Weavings is a monthly reflection that is the collective effort of the Wheaton Franciscan Covenant Companions and Sisters to provide spiritual nourishment that helps us feel God’s presence in daily living and invite an openness to God.
The Virtue of Courage
by Connie Gaul, Covenant Companion
I was looking through the web when I came across a site that helped lift my spirits. Having been overwhelmed by all of the upsetting news in the world, I was pleased to discover a place that offered daily reflections, some of which were very meaningful and jumped out at me and some were not. I subscribed to this site which provides a daily “quote for gratitude.” This particular offering touched me. It was written by Maya Angelou, poet and author. *
“Courage is the most important of all virtues, because without courage you can’t practice any virtue consistently. You can practice any virtue erratically— kind, fair, true, generous—but to be that time after time, you need courage.”
That really spoke to me and made me take pause and think! In our present-day situations, both political and social, it can be easy to remain quiet and not rock the boat. If I have courage,
I can engage in discussion and change a view or at least plant a seed for further thought. I can reflect on the actions of Jesus and pray to Him for courage to put the virtues that He has encouraged us to practice into action. Small acts of kindness, generosity, a smile, a hug can go a long way and have a big effect!
*From “A Network for Grateful Living” (gratefulness.org)
We don’t accomplish anything in this world alone… and whatever happens is the result of the whole tapestry of one’s life and all the weavings of individual threads from one to another that creates something.
Sandra Day O’Connor
