The passions in the face of difficulties and trials—known as the irascible passions—are hope, despair, daring, fear, and anger. These are the inner stirrings that awaken when the road ahead is steep, when adversity blocks the path, or when evil threatens the good you seek.

Imagine your home, your family, your community suddenly invaded by a terrible evil—and the only way to survive is to embark on a long, grueling journey to safety. If you believe you can make it, hope arises within you, lifting your spirit and lighting the way forward. But if you do not believe it’s possible, despair takes hold—heavy, crushing, paralyzing.

Suppose then, on that journey, you come under attack. If you believe you can stand and fight, daring surges like fire through your limbs. But if you doubt your strength to overcome, fear grips your soul, whispering lies and urging you to flee. Finally, if you complete the journey and reach safety, peace fills your heart. But if the evil overtakes you and thwarts your path, anger burns—not the sinful kind that lashes out, but the righteous anger that says, “This is not how it’s meant to be.”

This battle plays out in the soul. For the great evil we all must face—daily, hourly—is sin. And though many know the vices that bind them, few believe they can break free. The journey seems too long, too hard. So they remain in despair, quietly chained to sins that steal their peace and hollow out their soul.

But hear this: you are not meant for slavery and emptiness—you are made for freedom and fulfillment. Is there a vice separating you from who God wills you to be? Pray for the virtue of hope. Ask for the grace to believe the journey is possible. And when trials come—and they will—dare to rise in battle. Do not let fear keep you from your freedom. The moment you begin to fight, you are no longer a slave.

And should you stumble, let anger rise—not against yourself or others, but against sin itself. Channel that righteous anger to fuel your resolve. As Scripture says, “Be angry but do not sin” (Ephesians 4:26). For, “Hope has two beautiful daughters; their names are Anger and Courage. Anger at the way things are, and Courage to see that they do not remain as they are” (St. Augustine).

God does not promise the road will be easy. But He promises it will be worth it. And with each step you take toward virtue, you take a step away from vice and into grace. You grow stronger. You grow freer. You grow into the character God wills you to be.

“We shall steer safely through every storm, so long as our heart is right, our intention fervent, our courage steadfast, and our trust fixed on God” (St. Francis de Sales). And so—hope. Dare. Endure. Fight. For in Christ, victory is not only possible—it is promised.