Patience

It is the habit of enduring a difficulty with serenity. It is a quality closely related to fortitude and constancy.

Patience forms part of fortitude in its aspect of endurance, since great firmness is needed to bear a painful situation without complaint. In addition, patience adds good spirits, the overcoming of sadness. In the strong person, the firmness with which they face or endure stands out. In the patient person, the peace and serenity of endurance is appreciated.

Patience is a virtue linked to constancy when endurance is prolonged over time. There are some differences:

• Patience is more passive: enduring, bearing. Constancy can be active — continuing the effort — or passive — maintaining endurance.
• Patience is exercised in the face of any difficulty, even a momentary one — such as enduring a scolding. Constancy refers only to the obstacle of duration over time.

No, no. With patience one endures an unavoidable situation. Whereas laziness lets time pass when one should have acted.

We are dealing with a very necessary virtue, which avoids serious difficulties:

• In the family and social sphere, many angers, slights and upsets are lessened if patience is exercised.
• Violence, murder, even wars are avoided with greater patience.
• Many marriages are preserved thanks to patience.
• Some sins are not committed if there is greater resistance — patience — in the face of temptations.

Being patient does not mean having to yield in everything, but rather that one can converse without getting worked up, without failing in charity. Charity and patience are closely related virtues.

There are several possibilities:

• The most common is to practice it in family life.
• Also in the education of children one must know how to be demanding with patience, knowing that formation is not acquired instantaneously but requires a period of learning.
• On excursions there are several moments where one can train to be patient: when the sun beats down, when the climb is demanding, etc.
• "Wait!" is a magic word to say to oneself and be patient in various moments. For example: I want the snack now — Wait. I want the computer now — Wait...