Perseverance

The Gospel was on the parable of the persistent widow and the crooked judge, or as the evangelist says "the necessity of praying always without growing weary."
So, I preached on the importance of perseverance in the spiritual life.
Our perseverance relies on good examples, having a plan, and—most importantly—love.
Good examples abound. Jesus, the saints—Thomas More, for example, Chilean miners. Our grandparents are also inspiring examples.
Having a plan is key, too. You can't just say in advance you're gonna persevere. It doesn't work that way with this particular virtue. You can't acquire it move on to the next virtue. Rather, it's a matter of a lifetime. So having short-term, medium-term and long term goals are important. "What am I doing today to strengthen my relationship with God?" "What about tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, etc."
Love is the secret to perseverance. St. Josemaría said it in his last point in "The Way." "Fall in love and you will not leave him." It's true. Men, in love, will do amazing things. Just ask Percy Sledge. He sang it, so did Michael Bolton with all his hair, "He'd give up all his comforts, and sleep out in the rain..."