Chapter 32. Remedies against Lust

Section I. General Remedies

Lust is an inordinate desire of unlawful pleasures. It is a ice most widely spread in the world; one that is most ‘olent in its attacks, most insatiable in its cravings. Hence :. Augustine says that the severest warfare which a Chrisan has to maintain is that in defense of chastity, for such pmbats are frequent, and victories rare.

Whenever you are assailed by this shameful vice resist it ith the following considerations: Remember, first, that nis disorder not only stains your soul, purified by the ood of Christ, but defiles your body, in which the thrice (oly Body of Christ has been placed, as in a shrine. If it a sacrilege to defile a material temple dedicated to iod’s service, what must it be to profane this living temfe which God has chosen for His dwelling? For this ason the Apostle tells us: “Fly fornication. Every sin at a man doth is without the body, but he that commitrth fornication sinneth against his own body.” (J Cor. :18). Consider, secondly, that this deplorable vice necesarily involves scandal to numerous souls and the spiritual ain of all who participate in your crime. This thought ill cause the sinner to suffer the greatest remorse at the our of death; for if in the Old Law God required a life or a life, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth (Cf. Ex.

Das 21:23-24), what satisfaction can be offered Him for thé destruction of so many souls, purchased at the price of Hi Blood?

This treacherous vice begins in pleasure, but ends in ar abyss of bitterness and remorse. There is nothing inte which man is more easily drawn, but nothing from whicl he is with more difficulty freed. Hence the Wise Mar compares an impure woman to a deep ditch, a narrow pit to show how easily souls fall into this vice, but with wha difficulty they are extricated. Man is first allured by it flattering aspect, but when he has assumed the sinful yoke and particularly when he has cast aside all shame, it re quires almost a miracle of grace to deliver him from hi: degrading bondage. For this reason it is justly comparec to a fisherman’s net, which the fish easily enter, but fron which they rarely escape. Learn, too, how many sin: spring from this one vice; for during this long captivity o the soul how often is God offended by thoughts, words and desires, if not by actions?

The evils which it brings in its train are no les numerous than the sins it occasions. It robs man of hi reputation—his most important possession, for there is n vice more degrading or more shameful. It rapidly under mines the strength, exhausts the energy, and withers th beauty of its victim, bringing upon him the most foul anc loathsome diseases. It robs youth of its freshness, and hur ries it into a premature and dishonorable old age. I penetrates even to the sanctuary of the soul, darkening th understanding, obscuring the memory, and weakening th will. It turns man from every noble and honorable work burying him so deeply in the mire of his impurities that hi can neither think nor speak of anything but what is vile.

Nor are the ravages of this vice confined only to ma: himself. They extend to all his possessions. There is n revenue so great that the exactions and follies of impurit Remedies against Lust ZU ii not exhaust; for it is closely allied to gluttony, and ese two vices combine to ruin their victim. Men given to ‘purity are generally addicted to intemperance, and yander their substance in rich apparel and sumptuous ‘ing. Moreover, their impure idols are insatiable in their ‘mands for costly jewels, rich adornments, rare permes, which gifts they love much better than they love e donors, their unfortunate victims. The example of the ‘odigal son, exhausting his inheritance in these asures, shows how terrible is such a passion.

Consider, further, that the more you indulge in these inmous gratifications, the more insatiable will be your ‘sire for them, the less they will satisfy you. It is the ture of these pleasures to excite the appetite rather than pease it. If you consider how fleeting is the pleasure and »w enduring its punishment, you will not for a moment’s ijoyment sacrifice the unspeakable treasure of a good pnscience in this life and the eternal happiness of Heaven the next. St. Gregory, therefore, has truly said that the leasure is momentary, but the suffering is eternal. oral. 9,44).

Consider also the nobility and the value of virginal rity, which this vice destroys. Virgins begin here below live as angels, for the beauty of these glorious spirits is flected in the splendor of their chastity. “Living in the sh,” says St. Bernard, “‘and despising its allurements is ore angelic than human.” (Un Nat. Virg.).

“Virginity,” says St. Jerome, “is the virtue which, amid e corruption of this mortal life, best represents the perction of immortal glory. It brings before us the happy pndition of the celestial City, where there is no marrying, id gives us a foretaste of eternal joy.” (De Virginitatis aude). Hence virginity is specially rewarded in Heaven. . John tells us that virgins follow the Lamb whitherever He goeth. (Cf. Apoc. 14:4). They have risen above their fellow men in their imitation of Christ. They will therefore be more closely united to Him for all eternity, and will find in the spotless purity of their bodies a source of ineffable joy.

Virginity not only renders man like unto Christ, but makes him the temple of the Holy Spirit. For this Divine Lover of purity abhors whatever is defiled, and delights to dwell in chaste souls. The Son of God, who was conceived — of the Holy Ghost, so loved purity that He wrought His greatest miracle to preserve the purity of His Virgin Mother. If you have suffered the loss of this beautiful virtue, learn from the temptations which wrought the evil to guard against a second fall.

If you have not preserved the gift of chastity in the perfection in which God gave it to you, endeavor to restore the beauty of the Creator’s work by giving yourself to His service with a zeal and fervor born of deep gratitude for forgiven sin, and with an ardent desire to repair the past. “It often happens,” says St. Gregory, “that one who was tepid and indifferent before his fall becomes, through repentance, a strong and fervent soldier of Christ.” (Past., p 1). Finally, since God continued to preserve your life after you had so basely offended Him, profit by this benefit to serve Him and make reparation for your sins, lest another fall should be irremediable.

Section II. Particular Remedies

Besides these general remedies there are others more special, and perhaps more efficacious. The first of these is vigorously to resist the first attacks of this vice. If we do not resist it in the beginning, it rapidly acquires strength and gains an entrance to our souls. “When a taste for sinful pleasures,” says St. Gregory, “takes possession of a ieart, it thinks of nothing but how to gratify its inordinate jesires.” (Moral. 21,7). We must, then, struggle against it om the beginning by repelling every bad thought, for by uch fuel is the flame of impurity fed. As wood nourishes ire, so our thoughts nourish our desires; and, conseyuently, if the former be good, charity will burn in our preast—but if they are bad, the fire of lust will certainly be kindled.

In the second place, we must carefully guard our senses, articularly the eyes, that they may not rest upon anything tapable of exciting sinful desires. A man may inflict a eep wound upon his soul by inconsiderately turning his ryes upon a dangerous object. Prudently guard your eyes i your intercourse with the other sex, for such glances weaken virtue.

Hence we are told by the Holy Ghost: “Look not round sbout thee in the ways of the city. Turn away thy face irom a woman dressed up, and gaze not upon another’s peauty.”” (Ecclus. 9:7-8). Think of Job, that great servant ( God, of such tried virtue, who kept so vigilant a guard pver his senses that, in the expressive language of Scripure, he made a covenant with his eyes not so much as to ink upon a virgin. (Cf. Job 31:1). Behold also the examble of David, who, though declared by God to have been a man after His own Heart, yet fell into three grievous primes by inconsiderately looking upon a woman. | Be no less watchful in protecting your ears from impure liscourses. If unbecoming words are uttered in your presce, testify your displeasure by at least a grave and rious countenance; for what we hear with pleasure we arn to do with complacency. Guard with equal care your ongue. Let no immodest words escape you; for “evil communications,” says the Apostle, ‘corrupt good morals.” (/ Sor. 15:33). A man’s conversation discovers his inclinaion, for, to quote the words of the Gospel, from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

Endeavor to keep your mind occupied with good thoughts and your body employed in some profitable exercise, “for the devil,” says St. Bernard, “fills idle souls with bad thoughts, so that they may be thinking of evil if they do not actually commit it.” | In all temptations, but particularly in temptations against purity, remember the presence of your guardian angel and of the devil, your accuser, for they both witness. all your actions, and will render an account of them to Him who sees and judges all things. If you follow this counsel, how can you, before your accuser, your defender, and your Judge, commit a base sin, for which you would blush before the lowest of men? Remember also the terrible tribunal of God’s judgment and the eternal flames of Hell; for as a greater pain makes us insensible to a less, so the thought of the inexhaustible fire of Hell will render us insensible to the fire of concupiscence.

In addition to all this, be very guarded in your intercourse with women, and beware of continuing alone with one for any length of time; for, according to St. Chrysostom, the enemy attacks men and women more vigorously when he finds them alone. He is bolder when there are no witnesses present to thwart his artifices. Avoid the society of women who are not above suspicion, for their words inflame the heart, their glances wound the soul, and everything about them is a snare to those who visit them with imprudent familiarity. Be mindful of the example of the elders (Cf. Dan. 13), and let not old age render you less prudent. Do not trust to your own strength; and let not a habit of virtue inspire you with presumptuous confidence. Let there be no improper interchange of presents, visits, or letters, for these are so many snares which entangle us and reawaken dangerous affections. If you experience any friendship for a virtuous voman let your intercourse be marked by grave respect, ind avoid seeing her too often or conversing too familiarly vith her. But, as one of the most important remedies is svoiding dangerous occasions, we shall give an example rom the Dialogues of St. Gregory to show you with what srudence holy souls guard this angelic virtue. There lived in the province of Mysia a holy priest who vas filled with the fear of God, and who governed his church with zeal and wisdom. A very virtuous woman had charge of the altar and church furniture. This holy soul the priest loved as a sister, but he was as guarded in his intercourse with her as if she were his enemy. He never ermitted her to approach him or converse familiarly with him, or enter his dwelling, thus removing all occasions of familiarity; for the saints not only reject unlawful gratifications, but forbid themselves even innocent pleasures hen there is the slightest indication of danger to the soul. For this reason the good priest would never allow her to minister to him, even in his extreme necessities. At an advanced age, after he had been 40 years in the acred ministry, he fell gravely ill, and was soon almost at he point of death. As he lay in this condition, the good woman, wishing to discover whether he still lived, bent ver him and put her ear to his mouth to listen to his breathing. The dying man, perceiving her, indignantly exlaimed, ‘‘Get thee hence, woman! Get thee hence! The fire still glows in the embers. Beware of kindling it with straw!’ As she withdrew he seemed to gain new strength, and raising his eyes, he cried out with a loud voice, “Oh! Happy hour! Welcome, my lords, welcome! I thank you for deigning to visit so poor a servant. I come! I come!” He repeated these words several times, and when they who were present asked him to whom he spoke, he said with astonishment, “Do you not see the glorious Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul?” And, raising his eyes, he again cried, “I come! I come!” and as he uttered these words he gave up his soul to God.

An end so glorious was the result of a prudent vigilance which cannot be too highly extolled; and such confidence at the hour of death seemed a fitting reward for one who during life had been filled with a holy fear of God. (Dial. 4,11).