So heroic virtue, huh? See, when I think of this phrase I immediately picture the young Virgin Martyrs - St. Maria Goretti, St. Philomena, St. Lucy - staring piously and angelically up to Heaven while meeting their mortal demise. Or I think of St. Francis jumping into a thorn bush to beat back his own concupiscence. Or John de Brebeuf, Isaac Jogues and the other North American Missionary Martyrs who met horrible tortured deaths - and some with great humor! To me these are the men and women of Heroic Virtue, not little ol' schlubby me who can barely make it through some days without wishing I could have a toddler-style meltdown of my own. And yet, I am called to heroic virtue. We are called to heroic virtue.
So what is it exactly? And how do I get it? Can I just order up some 'heroic virtue' during prayer time and hope for the best? Unfortunately it has been my experience that you just don't "get it" (unless you are one of the rare and blessed people to have a blinding"Saul-to-Paul" moment of extreme Grace). Nope, for most of us schlubs out here in Mommyland Heroic Virtue is cultivated and practiced. That means when your first little blessing is born you get extra Mommy Grace, and then well, you grow and tone your virtue muscles much like you tone those never-been-used-before-muscles that hold up the baby's head while he or she rests in your arms for hours because you're afraid to put him or her down. Virtue is a "good spiritual habit" and just like other good habits its learned. This is good news for those of us who shudder at the sound of it - we can achieve Heroic Virtue! The not so good news is that its not exactly going to be a piece of cake. Then again, nothing heroic ever is.
Maybe, though, this can give us a different perspective during those hard to handle Mommy times. Chances are you more heroic than you think! What else but heroic is calmly walking and bouncing a colicky newborn for 3 or 4 hours? What else but heroic is staying up all night with a feverish child, and then handling the next day like you aren't completely sleep deprived? What else but heroic is getting very little sleep for months on end, and not drinking caffeine because your need-to-eat-every-2-hours baby can't handle it? What else but heroic is driving all over town bringing your kids to practices and rehearsals, lessons, and classes, and still having a hot meal for them at dinner time? What else but heroic is welcoming a new life into your family, even though the world tells you to stop at 2 kids? What else but heroic is listening to the entire Disney Princess Sing Along CD for the 7th time in a row instead of the news in the car? What else but heroic is the task of making sure Santa Claus makes it your house this year, and the Easter Bunny doesn't miss your door? What else but heroic is coming home from date night 2 hours early because little "Johnny" had a nightmare and needs a Mommy hug? What else but heroic is watching PG movies and TV shows (pretty hard to do these days) even after the kids go to bed because you know that your kids will try to listen or get a peak at the screen? What else but heroic is reading that same book at bedtime for 4 months in a row, with the same amount of enthusiasm as the first time you read it? What else but heroic is tackling piles of laundry daily, so your kids have clean clothes to wear? What else but truly heroic is forming your children's consciences, helping them to become the men and women God created them to be?
You maybe thinking, but this is just what us moms do. Well, yes, it is, but doing those things (and really I just scratched the surface) with love in your heart, a smile on your face, and without bitterness or resentment - that, dear friend, is heroic.
For years the Church recognized very few married men and women as Saints, but during the Pontificate of Pope John Paul II, more lay Saints were canonized than in much of recent Church history. Pope John Paul II wanted to give us Saintly examples of men and women just like us who exercised "Heroic Virtue" in every day life. (For a list of all those who were Canonized under John Paul II, and their biographies, see http://www.vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/saints/index_saints_en.html )
Dear friend, you are a mother, and that means you are called to be a hero. You have been given the tremendous task of raising up Children of the Light. You have been given the Grace from the Father of of All to exercise Heroic Virtue in your every day family life. It is my prayer that you will draw strength from the knowledge that you can and do have this saintly calling. Your children and the world need your strength, patience, courage, modesty, perseverance, temperance, prudence, justice, faith, hope, and love. This Advent may you grow in God's love and Grace so that you may truly embrace your heroic calling. God Bless you, Mom!
**I would like to dedicate this post to all the beautiful, heroic women whom I have been blessed to have encountered in my life. Most notably my own mother, my mother-in-law, my dear friends, and the women of the Confraternity of Christian Mothers and Holy Family Home Schoolers of Sacred Heart, Winchester. Your examples touch the lives of more than just your children, and I am privileged to know you.
So what is it exactly? And how do I get it? Can I just order up some 'heroic virtue' during prayer time and hope for the best? Unfortunately it has been my experience that you just don't "get it" (unless you are one of the rare and blessed people to have a blinding"Saul-to-Paul" moment of extreme Grace). Nope, for most of us schlubs out here in Mommyland Heroic Virtue is cultivated and practiced. That means when your first little blessing is born you get extra Mommy Grace, and then well, you grow and tone your virtue muscles much like you tone those never-been-used-before-muscles that hold up the baby's head while he or she rests in your arms for hours because you're afraid to put him or her down. Virtue is a "good spiritual habit" and just like other good habits its learned. This is good news for those of us who shudder at the sound of it - we can achieve Heroic Virtue! The not so good news is that its not exactly going to be a piece of cake. Then again, nothing heroic ever is.
Maybe, though, this can give us a different perspective during those hard to handle Mommy times. Chances are you more heroic than you think! What else but heroic is calmly walking and bouncing a colicky newborn for 3 or 4 hours? What else but heroic is staying up all night with a feverish child, and then handling the next day like you aren't completely sleep deprived? What else but heroic is getting very little sleep for months on end, and not drinking caffeine because your need-to-eat-every-2-hours baby can't handle it? What else but heroic is driving all over town bringing your kids to practices and rehearsals, lessons, and classes, and still having a hot meal for them at dinner time? What else but heroic is welcoming a new life into your family, even though the world tells you to stop at 2 kids? What else but heroic is listening to the entire Disney Princess Sing Along CD for the 7th time in a row instead of the news in the car? What else but heroic is the task of making sure Santa Claus makes it your house this year, and the Easter Bunny doesn't miss your door? What else but heroic is coming home from date night 2 hours early because little "Johnny" had a nightmare and needs a Mommy hug? What else but heroic is watching PG movies and TV shows (pretty hard to do these days) even after the kids go to bed because you know that your kids will try to listen or get a peak at the screen? What else but heroic is reading that same book at bedtime for 4 months in a row, with the same amount of enthusiasm as the first time you read it? What else but heroic is tackling piles of laundry daily, so your kids have clean clothes to wear? What else but truly heroic is forming your children's consciences, helping them to become the men and women God created them to be?
You maybe thinking, but this is just what us moms do. Well, yes, it is, but doing those things (and really I just scratched the surface) with love in your heart, a smile on your face, and without bitterness or resentment - that, dear friend, is heroic.
For years the Church recognized very few married men and women as Saints, but during the Pontificate of Pope John Paul II, more lay Saints were canonized than in much of recent Church history. Pope John Paul II wanted to give us Saintly examples of men and women just like us who exercised "Heroic Virtue" in every day life. (For a list of all those who were Canonized under John Paul II, and their biographies, see http://www.vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/saints/index_saints_en.html )
Dear friend, you are a mother, and that means you are called to be a hero. You have been given the tremendous task of raising up Children of the Light. You have been given the Grace from the Father of of All to exercise Heroic Virtue in your every day family life. It is my prayer that you will draw strength from the knowledge that you can and do have this saintly calling. Your children and the world need your strength, patience, courage, modesty, perseverance, temperance, prudence, justice, faith, hope, and love. This Advent may you grow in God's love and Grace so that you may truly embrace your heroic calling. God Bless you, Mom!
**I would like to dedicate this post to all the beautiful, heroic women whom I have been blessed to have encountered in my life. Most notably my own mother, my mother-in-law, my dear friends, and the women of the Confraternity of Christian Mothers and Holy Family Home Schoolers of Sacred Heart, Winchester. Your examples touch the lives of more than just your children, and I am privileged to know you.
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