Let us come now to the means which we have to employ in order to vanquish temptations. Spiritual masters prescribe a variety of means; but the most necessary, and the safest (of which only I will here speak), is to have immediate recourse to God with all humility and confidence; saying: Incline unto my aid, O God, O Lord, make haste to help me! [Ps. lxix. 2.] This short prayer will enable us to overcome the assaults of all the devils of Hell; for God is infinitely more powerful than all of them. Almighty God knows well that of ourselves we are unable to resist the temptations of the infernal powers; and on this
account the most learned
Cardinal Gotti remarks, "that whenever we are assailed, and in danger
of being overcome, God is obliged to give us strength enough to resist
as often as we call upon Him for it." [De Div. Grat. q. 2, d. 5, § 3.]
And how can we doubt of
receiving help from Jesus Christ, after all the promises that He has
made us in the Holy Scriptures? Come to Me, all you that labor and are
heavy laden, and I will refresh you. [Matt. xi. 28.] Come to me, ye who
are wearied in fighting against temptations, and I will restore your
strength. Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver thee, and
thou shalt honor Me. [Ps. xlix. 15.] When thou seest thyself troubled by
thine enemies, call upon Me, and I will bring thee out of the danger,
and thou shalt praise Me. Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall hear;
thou shalt cry, and He shall say, Here I am. [Is. lviii. 9.] Then shalt
thou call upon the Lord for help, and He will hear thee: thou shalt cry
out, Quick, O Lord, help me! and He will say to thee, Behold, here I
am; I am present to help thee. Who hath called upon Him, and He despised
him? [Ecclus. ii. 12.] And who, says the prophet, has ever called upon
God, and God has despised him without giving him help? David felt sure
of never falling a prey to his enemies, whilst he could have recourse to
prayer; he says; Praising, I will call upon the Lord; and I shall be
saved from my enemies. [Ps. xvii. 4..] For he well knew that God is
close to all who invoke His aid: The Lord is nigh unto all them that
call upon Him. [Ps. cxliv. 18.] And St. Paul adds, that the Lord is by
no means sparing, but lavish of graces towards all that pray to Him:
Rich unto all that call upon Him. [Rom. x. 12.]
Oh, would to God that all men would have recourse to Him whenever they are tempted to offend Him; they would then certainly never commit sin! They unhappily fall, because, led away by the cravings of their vicious appetites, they prefer to lose God, the sovereign good, than to forego their wretched short- lived pleasures. Experience gives us manifest proofs that whoever calls on God in temptation does not fall; and whoever fails to call on Him as surely falls: and this is especially true of temptations to impurity. Solomon himself said that he knew very well he could not be chaste, unless God gave him the grace to be so; and he therefore invoked Him by prayer in the moment of temptation: And as I knew that I could not otherwise be continent, except God give it, . . .
I went to the Lord and besought Him. [Wisd. viii 21.] In temptations against purity (and the same holds good with regard to those against faith), we must take it as a rule never to strive to combat the temptation hand to hand; but we must endeavor immediately to get rid of it indirectly by making a good act of the love of God or of sorrow for our sins, or else by applying ourselves to some indifferent occupation calculated to distract us. At the very instant that we discover a thought of evil tendency, we must disown it immediately, and (so to speak) close the door in its face, and deny it all entrance into the mind, without tarrying in the least to examine its object or errand. We must cast away these foul suggestions as quickly as we would shake off a hot spark from the fire.
If the impure temptation has already forced its way into the mind, and plainly pictures its object to the imagination, so as to stir the passions, then, according to the advice of St. Jerome, we must burst forth into these words: "O Lord, Thou art my helper." [Epist. ad Eust.] As soon, says the Saint, as we feel the sting of concupiscence, we must have recourse to God, and say: "O Lord, do Thou assist me;" we must invoke the most holy names of Jesus and Mary, which possess a wonderful efficacy in the suppression of temptations of this nature. St. Francis de Sales says, that no sooner do children espy a wolf than they instantly seek refuge in the arms of their father and mother; and there they remain out of all danger.
Our conduct must be the same: we must flee without delay for succor to Jesus and Mary, by earnestly calling upon them. I repeat that we must instantly have recourse to them, without giving a moment's audience to the temptation, or disputing with it. It is related in the fourth paragraph of the Book of Sentences of the Fathers, [Vitae Patr. l. 3, n. 35.] that one day St. Pacomius heard the devil boasting that he had frequently got the better of a certain monk on account of his lending ear to him, and not turning instantly to call upon God. He heard another devil, on the contrary, utter this complaint: As for me, I can do nothing with my monk, because he never fails to have recourse to God, and always defeats me.
Oh, would to God that all men would have recourse to Him whenever they are tempted to offend Him; they would then certainly never commit sin! They unhappily fall, because, led away by the cravings of their vicious appetites, they prefer to lose God, the sovereign good, than to forego their wretched short- lived pleasures. Experience gives us manifest proofs that whoever calls on God in temptation does not fall; and whoever fails to call on Him as surely falls: and this is especially true of temptations to impurity. Solomon himself said that he knew very well he could not be chaste, unless God gave him the grace to be so; and he therefore invoked Him by prayer in the moment of temptation: And as I knew that I could not otherwise be continent, except God give it, . . .
I went to the Lord and besought Him. [Wisd. viii 21.] In temptations against purity (and the same holds good with regard to those against faith), we must take it as a rule never to strive to combat the temptation hand to hand; but we must endeavor immediately to get rid of it indirectly by making a good act of the love of God or of sorrow for our sins, or else by applying ourselves to some indifferent occupation calculated to distract us. At the very instant that we discover a thought of evil tendency, we must disown it immediately, and (so to speak) close the door in its face, and deny it all entrance into the mind, without tarrying in the least to examine its object or errand. We must cast away these foul suggestions as quickly as we would shake off a hot spark from the fire.
If the impure temptation has already forced its way into the mind, and plainly pictures its object to the imagination, so as to stir the passions, then, according to the advice of St. Jerome, we must burst forth into these words: "O Lord, Thou art my helper." [Epist. ad Eust.] As soon, says the Saint, as we feel the sting of concupiscence, we must have recourse to God, and say: "O Lord, do Thou assist me;" we must invoke the most holy names of Jesus and Mary, which possess a wonderful efficacy in the suppression of temptations of this nature. St. Francis de Sales says, that no sooner do children espy a wolf than they instantly seek refuge in the arms of their father and mother; and there they remain out of all danger.
Our conduct must be the same: we must flee without delay for succor to Jesus and Mary, by earnestly calling upon them. I repeat that we must instantly have recourse to them, without giving a moment's audience to the temptation, or disputing with it. It is related in the fourth paragraph of the Book of Sentences of the Fathers, [Vitae Patr. l. 3, n. 35.] that one day St. Pacomius heard the devil boasting that he had frequently got the better of a certain monk on account of his lending ear to him, and not turning instantly to call upon God. He heard another devil, on the contrary, utter this complaint: As for me, I can do nothing with my monk, because he never fails to have recourse to God, and always defeats me.
Should the temptation,
however, obstinately persist in attacking us, let us beware of becoming
troubled or angry at it; for this might put it in the power of our enemy
to overcome us. We must, on such occasions, make an act of humble
resignation to the will of God, Who thinks fit to allow us to be
tormented by these abominable temptations; and we must say: O Lord, I
deserve to be molested with these filthy suggestions, in punishment of
my past sins; but Thou must help to free me. And as long as the
temptation lasts, let us never cease calling on Jesus and Mary. It is
also very profitable, in the like importunity of temptations, to renew
our firm purpose to God of suffering every torment, and a thousand
deaths, rather than offend Him; and at the same time we must invoke His
Divine assistance. And even should the temptation be of such violence as
to put us in imminent risk of consenting to it, we must then redouble
our prayers, hasten into the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, cast
ourselves at the feet of the Crucifix, or of some image of our Blessed
Lady, and there pray with increased fervor, and cry out for help with
groans and tears.
God is certainly ready to hear all who pray to Him; and it is from Him alone, and not from our own exertions, that we must look for strength to resist; but sometimes Almighty God wills these struggles of us, and then He makes up for our weakness, and grants us the victory. It is an excellent practice also, in the moment of temptation, to make the Sign of the Cross on the forehead and breast. It is also of great service to discover the temptation to our spiritual director. St. Philip Neri used to say, that a temptation disclosed is half overcome.
Here it will be well to remark, what is unanimously admitted by all theologians, even of the rigorist school, that persons who have during a considerable period of time been leading a virtuous life, and live habitually in the fear of God, whenever they are in doubt, and are not certain whether they have given consent to a grievous sin, ought to be perfectly assured that they have not lost the Divine grace; for it is morally impossible that the will, confirmed in its good purposes for a considerable lapse of time, should on a sudden undergo so total a change as at once to consent to a mortal sin without clearly knowing it; the reason of it is, that mortal sin is so horrible a monster that it cannot possible enter a soul by which it has long been held in abhorrence, without her being fully aware of it. We have proved this at length in our Moral Theology. [Lib. 6, D. 476.] St. Teresa said: No one is lost without knowing it; and no one is deceived without the will to be deceived. [Life, addit.]
Wherefore, with regard to certain souls of delicate conscience, and solidly rooted in virtue, but at the same time timid and molested with temptations (especially if they be against faith or chastity), the director will find it sometimes expedient to forbid them to discover them or make any mention of them; because, if they have to mention them they are led to consider how such thoughts got entrance into their minds, and whether they paused to dispute with them, or took any complacency in them, or gave any consent to them; and so, by this too great reflection, those evil imaginations make a still deeper impression on their minds, and disturb them the more. Whenever the confessor is morally certain that the penitent has not consented to these suggestions, the best way is to forbid him to speak any more about them. And I find that St. Jane Frances de Chantal acted precisely in this manner.
She relates of herself, that she was for several years assailed by the most violent storms of temptation, but had never spoken of them in Confession, since she was not conscious of having ever yielded to them; and in this she had only followed faithfully the rule received from her director. She says, "I never had a full conviction of having consented." [Mem. de la M. de Chaugy. p. 3. ch. 27.] These words give us to understand that the temptations did produce in her some agitation from scruples; but in spite of these, she resumed her tranquility on the strength of the obedience imposed by her confessor, not to confess similar doubts. With this exception, it will be generally found an admirable means of quelling the violence of temptations to lay them open to our director, as we have said above.
But I repeat, the most efficacious and the most necessary of all remedies against temptations, is that remedy of all remedies, namely, to pray to God for help, and to continue praying as long as the temptation continues. Almighty God will frequently have decreed success, not to the first prayer, but to the second,
God is certainly ready to hear all who pray to Him; and it is from Him alone, and not from our own exertions, that we must look for strength to resist; but sometimes Almighty God wills these struggles of us, and then He makes up for our weakness, and grants us the victory. It is an excellent practice also, in the moment of temptation, to make the Sign of the Cross on the forehead and breast. It is also of great service to discover the temptation to our spiritual director. St. Philip Neri used to say, that a temptation disclosed is half overcome.
Here it will be well to remark, what is unanimously admitted by all theologians, even of the rigorist school, that persons who have during a considerable period of time been leading a virtuous life, and live habitually in the fear of God, whenever they are in doubt, and are not certain whether they have given consent to a grievous sin, ought to be perfectly assured that they have not lost the Divine grace; for it is morally impossible that the will, confirmed in its good purposes for a considerable lapse of time, should on a sudden undergo so total a change as at once to consent to a mortal sin without clearly knowing it; the reason of it is, that mortal sin is so horrible a monster that it cannot possible enter a soul by which it has long been held in abhorrence, without her being fully aware of it. We have proved this at length in our Moral Theology. [Lib. 6, D. 476.] St. Teresa said: No one is lost without knowing it; and no one is deceived without the will to be deceived. [Life, addit.]
Wherefore, with regard to certain souls of delicate conscience, and solidly rooted in virtue, but at the same time timid and molested with temptations (especially if they be against faith or chastity), the director will find it sometimes expedient to forbid them to discover them or make any mention of them; because, if they have to mention them they are led to consider how such thoughts got entrance into their minds, and whether they paused to dispute with them, or took any complacency in them, or gave any consent to them; and so, by this too great reflection, those evil imaginations make a still deeper impression on their minds, and disturb them the more. Whenever the confessor is morally certain that the penitent has not consented to these suggestions, the best way is to forbid him to speak any more about them. And I find that St. Jane Frances de Chantal acted precisely in this manner.
She relates of herself, that she was for several years assailed by the most violent storms of temptation, but had never spoken of them in Confession, since she was not conscious of having ever yielded to them; and in this she had only followed faithfully the rule received from her director. She says, "I never had a full conviction of having consented." [Mem. de la M. de Chaugy. p. 3. ch. 27.] These words give us to understand that the temptations did produce in her some agitation from scruples; but in spite of these, she resumed her tranquility on the strength of the obedience imposed by her confessor, not to confess similar doubts. With this exception, it will be generally found an admirable means of quelling the violence of temptations to lay them open to our director, as we have said above.
But I repeat, the most efficacious and the most necessary of all remedies against temptations, is that remedy of all remedies, namely, to pray to God for help, and to continue praying as long as the temptation continues. Almighty God will frequently have decreed success, not to the first prayer, but to the second,
third, or fourth. In
short, we must be thoroughly persuaded that all our welfare depends on
prayer: our amendment of life depends on prayer; our victory over
temptations depends on prayer; on prayer depends our obtaining Divine
love, together with perfection, perseverance, and eternal salvation.
There may be some who,
after the perusal of my spiritual works, will accuse me of tediousness
in so often recommending the importance and necessity of having
continual recourse to God by prayer. But I seem to myself to have said
not too much, but far too little. I know that day and night we are all
assailed with temptations from the infernal powers, and that Satan lets
slip no occasion of causing us to fall. I know that, without the Divine
help, we have not strength to repel the assaults of the devils; and that
therefore the Apostle exhorts us to put on the armor of God: Put you on
the armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the decits of
the devil. For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood; but against
principalities and powers, against the rulers of the world of this
darkness. [Eph. vi. 11, 12.] And what is this armor with which St. Paul
warns us to clothe ourselves in order to conquer our enemies? Behold of
what it consists: By all prayer and supplication, praying at all times
in the spirit, and in the same watching with all instance. [Eph. vi.
18.] This armor is constant and fervent prayer to God, that He may help
us to gain the victory.
I know, moreover, that in every page of the Holy Scriptures, both in the Old and the New Testament, we are repeatedly admonished to pray: Call upon Me, and I will deliver thee. [Ps. xlix. 7.] Cry to Me, and I will hear thee. [Jer. xxxiii. 3.] We ought always to pray, and not to faint. [Luke, xviii. 1.] Ask, and you shall receive. [Matt. vii. 7.] Watch and pray. [Matt. xxvi. 41.] Pray without ceasing. [1 Thess. v. 17.] So that I think, far from having spoken too much on prayer, I have not said enough. I would urge it on all preachers, to recommend nothing so much to their audience as prayer; on confessors, to insist on nothing so earnestly with their penitents as prayer; on spiritual writers, to treat on no subject more copiously than on prayer. But it is a source of grief to my heart, and it seems to me a chastisement of our sins, that so many preachers, confessors, and authors speak so little of prayer. There is no doubt that sermons, meditations, Communions, and mortifications are great helps in the spiritual life; but if we fail to call upon God by prayer in the moment of temptation, we shall fall, in spite of all the sermons, meditations, Communions, penances, and virtuous resolutions.
If, then, we really wish to be saved, let us always pray, and commend ourselves to Jesus Christ, and most of all when we are tempted; and let us not only pray for the grace of holy perseverance, but at the same time for the grace to pray always. Let us, likewise, take care to recommend ourselves to the divine Mother, who, as St. Bernard says, is the dispenser of graces: "Let us seek for graces, and let us seek them through Mary." For the same Saint assures us that it is the will of God, that not a single grace should be dealt to us except through the hands of Mary: "God has willed us to receive nothing that has not passed through the hands of Mary." [In Vig. Nat. s. 3.]
I know, moreover, that in every page of the Holy Scriptures, both in the Old and the New Testament, we are repeatedly admonished to pray: Call upon Me, and I will deliver thee. [Ps. xlix. 7.] Cry to Me, and I will hear thee. [Jer. xxxiii. 3.] We ought always to pray, and not to faint. [Luke, xviii. 1.] Ask, and you shall receive. [Matt. vii. 7.] Watch and pray. [Matt. xxvi. 41.] Pray without ceasing. [1 Thess. v. 17.] So that I think, far from having spoken too much on prayer, I have not said enough. I would urge it on all preachers, to recommend nothing so much to their audience as prayer; on confessors, to insist on nothing so earnestly with their penitents as prayer; on spiritual writers, to treat on no subject more copiously than on prayer. But it is a source of grief to my heart, and it seems to me a chastisement of our sins, that so many preachers, confessors, and authors speak so little of prayer. There is no doubt that sermons, meditations, Communions, and mortifications are great helps in the spiritual life; but if we fail to call upon God by prayer in the moment of temptation, we shall fall, in spite of all the sermons, meditations, Communions, penances, and virtuous resolutions.
If, then, we really wish to be saved, let us always pray, and commend ourselves to Jesus Christ, and most of all when we are tempted; and let us not only pray for the grace of holy perseverance, but at the same time for the grace to pray always. Let us, likewise, take care to recommend ourselves to the divine Mother, who, as St. Bernard says, is the dispenser of graces: "Let us seek for graces, and let us seek them through Mary." For the same Saint assures us that it is the will of God, that not a single grace should be dealt to us except through the hands of Mary: "God has willed us to receive nothing that has not passed through the hands of Mary." [In Vig. Nat. s. 3.]
The Practice of the Love of Jesus Christ by Saint Alphonsus Liguori