Steadfastness and Tenacity

December 9, 2025

Hello!  How is each and every one?  Yesterday we celebrated the Solemnity of The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, one of the only three days of Holiday of obligation—December 8, Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary; December 25, The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas); and January , Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God.

8 December The Immaculate Conception

A feast called the Conception of Mary arose in the Eastern Church in the seventh century. It came to the West in the eighth century. In the eleventh century it received its present name, the Immaculate Conception. In the eighteenth century it became a feast of the universal Church. 

In 1854, Pius IX solemnly proclaimed: “The most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instant of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the savior of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin.” 

It took a long time for this doctrine to develop. While many Fathers and Doctors of the Church considered Mary the greatest and holiest of the saints, they often had difficulty in seeing Mary as sinless - either at her conception or throughout her life. This is one of the Church teachings that arose more from the piety of the faithful than from the insights of brilliant theologians. Even such champions of Mary as Bernard and Thomas Aquinas could not see theological justification for this teaching. 

Two Franciscans, William of Ware and Blessed John Duns Scotus, helped develop the theology. They point out that Mary’s Immaculate Conception enhances Jesus’ redemptive work. Other members of the human race are cleansed from original sin after birth. In Mary, Jesus’ work was so powerful as to prevent original sin at the outset (From the Daily Roman Missal).

Won’t it be wonderful to keep Our Lady and her cousin, Elizabeth present during these days of Advent?  Imagine Our Lady running to the hill country towards the house of her cousin, Elizabeth, who the Angel Gabriel mentioned found favor in God for she is six months with child at her barren age.  We know that this child leapt with joy in her mother’s womb when our Lady greeted Elizabeth. Doesn’t it bring a smile and even laughter on your face as you imagine John the Baptist recognizing his cousin’s presence in the womb of Mary? What strong vibes he must truly have with his cousin given that he is the one sent to prepare the way for him.

Their presence in these days of preparation for the birthday of Jesus will surely help us prepare mentally, physically, materially and spiritually for the coming birth of Jesus. Can’t imagine we are two weeks away.

Let us now continue with the superhabit of Perseverance (From  SUPERHABITS, The Universal System for a Successful Life by Andrew V. Abela, PH.D., Dean, Busch School of Business, The Catholic University of America, 2024).

PERSEVERANCE

A chronic illness, in yourself or a loved one, is an example of a challenge that cannot be overcome, and must be endured.  It takes a certain type of Courage to do that, and we call it Perseverance, the superhabit for enduring physical challenges.

Also known as grit, studies show that Perseverance is linked to a higher quality of life and to happiness.  Individuals who possess a high degree of Perseverance have the ability to learn from failures and delay gratification. Individuals who practice Perseverance and have a positive outlook are at a lower risk for depression, anxiety, and panic disorders.  Individuals who consistently have a positive outlook and persevere through obstacles tend to have a growth mindset, allowing them to continue pursuing their goals in the face of adversity.

Research indicates that Perseverance can be improved through pursuing something you care deeply about, since you’re more likely to overcome setbacks if you have an interest in the goal.

Persevering in the face of physical challenges builds the superhabit of Perseverance.  Giving up in the face of such challenges does the opposite:  as former defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld used to say, “Once you quit one thing, then you can quit something else, and pretty soon you’ll get good at being a quitter.”

Additional shares from different sources

Four Principles of Perseverance

' Ask four students to remind everyone how each of these principles can help with perseverance: • Have a Purpose • Step Into the Unknown • Deal with Disappointment • Work with Limited Resources 

Perseverance is not giving up. It is persistence and tenacity, the effort required to do something and keep doing it till the end, even if it's hard.

Perseverance originally comes from the Latin perseverantia and means to abide by something strictly. This makes sense, because if you're doing something in spite of all the difficulty, you're being strict on yourself. Sailing around the world and climbing Mt. Everest are acts requiring perseverance. Even things like learning a new language require perseverance and daily practice.

“Oh blessed perseverance of the donkey that turns the water-wheel” (St. Josemaria)

It would not be worth giving oneself unless it were to build up a great work which is very much for God -- your own sanctity. That is why the Church when canonizing saints proclaims the heroism of their lives. (Furrow, 611)

If life's purpose were not to give glory to God, how contemptible, how hateful it would be. (The Way, 783)

Oh blessed perseverance of the donkey that turns the water-wheel! Always the same pace. Always the same circles. One day after another: everyday the same. Without that, there would be no ripeness in the fruit, nor blossom in the orchard, nor scent of flowers in the garden. Carry this thought to your interior life. (The Way, 998)

And what is the secret of perseverance? Love. Fall in Love, and you will not leave him. (The Way, 999)

Self-giving is the first step along the road of sacrifice, joy, love, union with God. And thus, a whole life is filled with a holy madness which makes us encounter happiness where human logic would only see denial, suffering, pain. (Furrow, 2)

You want to know on what our faithfulness is founded? I would say, in broad outline, that it is based on loving God, which makes us overcome all kinds of obstacles: selfishness, pride, tiredness, impatience... A man in love tramples on his own self. He is aware that even when he is loving with all his soul, he isn't yet loving enough. (The Forge, 532)

The Way, 983 To begin is easy; to persevere is sanctity. Let your perseverance not be a blind consequence of the first impulse, the work of inertia: let it be a reflective perseverance.

The Way, 988 Discouragement is an enemy of your perseverance. If you don't fight against discouragement you will become pessimistic first, and lukewarm afterwards. Be an optimist.

The Way, 991 You cannot 'rise'. It's not surprising: that fall!

Persevere and you will 'rise'. Remember what a spiritual writer has said: your poor soul is like a bird whose wings are caked with mud.

Suns of heaven are needed and personal efforts, small and constant, to shake off those inclinations, those vain fancies, that depression: that mud clinging to your wings.

And you will see yourself free. If you persevere, you will 'rise'.

The Way, 994 'My enthusiasm is gone', you write. You have to work not out of enthusiasm but out of Love: conscious of duty, which means self-denial.

The Way, 995 Unshakable: that is what you must be. If your perseverance is disturbed by other people's weaknesses or by your own, I cannot but form a poor opinion of your ideal.

Make up your mind once and for all.

The Way, 997 Absence, isolation: trials for your perseverance. Holy Mass, prayer, sacraments, sacrifices, Communion of Saints: weapons to conquer in the trial.

Need we say more?  I suppose the above is sufficient material to sustain us during this week’s preparations.  As always let us bring the above topic and thoughts in our quiet moments of conversation with our Father God and let us heed what He tells us at every moment.

See you in the next post, “May tomorrow be a perfect day; may you find love and laughter along the way; may God keep you in his tender care; ‘til He brings us together again.”

Affectionately,                    

Guadalupinky