26 January 2019
Memorial of Saints Timothy and Titus, bishops
Today’s Epistle from Paul’s letter to Timothy should give us great consolation if not inspiration: “For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control.” No battle has ever been won by cowards but plenty of battles have been won by men and women whose fear was bested by courage. Cowardice is not prudence, neither is it caution. Cowardice is the inability to act when action is required, even though that action comes at some cost. Fear debilitates and renders us cowards. Faith in the dynamic work of Christ gives us strength as well as the other gifts of the spirit which we understand as the cardinal virtues: prudence, fortitude, temperance, and justice. The word cardinal comes from the latin cardo or hinge. Just as a door is hinged to the wall so our lives should be connected to these virtues. Fortitude stands in opposition to cowardice and is measured and directed especially by prudence, temperance, and justice. Thinking about virtues may be old fashioned but they are not the worst hinges on which we may attach our lives.