Today was St. Thomas More Student Parish’s Pentecost Retreat. Several people from the parish, including me, were invited to give remarks on each of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. I chose to focus my remarks on the gift of fortitude. Coming in as the 8th inning setup-man, here’s what I shared this morning.

I was a member of the Kalamazoo Jaycees, now known as JCI Kalamazoo or the Kalamazoo Junior Chamber, for almost 20 years. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Jaycees, it is a leadership development organization for young adults between the ages of 18 – 40. I was honored to serve as the 69th President of the Kalamazoo chapter and later as the 87th President of the statewide organization – JCI Michigan/Michigan Jaycees.

Now, there are lots of traditions within the Michigan Jaycees, ranging from the quarterly awards conventions held throughout the state with a traveling trophy passed from winning chapter to winning chapter, to the different cheers and themes used by chapter and state presidents to fire up their members, to the time when the major fundraisers for local chapters were the haunted houses and forests or other Halloween related events & historical tours. One of the most memorable traditions for those of us who served as state president are the Presidential Medallions.

A MIJC Presidential Medallion is the highest honor that a State President can give to an individual during their year in office. We are limited to a total of 50 that we can present. I’ll save the stories from my year as state president and my medallions for another time, but for today’s purposes I want to introduce you to Gerry Boik – the 78th state President who honored me with my second medallion that I received during my Jaycee career.

The year Gerry served as State President he used the theme “Find the Courage to Change.” To symbolize his theme, he used a logo that incorporated the Lion from The Wizard of Oz. Throughout his year he stressed how important it was, not just for the Jaycees, but for each of the individual members to embrace change. We would have to if the organization was to grow and attract new members. And for the individual members to grow into strong leaders, they would need to be willing to change as well.

“OK Dave, we appreciate all this information about the Jaycees, but what does that have to do with Pentecost and the gifts of the Holy Spirit,” I can hear some of you say.

Remember Gerry’s theme is “Find the Courage to Change.”

Here is where the Holy Spirit’s gift of fortitude, also called courage, comes in handy.

Courage isn’t just bravery in battle or endurance in pain. It is spiritual strength – the kind of strength that comes from God Himself. If we are to find the courage to change our world and ourselves, we’re going to need this important gift.

Change can be scary. 

Change can be hard. 

Especially when it’s Holy Change.

Let’s be honest, any change is difficult. We cling to the things we know, things that bring us comfort, to routine, even to habits that don’t necessarily serve us well. 

Why is that? 

Because change feels risky. It challenges our identity. It calls us to leave behind what is familiar – even when what is comfortable is actually broken.

Saint Augustine once said, “Lord, make me chaste … but not yet.” That’s the human heart! We want to be better people.

We want to be better.

But we often hesitate. 

We want to be free, but we fear the cost.

This is where the gift of fortitude, the gift of courage comes in. It is the courage to say yes to God, especially when it’s hard. It’s the grace to take the first step towards healing, forgiveness, reconciliation, and holiness.

It’s not always easy being a follower of Christ. Being a Jesus follower isn’t for the weak and over the last few weeks in the Gospel, He’s been telling us exactly that. All throughout his Farewell Discourse, He’s told the Apostles what was going to happen to Him and that this world was going to throw all kinds of horrors at them just for daring to speak His name. 

But He also told us that we would not be alone in all of this. “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.” (Acts 1:8).

This power is fortitude. This power is the courage to dare to prevail over the darkness of this world and to respond to it by bringing His light and life to those flailing in the whirlpool. We are given the divine strength to take the hard step, to keep going when we feel like quitting, to trust that God is doing something new in each one of us.

For a moment, friends, I want you to think of the story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15). He had to muster the courage to leave the pigsty and return home. Sure, he was motivated because he had lost all his money and was literally eating with the pigs in the mud. But he still had to make a change. More than just changing his physical location – he had to find moral courage to have a change of heart.

And what happened when he found it? His father welcomed him with open arms and threw a big party in his honor.

Think for a moment of St. Peter. Our first Pope. The Rock on which our Lord built His Church. 

Peter denied Jesus three times. But after Pentecost, he was filled with the Spirit that gave him this gift of fortitude, and suddenly he can stand before crowds of all sizes, before hundreds and thousands of people boldly proclaiming the Gospel.

Fortitude. 

Courage. 

Gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Think for a moment of St. Mary Magdalene – a woman who was possessed by seven demons, who found the courage to seek and follow Jesus. She was the first witness of His Resurrection. She became the first person to share the news that things in this world were going to be different. 

Darkness had been defeated. 

Death had been destroyed. 

He had Risen – alleluia! 

Find the Courage to Change. 

Some of us here today are being called to change. 

Maybe God is nudging you to let go of resentment or to repair a relationship.

Maybe He is asking you to step out of your comfort zone, to finally say, “Yes, Lord – I’m ready to do that thing You keep putting in my head and my heart.”

Maybe you’re being called to confront a habit, a fear, a recurring sin that’s held you captive too long.

Change can feel impossible, but with God anything and everything is possible. 

With the Spirit’s gift of fortitude, you are not alone, and you can rise to the challenge. 

The same Spirit found in Peter, in Mary Magdalene, and the early Church Fathers is alive within you today.

“OK Dave, how do we receive this courage,” I can hear some of you asking.

Simple. Just ask.

Ask the Spirit for it. 

Did you know that He delights in giving us His gifts? 

He does … and I have a feeling that every time we ask, just like the Father in the story of the Prodigal Son, the Angels are getting things together for a big ole party in the heavenly kingdom to celebrate what we’re about to do.

So today, in the silence of your heart or later tonight during your evening prayers, considering adding these words:

Holy Spirit, help me Find the Courage to Change. Give me the strength to follow Jesus, no matter what it costs, no matter how scary it might be. Give me your gifts and help me put them to use for you to bring light to the darkness, to bring your Peace to the world.

We don’t need to be perfect … and for me I need the courage to remember this part all the time. 

That I don’t need to be perfect. 

And you don’t need to be perfect.

We just need to say “Yes. Let be it done according to your will.” 

May we find the courage to grow, to heal, to forgive, to love … to become the saints God created us to be.

Amen and Amen!!!