain will come to pass soon and that, we will persevere. This show of boldness can only be possible because of the virtue of fortitude.

 Let us take a cue from some persons mentioned in the bible such as that of the brave young queen Esther. We also read about St. Joseph.  “let us ask him to for fortitude of spirit in order to bring Christ into all these human realities. With faith we see the example of his life, which gives us a picture of Joseph as a remarkably sound man who was in no way fearful or different about life. On the contrary, he faced up to problems, dealt with difficulty situations and showed responsibility and initiative in whatever he was asked to do”

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Beatrice Egbuna is an experienced Broadcast Technologist with a strong background in managing broadcast equipment and sound technology. She has played a leading role in building and installing various radio studios, as well as maintaining and repairing both analogue and digital equipment at Voice of Nigeria (VON) studios. Egbuna holds a degree in Mass Communication from the University of Lagos (UNILAG) and the Lagos State University (LASU), and has received training in Audio Engineering from the United States, Germany and the United Kingdom. She also holds certificates in Senior Management Programmes from the Lagos Business School (LBS) and the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON), as well as a certificate in Entrepreneurial Management from the Enterprise Development Centre (EDC) of the Pan-Atlantic University (PAU). Prior to joining EDC in 2011, Beatrice worked in various capacities at the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) and VON before retiring in 2010 as Deputy Director Programming. She has also worked as a Consultant/Mentor on projects like "Road-to-Growth" powered by Cherie Blair Foundation and Access Bank Plc. Egbuna produced and presented "Enterprise Stories", a live radio program on Inspiration 92.3 FM, which brings entrepreneurs together every Tuesday at 3 pm to share their success stories and inspire startup developers to follow their dreams. She also produced "The Economy and You," a program that aired for about four years on Rhythm 93.7 FM, which brought policymakers, technocrats and successful business executives to discuss government policies and their impact on the economy and businesses in Nigeria. Currently, Beatrice Egbuna is the Principal Consultant at Maluwe Capacity Builders International, Nigeria, where she provides real-time feedback and actionable advice that adds value to her clients. She is also a mentor and faculty member at the Enterprise Development Centre of the Pan-Atlantic University, and a BDSP Consultant on the 5-year (20??-20??) MASTERCARD TRANSFORMING NIGERIA YOUTH PROJECT (TNY). Egbuna is passionate about developing the entrepreneurship ecosystem, providing business support and advisory services to entrepreneurs within and outside the EDC business network for over a decade. She is a certified IFC/LPI Trainer, certified SMEDAN Business Development Service Provider (BDSP), life coach, work-life balance advocate/coordinator, and marriage counsellor who helps employees/career/business people find fulfilment in the workplace, balance in their daily activities, and solutions to their marital challenges. To reach Beatrice Egbuna she can be contacted through her email addresses: bettyegbuna@yahoo.com and maluwehelp@gmail.com. She also has a website, https://momentwithbetty.com.

7 Comments

  • Matthew Ngwu, June 23, 2022 @ 2:13 pm Reply

    We can’t grasp this on our own. God must lift us up.
    Yes one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit is fortitude.
    According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, fortitude is the moral virtue that ensures firmness in difficulties and constancy in the pursuit of the good. It strengthens the resolve to resist temptations and overcome obstacles in the moral life. You are absolutely right when you mentioned that, the virtue of fortitude enables one to conquer fear, even fear of death, and face trials and persecutions.

    • Betty, June 27, 2022 @ 11:04 am Reply

      Thank you Matthew for your usual contribution. Remain blessed.

  • Grace C. Nduka, June 23, 2022 @ 3:31 pm Reply

    This is awesome and excellent. Thanks to God for the spirit of humility in you that made it possible for the virtue of fortitude and other virtues that were responsible for the great achievements you made in life; and for helping humanity.
    The LORD God Almighty will continue to bless you real people in all your endeavours and services to humanity. His grace will continue to abound for you as you strive to serve to His glory in Jesus’ precious Name, Amen and Amen!!

    • Betty, June 27, 2022 @ 11:02 am Reply

      Amen. Grace. I appreciate your comments and prayer.
      May God bless you too for reading my article. Thank you.

  • Charles Chinedum, June 24, 2022 @ 8:31 am Reply

    Great article.
    Thanks for your time and research to write us Spiritual articles.
    We appreciate

    • Betty, June 27, 2022 @ 11:01 am Reply

      You are welcome. Thanks for visiting my site.

  • Chuka Okoye, July 5, 2022 @ 8:19 pm Reply

    How I wish that many would take the pain or have the patience or indeed have the ‘fortitude’ to go through this write up- a presentation in simple diction to make us understand our world and confront it better.
    I am caught by the assertion that fortitude is the fruit of the Holy spirit as explained, and there lies the link with our moral standing. I agree with the definition of fortitude as the moral virtue that ensures firmness in difficulties, and constancy in the pursuit of good. Can we imagine every human aiming at the pursuit of good? What a wonderful world this would be!!!
    There would be no cheating, acrimony, hate, suspicion, rivalry, because with determination or fortitude we have decided to make our world an eldo Rado.
    Thanks so much Betty for highlighting this and bringing out the link as a moral virtue and christian understanding. Good to reach out to more out there.

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