Called to Greatness – The Fortitude and Magnanimity of a Man of God

In a world that often celebrates comfort, passivity, and fleeting success, God calls men to something far greater—to live with the strength of fortitude and the grandeur of magnanimity. These are not simply virtues to admire; they are essential characteristics of a man who knows his identity in God and lives out that identity with purpose and courage.

The Identity of a Man in God

A man rooted in God is not defined by his status, career, or strength, but by his relationship with the Father. Created in the image of God, and redeemed by Christ, he is called to reflect the strength, love, and greatness of the One who made him. The world tells him to be successful; God tells him to be faithful. The world urges him to climb the ladder of power; God calls him to kneel in service.

In this divine calling, fortitude and magnanimity are not optional—they are the armor and fuel of the Christian life. Without fortitude, he falters at the first sign of difficulty. Without magnanimity, he settles for mediocrity rather than pursuing the greatness to which God calls him.

The Desert of Lent: Where the Man is Refined

Lent is a time of stripping away the false identities and comforts we cling to. It is a journey into the desert—a place of trial, silence, and confrontation with our weaknesses. But it is also the place where a man becomes strong, not in self-reliance but in grace. In the desert, Jesus fasted and fought Satan, not by overpowering him but by being grounded in His Father's Word and will. So too must we.

This Lent, perhaps the desert looks like this:

  • A father who must choose to sacrifice time and rest to spiritually lead his family again.

  • A man who is battling an addiction or a sinful habit, learning to say "no" each day and endure the interior struggle with God's help.

  • A husband who must confront his pride and begin the work of healing a fractured relationship.

  • A single man who must rise from the isolation and rediscover a purpose beyond himself through service.

These are not just hardships—they are holy battlegrounds. They are where fortitude must rise. To endure. To fight. To press forward in love.

Easter: The Emergence of the Magnanimous Man

But the desert is not the end. We journey through Lent so that we may rise on Easter. And the man who emerges from this journey must not be the same man who entered it.

He must rise magnanimous—a man of greatness in soul. Not a man who seeks his own glory, but one who now understands his life has a mission far beyond his comfort zone. He has fought for his heart and for the hearts of others. He knows the power of mercy and is ready to pour himself out in love.

This Easter, the world needs to see men who:

  • Stand with fortitude when it is easier to remain silent.

  • Forgive with fortitude when it is easier to hold a grudge.

  • Lead with magnanimity when it is easier to step aside.

  • Serve with magnanimity when it is easier to be served.

Let the stone of comfort, fear, and spiritual sloth be rolled away. Let the man who rises with Christ this Easter be bold, humble, and on fire—a man of God, shaped by the cross and emboldened by the resurrection.

A Final Word

St. Paul said, “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love” (1 Corinthians 16:13-14). This is the essence of a man who has embraced the virtues of fortitude and magnanimity.

Brothers, let us enter the desert not with dread, but with hope. Let us pass through the fire, knowing it purifies. And let us rise from Easter not just alive—but truly transformed, ready to reflect the greatness of the God who calls us by name.

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