Come Holy Spirit
Grant me the gift of Fortitude that I may bear my cross with you and that I may follow the example of St "Padre" Pio and overcome with courage all the obstacles that oppose my salvation.
St "Padre" Pio says
We must never separate the Cross from Jesus
otherwise it would become a weight which in our weakness we could not carry.
Our Lord sends the crosses;
we do not have to invent them.
Endure tribulations illness, and pain
for the love of God and
for the conversion of poor sinners.
As for me O Lord I trust in your merciful love
Let my heart rejoice in your saving help
(Psalm 13:6)
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Amen
The Gift of Fortitude
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in them the fire of Your Fortitude and Love. Amen
The Gift of Fortitude (sometimes called strength, courage, or might) corresponds to the Virtue of Fortitude and is also one of the four cardinal moral virtues which ensures firmness in difficulties and constancy in doing what is right.
God is calling each one of us to be a great saint.(
The call, and all the instructions for fulfilling it He gives us in the Gospels.
All that we need to achieve this has been provided, even to the smallest detail, moment by moment, throughout our lives.
The more trying our circumstances, the more potential there is for sanctity.
It is all there for us to avail of, if, in love, we freely choose to do so.
However, without the Holy Spirit's precious gift of Fortitude, we shall never persevere in our efforts.
We are surrounded by temptations, the gift of Fortitude helps us to overcome them, not with our own strength, but fortified with that of the Holy Spirit, dwelling within us, awaiting our call to Him for help.
Fortitude helps us to respond to the Lord when He says
It is one thing to take up our cross and deny ourselves in moments of fervour for the love of the Lord, but to continue daily as Our Lord asks, on days when we do not feel like it at all, only the strength and courage of the Holy Spirit in His gift of Fortitude makes this possible.
(Copied from Official Decree of Heroic Virtues)
The virtue of Fortitude shown forth in Padre Pio
He understood full well that his walk would have been that of the Cross.
He accepted suffering with courage and with love.
He experienced for many years the sufferings of the soul.
For years he bore the pains of his wounds with admirable fortitude.
He accepted in silence and prayer the numerous interventions of the ecclesiastical authorities and his Order. In front of calumnies he always kept silent.
Stay with me Lord, for You are my Light and without You I am in darkness Stay with me Lord, because I am weak and I need your strength, that I may not fall so often. (Padre Pio)