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Rev. Fr. Angelo Antonio Brucal Reflection on the Virtue of Fortitude Patrick Meryll Justimbaste Garcia November 27, 2011 Fortitude as Acceptance

Between the two, what could be the act of fortitude: to accept your unworthiness for priesthood and decide to end your seminary formation; or to face it and continue the formation, and eventually be ordained? Considering the two, they cannot be viewed as isolated cases, just like the act of fortitude which is at question, because this virtue cannot be viewed separately from the virtues of prudence and justice. It is the two that determine the authenticity of fortitude. While prudence gives right sight to fortitude (i.e. through discernment), justice gives hands to it for the actualization of the good things discerned. Now, on the question asked, which among the two would be the act of fortitude?, one has to see the important considerations as each of them could not be courageously opted without these. These considerations define the right option to be embraced. They form an important part to the decision to be made, for at the very beginning, they are the decision itself being formed, aware or unaware the subject is. However, this could not be understood when we conceive the decision making as an act or as a single act. A decision should be conceived as a course of actions performed by the subject. A decision therefore, does not take place in a moment, but all throughout the time, starting when one has entered into a situation where, of course, decision has always been required, until the time of acceptance. Acceptance is the reception of the decision made all throughout the time where he is situated; it is when the act of bravery happens. Thus, the act of fortitude does not all depend upon the decision but on its acceptance which is discerned to be right. In this matter, the situation is the actual dwelling into the seminary formation. In every action that takes place, it is a decision, and the decision all depends upon the seminarians performance inside the seminary. Hence, the act of fortitude lies on the acceptance whether one has performed the right decision or not. Furthermore, it is the job of prudence to evaluate whether it is too late to make a right decision to continue and be ordained, or it is still earlythat one could still have a fighting chance to make the decision to continue (remember that we conceive decision here as course of actions). Therefore, when prudence has given the right sight the act of fortitude could be made. So it can also be seen that the act of fortitude could also be conditioned by time. When the actions made are incompatible to the situation (i.e., what the formation requires), then it would be a courageous act to accept that he should leave the formation, given that it is too late. However, when there still time, then it is bravery to accept the chance to continue and decide (through actions) accordingly. In the end, the act of fortitude could also be termed as an act of justice because the decision made when accepted gives what is due to the situation where in the long run individuals will be involved. We could also discern that fortitude as an act of justice would always lead to a greater and higher end and eventually to the Ultimate End of mans existence where he is actually situated. It is not whether one becomes a priest or not, it is whether he accepted the decision or not to be of service for the Kingdom in whatever field his actions lead him.