Fausto Gomez OP
The novel coronavirus Covid-19 is giving us time to reflect, to meditate on the priorities of our life. During the quarantine, or confinement at home, a hospital or a hotel, people, psychologists, pastors and friends invite us to be patient. To be patient because the coronavirus pandemic is part of our fragile life and will pass. And tomorrow will be better – hopefully!
I wish to reflect here on the virtue of patience and attempt at convincing us that it is really good and helpful to be patient especially in these dangerous times. In a second column, I will try to show the way to be patient.
THE HUMAN VIRTUE OF PATIENCE
Patience is an essential human and Christian virtue in life. It is a human virtue, that is, a good habit, a firm disposition of the soul, a quality of a flourishing human being. Cicero’s definition of the virtue of patience is classical: patience is “the voluntary and prolonged endurance of arduous and difficult things for the sake of virtue or profit.” Francesc Torralba speaks of patience as the art of not taking the pear from the tree before its time, and knowing to hope and endure the passage of the months and of inclement weather.
One may describe patience as “the virtue of meanwhile.” Patience helps us to wisely confront the fragility and vulnerability of this life. It is the virtue that aids us to moderate our sorrows so as not to be unduly disturbed by them. It gives us the strength we need to bear our sorrows and fears in a rational and prudent manner, and to evaluate them under the main values of human life: love, hope, faith, family, friendship, creativity, compassion.
The virtue of patience is truly necessary in our journey of life. All human virtues are connected to others. So is patience. In a special manner, with courage, perseverance and hope.
Patience is a moral virtue under the cardinal virtue of courage or fortitude. “Patience is not a completely passive attitude but one accompanied by activity, by a dynamic and creative interaction with others” (Pope Francis, Amoris Laetitia). Patience is “indispensable with courage for creative activity (Jose Antonio Marina).
Our human hopes then sustain us by looking towards a better tomorrow with courageous and persevering patience – and loving hope: “Tomorrow is today’s dream” (K. Gibran).
As a moral virtue, patience stands in the middle between excess and defect. Thus patience is opposed to two vices or evil habits, namely insensibility on one hand and impatience on the other. Patience is opposed by excess to insensibility or hardness of heart towards our sorrows and sufferings and the sorrows and suffering of others. Insensibility is manifested in unreasonable passivity and indifference.
The virtue of patience is opposed by defect to the vice of impatience or the inability to listen to the rhythm of our nature and to respect the required time of waiting by not giving up. The vice of impatience is manifested in anger, bad temper, and sadness. At some difficult and dramatic times in our life, some of us may be unable to bear these sorrows or sufferings. In these cases, words of encouragement will not help us much, like in the case of deep depressions that need proper medical assistance.
How may we acquire patience? Like other moral virtues, patience is acquired through continuing effort, through the repetition of acts of patience. Continuing intensive deeds of patience cause in us a firm inclination – a good habit – to perform actions of patience easily, promptly and even joyfully.
PATIENCE FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF FAITH
Patience is an essential virtue of the children of God and the disciples of Jesus. In Christian perspective, virtues are divided into acquired (by personal human efforts, repetition of the same good deed) and infused (by God). Infused virtues, theological and moral virtues, accompany grace and the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Rooted in divine grace and permeated by charity (the form and motor of all virtues), infused virtues raise up and perfect human virtues. Thus, human patience is deeply improved by infused patience that turns our patient deeds into steps toward more happiness here and ultimately eternal happiness.
From the perspective of faith, patience is a great gift of God, a divine grace: “From him is my patience” (Ps 61:6). It is one of the twelve Fruits of the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:22-23; cf. CCC 1832). Patience is a needed virtue to control reasonably impatience, anger, and anxiety. “Unless we cultivate patience, we will always find excuses for responding angrily” (Pope Francis).
Patience is an infused moral virtue closely connected with the cardinal virtue of fortitude or courage, and the theological virtues, in particular hope. Patience is a virtue annexed to fortitude; truly, a part of fortitude with the virtue of perseverance. Fortitude aids us to endure the fear of death, and patience helps us bear the sorrows of life. Patience enables those who have it to bear the physical or moral hardships of life with tranquility, and for the sake of greater goods – more happiness here and everlasting happiness hereafter.
Patience is deeply connected with the theological virtues of faith, hope and love. Faith asks for patience in life (Eph 4:31), charity is patient (1 Cor 13:4), and hope is patient hope: a faithful, loving and hopeful patience does not disappoint (Rom 5:5). Hope helps us endure suffering patiently: Christian hope is a “crucified hope” (J. Moltmann) that can be turned into “a “resurrection hope”: “I consider the sufferings of the present to be as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed in us” (Rom 8:18).
The virtue of patience is a quality of Christian hope. Patient hope is the virtue of the pilgrim, who journeys to a better tomorrow: “Our hope is the present of the future” (St Augustine). (Image: Simon of Cyrene helps carry the Cross (1931), François Louis Schmied, woodcut for The Way of the Cross)
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