In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

     Last year, our Lenten focus, at least during our Wednesday midweek services, was the Seven Deadly Sins. And I have to say, we had banner attendance at last year's midweek services! So much so, that I commented to a few colleagues in the Society of the Holy Trinity, that obviously, sin isn't passé' at Saint Luke's-as there seems to be quite an interest in the worst sins, here at Saint Luke's! And with such response to last year's series, it seemed good to offer a series this year on the corresponding Seven Heavenly Virtues. Although, it will be quite intriguing to see if you are just as interested in "virtue" as you are in "sin"!

     Nevertheless, as we enter into the Season of Lent, through the threshold of Ash Wednesday, it's a good time to turn our attention to the Seven Virtues, both by way of introduction, but also, by turning to the first virtue we will attend to-fortitude, or diligence. By way of introduction, we should point out that the Seven Heavenly Virtues were first mentioned in a poem by Aurelius Clemens Prudentius, about 410 A.D., titled, "The Contest of the Soul". In it is entailed the battle of good vs. evil in the personal soul, and to counter each of the Seven Deadly Sins, he lists Seven Virtues. Although it should be pointed out that Prudentius didn't come up with these on his own, but drew on classical teaching about what were called the Cardinal Virtues, prudence, justice, temperance and fortitude, combined with the three Theological Virtues, faith, hope and love (or charity). And the great popularity of this work in the Middle Ages actually helped stimulate the desire for living lives of Holy Virtue throughout Europe, as practicing the Seven Virtues was understood as protecting one from the Seven Deadly Sins, with each having its corresponding opposite. And indeed, we would all agree that

     Christian virtue, defends us, keeps us from sin. The only problem is, virtue, is in short supply these days. Or so it would seem. For, when was the last time you heard parents teach virtue to their children? When was the last time you heard presidential nominees speak about virtue? And are schools developing programs to teach virtue, as some are also teaching sex education? Perhaps virtue education, would lessen the need for sex education? Just a thought. But the fact remains, virtue, discussion of virtue, virtue as a goal to aspire to in life, seems to be foreign, alien, irrelevant today. And yet, don't we need a heavy dose of virtue in our world today? Wouldn't we do well, to return to virtue, as a weapon to combat rampant sin-and evil?

     My Webster's College Dictionary defines "virtue" as: "moral excellence; right action and thinking; goodness or morality; a specific moral quality regarded as good or meritorious." I have a hunch there are those in our society who would consider such things as outmoded, old-fashioned, or Polly-Anna. There are surely others who would consider virtue out of step with our rampant secular relativism, and situational ethics that would ask, "What is good? What is right? What is moral?" For Christians, however, at least, for Christians who hold to both Law and Gospel-and the authority of God's Word and Will for us, a return to virtue as moral excellence, right action and thinking, goodness and morality-seems a great need in the Church today, as well as in the world. Which is why we will be spending some time during midweek worship during Lent, focusing on the Seven Heavenly Virtues, to assist us as we resist and hopefully, combat, our own sin, and the temptation to sin that is always with us. Which brings us to the first virtue we will consider during Lent-fortitude, or diligence.

     And you might ask, and rightly so, how are you going to weave that into any discussion of Ash Wednesday and Lent? Wouldn't a philosophical treatise on fortitude, be out of place on Ash Wednesday, when the call is for us to "remember that we are dust, and to dust we shall return"; on Ash Wednesday when we called to give alms, pray and fast; on Ash Wednesday, when we enter into a solemn, serious season of repentance and renewal? How might the two-fortitude and Ash Wednesday, relate? Well, anyone who has ever taken Ash Wednesday and Lent seriously-anyone who has struggled with a Lenten discipline-anyone who has tried, at least, to make worship a priority during Lent, knows how much one needs, "fortitude", "diligence"! Because the corresponding Deadly Sin, is "sloth"-which is defined as laziness, idleness, a disinclination to work, or exert oneself. Which would, of course, be the enemy of a holy Lent! I trust that those of us who came, tonight, came not out of an unwillingness to work, or to exert ourselves, or the intention to be lazy during Lent. I trust that we all came tonight, because we plan to engage ourselves somehow, in a Lenten discipline, even if it is just worshiping regularly on Sundays and Wednesdays. Coming to church on Ash Wednesday does not suggest "sloth". But the difficulty doesn't usually arise early in Lent. We don't start out slothful. It comes later, as week by week, we get lazy, or distracted, or so busy, we neglect our Lenten discipline. And then it is that we need fortitude and diligence. Then it is that we need to resist the temptation to scrap our Lenten observance and relax in the Laz-Y-Boy. Then it is that we need to be spurred on to virtue-to doing, not what is easy or comfortable or convenient, but what's good and right. And of course, fortitude is exactly the virtue that is needed, because it's defined as the strength to bear misfortune and pain and trial--calmly and patiently-with firm courage-diligently enduring. And not coincidentally, St. Paul in our second lesson exhorts us to this diligent endurance, saying, "as servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way; through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger-by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, and the power of God; with weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left, in honor and dishonor, in ill repute and good repute-we are treated as impostors, and yet we are true; as unknown, and yet are well known; as dying, and see-we are alive-as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything." This is an accurate description of the diligent endurance that is "fortitude". As servants of God, we commend ourselves to Him in every way, but especially in our fortitude-that we endure in spite of afflictions, hardships, pain and struggle-that we endure through, purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, the power of God, with weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left, no matter how we are viewed, or treated by others! And so, fortitude might be our theme for Lent. Not sloth, but fortitude! Not laziness but diligence! Not giving in to trials and temptations and distractions, but endurance! That we may indeed, have a holy Lent! That we may indeed, pray, and give alms, and fast. That we may indeed, not end up spiritually bankrupt-but with treasures in heaven! As we enter, tonight, into the penitential season of Lent-let us have on our minds and our hearts-the heavenly virtue: fortitude! Fortitude!

     In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.