The Virgin Mary and the Virtue of Endurance
In this profound spiritual sermon, His Holiness Pope Shenouda III speaks about the virtue of endurance, one of the greatest Christian virtues that reveals the depth of faith and love. He begins with the Virgin Mary, who endured orphanhood, hardship, pain, and even the glory of being the Mother of God without pride, keeping all things in her heart with humility and meditation.
The Pope explains that endurance takes many forms:
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Enduring hardship in service and love for others.
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Enduring injustice, as Joseph the Righteous did when he suffered betrayal, false accusation, and imprisonment.
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Enduring poverty, as Lazarus did and was comforted in Abraham’s bosom.
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Enduring sickness, as Job said, “Shall we accept good from God and not evil?”
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Enduring God’s will, surrendering personal desire to divine purpose.
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Enduring death, whether slow or sudden, with faith and peace.
He also teaches that enduring honor and success is harder than enduring insult, quoting St. Anthony: “Some can endure insult but cannot endure honor.” True character, the Pope says, is “to develop without changing, and to grow without becoming proud.”
He then explores other aspects: enduring correction from parents or spiritual leaders, waiting patiently for God’s timing like Abraham and Sarah, and enduring trials and hardships. Even God Himself is the perfect example of endurance, bearing humanity’s sins out of love and mercy.
Human examples also abound: Moses enduring his rebellious people, David mourning his son Absalom despite betrayal, and a mother enduring her child’s noise and demands with tenderness. True endurance must come from inner love, not resentment. For “love bears all things and seeks not its own,” but desires the good of others.
Pope Shenouda concludes that the one who endures is truly strong—calm, wide-hearted, and spiritually mature. Endurance may appear weak, yet it is a deep inner strength. Through endurance we can win others, as St. John Chrysostom said: “Turn your enemy into a friend, and he will cease to be your enemy.” Endurance is therefore a mark of holiness, and those who endure faithfully will receive the crown of life promised by the Lord.
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