Consideration XXXI — Perseverance

"Qui perseveraverit usque in finem, hic salvus erit" (Matt. 24:13).

Point I

St. Jerome says that many begin well, but few are those who persevere: "Incipere multorum est, perseverare paucorum." A Saul began well, a Judas, a Tertullian; but then they ended badly, because they did not persevere in the good. "Non quaeruntur in christianis initia, sed finis." The Lord, the saint continues, does not require only the beginnings of the good life, but also the end; it is the end that will obtain the reward. St. Bonaventure says that the crown is given to perseverance alone: "Sola perseverantia coronatur." For this reason St. Lawrence Justinian called perseverance the gate of heaven: "coeli ianuam." So whoever does not find the gate cannot enter paradise. My brother, at present you have left sin, and you justly hope to have been pardoned. You are then a friend of God; but know that you are not yet saved. And when will you be saved? When you have persevered to the end: "Qui perseveraverit usque in finem, hic salvus erit." You have begun the good life — thank the Lord; but St. Bernard warns you that the reward is only promised to those who begin, but is given only to those who persevere: "Incohantibus praemium promittitur, perseverantibus datur." It is not enough to run for the prize; one must run until one takes it: "Sic currite, ut comprehendatis," says the Apostle (1 Cor. 9:24).

Now you have already put your hand to the plow; you have begun to live well; but now more than ever you must fear and tremble. "Cum metu et tremore vestram salutem operamini" (Phil. 2:12). And why? Because if (God forbid) you turn to look back and return to the evil life, God will declare you excluded from paradise. "Nemo mittens manum ad aratrum, et respiciens retro, aptus est regno Dei" (Luke 9:62). Now, by the grace of the Lord, you flee evil occasions, you frequent the sacraments, you make your meditation every day; blessed are you if you continue to do so, and if Jesus Christ finds you doing so when He comes to judge you: "Beatus ille servus, quem cum venerit Dominus eius, invenerit sic facientem" (Matt. 24:46). But do not believe that now that you have set yourself to serve God, temptations have almost ended or diminished; hear what the Holy Spirit says to you: "Fili, accedens ad servitutem Dei, praepara animam tuam ad tentationem" (Sirach 2:1). Know that now more than ever you must prepare yourself for battles; for your enemies — the world, the devil, and the flesh — will now more than ever arm themselves to fight against you, to make you lose what you have gained. Denis the Carthusian says that the more one gives himself to God, the more fiercely hell seeks to overthrow him: "Quanto quis fortius nititur Deo servire, tanto acrius contra eum saevit adversarius." And this is sufficiently expressed in the Gospel of St. Luke: "Cum immundus spiritus exierit ab homine, quaerens requiem et non inveniens, dicit: Revertar in domum meam, unde exivi. Tunc vadit, et assumit septem alios spiritus nequiores se, et ingressi habitant ibi; et fiunt novissima eorum peiora prioribus" (Luke 11:24). When the devil is driven from a soul, he finds no rest and makes every effort to reenter it; he even calls companions to his aid, and if he succeeds in reentering, the second ruin of that soul will be far greater than the first.

Consider, then, what weapons you must use to defend yourself from these enemies and preserve yourself in the grace of God. Against the devil there is no other defense than prayer. St. Paul says that we do not have to fight against men of flesh and blood like ourselves, but against the princes of hell: "Non est nobis colluctatio adversus carnem et sanguinem, sed adversus principes et potestates" (Eph. 6:12). And he wishes thereby to warn us that we do not have the strength to resist such powers, and that we need God to help us. With divine help we can do everything: "Omnia possum in eo qui me confortat" (Phil. 4:13) — so he said, and so each of us must say. But that help is not given except to those who ask for it through prayer: "Petite, et accipietis." Let us not, then, trust in our resolutions; if we place our confidence in them, we will be lost. All our confidence, when we are tempted by the devil, let us place in the help of God by commending ourselves then to Jesus Christ and to Most Holy Mary. And we must especially do this when we are tempted against chastity, for this temptation is the most terrible of all, and is the one by which the devil gains the most victories. We do not have the strength to preserve chastity; God must give it to us. Solomon said: "Et ut scivi quoniam aliter non possum esse continens, nisi Deus det... adii Dominum, et deprecatus sum illum" (Wis. 8:21). In such temptation, then, we must immediately have recourse to Jesus Christ and to His holy Mother, often invoking their most holy names of Jesus and Mary. Whoever does this will conquer; whoever does not will be lost.

Affections and Prayers

"Ne proiicias me a facie tua." Ah, my God, do not cast me from Your presence. I know that You will never abandon me if I am not the first to abandon You; but I tremble at this because of my experience of my own weakness. Lord, You must give me the strength I need against hell, which hopes to see me once again its slave. I ask it of You for the love of Jesus Christ. Establish, O my Savior, between me and You a perpetual peace, never to be broken for all eternity. And for this, give me Your holy love. "Qui non diligit, manet in morte." Whoever does not love You is dead. From this unhappy death You must save me, O God of my soul. I was lost — You already know it. It has been entirely Your goodness that has brought me to this state in which I find myself, and I hope I stand in Your grace. Do not permit, my Jesus, through that bitter death You suffered for me, that I should voluntarily lose it again. I love You above all things. I hope to see myself forever bound by this holy love, and so bound to die, and bound to live for all eternity.

O Mary, you call yourself the mother of perseverance. This great gift is dispensed through you; I ask it of you, and through you I hope for it.

Point II

Let us now see how we must conquer the world. The devil is a great enemy, but the world is worse. If the devil did not make use of the world and wicked men (by which the world is meant), he would not gain the victories he obtains. The Redeemer did not so much warn us to beware of demons as of men: "Cavete autem ab hominibus" (Matt. 10:17). Men are often worse than demons, for demons flee at prayer and at the invocation of the most holy names of Jesus and Mary; but evil companions, if they tempt someone to sin and he responds with some spiritual word, do not flee — they tempt him all the more and mock him, calling him a vile man, an uncouth person, worthless; and when they can say nothing else, they call him a hypocrite who feigns holiness. And certain weak souls, in order not to hear these reproaches or mockeries, miserably join company with those ministers of Lucifer and return to their vomit. My brother, persuade yourself that if you wish to live well, you must without fail be mocked and vilified by the wicked. "Abominantur impii eos, qui in recta sunt via" (Prov. 29:27). Whoever lives badly cannot bear to see those who live well; and why? Because their life is a continual reproach to them, and therefore they wish that all would imitate them, so as not to have the pain of the remorse that the good life of others causes them. There is no remedy, says the Apostle — whoever serves God must be persecuted by the world: "Omnes qui pie volunt vivere in Christo Iesu, persecutionem patientur" (2 Tim. 3:12). All the saints were persecuted. Who holier than Jesus Christ? And the world persecuted Him to the point of making Him die, His blood poured out, on a cross.

There is no way around this, because the maxims of the world are all contrary to those of Jesus Christ. What is esteemed by the world, Jesus Christ calls foolishness: "Sapientia enim huius mundi stultitia est apud Deum" (1 Cor. 3:19). On the other hand, the world calls foolishness what is esteemed by Jesus Christ, such as crosses, sufferings, and contempt: "Verbum enim crucis pereuntibus quidem stultitia est" (1 Cor. 1:18). But let us take comfort that if the wicked curse and revile us, God blesses and praises us: "Maledicent illi, et tu benedices" (Ps. 108:28). Is it not enough for us to be praised by God, by Mary, by all the angels, by the saints, and by all good people? Let us then let the sinners say what they will, and let us continue to please God, who is so grateful and faithful to those who serve Him. The greater the reluctance and opposition with which we do good, the greater will be God's pleasure and our merit. Let us imagine that in the world there is no one but God and ourselves. When these wicked people mock us, let us commend them to the Lord; and in turn let us thank God for giving us the light He does not give to those wretches, and let us continue on our way. Let us not be ashamed to appear as Christians, for if we are ashamed of Jesus Christ, He declares that He will also be ashamed of us and of keeping us at His right hand on the day of judgment: "Nam qui me erubuerit, et meum sermonem, hunc Filius hominis erubescet, cum venerit in maiestate sua" (Luke 9:26).

If we wish to be saved, we must resolve to suffer and to force ourselves — indeed, to do ourselves violence. "Arcta est via, quae ducit ad vitam" (Matt. 7:14). "Regnum coelorum vim patitur, et violenti rapiunt illud" (Matt. 11:12). Whoever does not force himself will not be saved. There is no remedy — we must go against our rebellious nature if we wish to practice the good. We must especially force ourselves at the beginning, to uproot bad habits and acquire good ones; for once the good habit is formed, the observance of the divine law becomes easy, even sweet. The Lord said to St. Bridget that whoever, in practicing virtue, patiently and courageously endures the first prickings of the thorns, will afterward find that the thorns turn into roses. Be attentive, then, my Christian — Jesus Christ now says to you what He said to the paralytic: "Ecce sanus factus es, iam noli peccare, ne deterius tibi contingat" (John 5:14). Understand, adds St. Bernard — if by misfortune you fall again, know that your ruin will be worse than all your former falls: "Audis: recidere quam incidere esse deterius." Woe, says the Lord, to those who take the way of God and then abandon it: "Vae, filii desertores" (Is. 30:1). Such persons are punished as rebels against the light: "Ipsi fuerunt rebelles lumini" (Job 24:13). And the punishment of these rebels, who have been favored by God with a great light and then prove unfaithful, is to remain blind and so end their life in their sins: "Si autem averterit se iustus a iustitia sua... nunquid vivet? omnes iustitiae eius, quas fecerat, non recordabuntur... in peccato morietur" (Ezek. 18:24).

Affections and Prayers

Ah, my God, I have already deserved such a punishment many times, since many times I have left sin through the light You gave me, and then miserably returned to it. I thank Your mercy infinitely for not having abandoned me in blindness, leaving me utterly deprived of light, as I deserved. I am then too greatly indebted to You, O my Jesus; and I would be too ungrateful if I were to return to turning my back on You. No, my Redeemer, "misericordias Domini in aeternum cantabo." I hope, in the life that remains to me and for all eternity, to sing always and to praise Your great mercies, loving You always and never again seeing myself deprived of Your grace. The ingratitudes I have shown You in the past, which I now detest and curse above every evil, will serve to make me always weep bitterly for the wrongs I have done You, and to inflame me all the more to love You — You who, after so many offenses received from me, have given me such great graces. Yes, I love You, O my God, worthy of infinite love. From this day forward, You must be my only love, my only good. O Eternal Father, through the merits of Jesus Christ I ask You for final perseverance in Your grace and in Your love. I already know that You will grant it to me, as long as I ask You for it. But who assures me that I will be attentive to ask You for this perseverance? For this reason, my God, I ask You for perseverance and for the grace of always asking You for it.

O Mary, my advocate, my refuge, and my hope, obtain for me through your intercession the constancy of always asking God for final perseverance. I beg you to obtain it for me, for all the love you bear Jesus Christ.

Point III

We come to the third enemy, which is the worst of all — the flesh; and let us see how we must defend ourselves against it. First, by prayer; but this we have already considered above. Second, by fleeing occasions — and this we now wish to weigh well. St. Bernardine of Siena says that the greatest of all counsels, indeed almost the foundation of religion, is the counsel to flee dangerous occasions: "Inter consilia Christi unum celeberrimum, et quasi religionis fundamentum est, fugere peccatorum occasiones." The devil once confessed, compelled by exorcisms, that of all sermons, the one that most displeases him is the sermon on fleeing occasions; and with good reason, because the devil laughs at all the resolutions and promises a repentant sinner makes if he does not leave the occasion. The occasion, especially in matters of sensual pleasures, is like a blindfold placed over the eyes: it prevents the person from seeing the resolutions he made, the lights he received, the eternal truths — in short, it makes him forget everything and renders him blind. This was the cause of the ruin of our first parents — not fleeing the occasion. God had forbidden even to touch the forbidden fruit: "Praecepit nobis Deus," Eve said to the serpent, "ne comederemus, et ne tangeremus illud" (Gen. 3). But the incautious woman "vidit, tulit, comedit" — first she began to gaze at the fruit, then she took it in hand, and then she ate it. Whoever voluntarily places himself in danger will be lost in it: "Qui amat periculum, in illo peribit" (Sirach 3:27). St. Peter says that the devil "circuit quaerens quem devoret"; hence, to reenter a soul from which he has been driven, says St. Cyprian, what does he do? He goes looking for the occasion: "Explorat an sit pars, cuius aditu penetretur." If the soul allows itself to be drawn into the occasion, the enemy will enter it again and devour it. Abbot Guerric adds that Lazarus rose bound — "prodiit ligatus manibus, et pedibus" — and rising thus, he returned to death. Poor is the one, this author means, who rises from sin but rises bound by the occasion; though he rose, he will return to death. Whoever wishes to be saved, then, must leave not only sin but also the occasion of sinning — that companion, that house, that relationship.

But you will say: I have now changed my life, and I no longer have any evil intention with that person; in fact I do not even feel temptation. I respond: In Mauritania it is said there are certain bears that go hunting monkeys; the monkeys, seeing the bear, save themselves by climbing trees, and the bear stretches out under the tree and feigns death. When it sees the monkeys have come down, it rises, seizes them, and devours them. So does the devil: he makes the temptation appear dead, but when the person has come down and placed himself in the occasion, he makes the temptation rise and devour him. Oh, how many wretched souls who frequented prayer and communion, and who could have been called saints, by placing themselves in the occasion have become prey for hell. It is related in ecclesiastical histories that a holy matron who performed the pious office of burying martyrs once found one who had not yet expired; she brought him to her house, and he recovered. What happened? Through the near occasion, these two saints (as they could have been called) first lost the grace of God and then also the faith.

The Lord commanded Isaiah to preach that all flesh is grass: "Clama, omnis caro foenum" (Is. 40:6). Here St. John Chrysostom reflects and says: Is it possible for hay not to burn when fire is set to it? "Lucernam in foenum pone, ac tum aude negare, quod foenum exuratur." And so says St. Cyprian — it is impossible to be surrounded by flames and not burn: "Impossibile est flammis circumdari, et non ardere." Our strength, the prophet warns us, is like the strength of tow placed in the flame: "Et erit fortitudo vestra ut favilla stupae" (Is. 1:31). Likewise Solomon says — foolish would be the one who expected to walk on burning coals without being burned: "Nunquid potest homo ambulare super prunas, ut non comburantur plantae eius?" (Prov. 6:28). And so too is the one foolish who expects to place himself in the occasion without falling. We must therefore flee from sin as from the face of a serpent: "Quasi a facie colubri fuge peccatum" (Sirach 21:1). We must flee not only the bite of the serpent, says Geoffrey — not only touching it, but even approaching it: "Fuge etiam tactus, etiam accessum." But you say: that house, that friendship benefits my interests. But if you already see that house is the road to hell for you — "via inferi domus eius" (Prov. 7:27) — there is no remedy; you must leave it if you wish to be saved. Even if it were your right eye, the Lord says, if you see that it is the cause of your damnation, you must pluck it out and cast it far from you: "Si oculus tuus dexter scandalizat te, erue eum, et proiice abs te" (Matt. 5:29). And note the word "abs te" — it must be cast not nearby but far away; that is to say, every occasion must be removed. St. Francis of Assisi used to say that the devil tempts spiritual persons who have given themselves to God in a different manner than he tempts the wicked. At first he does not seek to bind them with a rope; he is content to bind them with a hair, then with a thread, then with a cord, then with a rope, and so finally drags them into sin. And therefore whoever wishes to be free from this danger must break at the outset all the hairs, all the occasions — those greetings, those gifts, those notes, and the like. And speaking especially of one who has had the habit of the impure vice, it will not suffice for him to flee the proximate occasions; if he does not also flee the remote ones, he will still fall again.

It is necessary for whoever truly wishes to be saved to establish and continually renew the resolution never again to separate himself from God, frequently repeating that saying of the saints: "Let everything else be lost, but let God not be lost." But it is not enough merely to resolve not to lose Him; one must also take the means not to lose Him. The first means is to flee occasions, which has already been discussed. The second is to frequent the sacraments of confession and communion. In a house that is often swept, filth does not reign. Through confession the soul is kept purified, and through it one obtains not only the remission of faults but also the help to resist temptations. Communion is called heavenly bread because, just as the body cannot live without earthly food, so the soul cannot live without this heavenly food: "Nisi manducaveritis carnem Filii hominis, et biberitis eius sanguinem, non habebitis vitam in vobis" (John 6:54). On the other hand, whoever often eats this bread is promised eternal life: "Si quis manducaverit ex hoc pane, vivet in aeternum" (John 6:52). For this reason the Council of Trent calls communion the medicine that frees us from venial sins and preserves us from mortal sins: "Antidotum quo liberamur a culpis quotidianis, et a peccatis mortalibus praeservamur." The third means is meditation, or mental prayer. "Memorare novissima tua, et in aeternum non peccabis" (Sirach 7:40). Whoever keeps before his eyes the eternal truths — death, judgment, eternity — will not fall into sin. God enlightens us in meditation: "Accedite ad eum, et illuminamini" (Ps. 33:6). There He speaks to us and makes us understand what we must flee and what we must do: "Ducam eam in solitudinem, et loquar ad cor eius" (Hosea 2:14). Meditation, moreover, is that blessed furnace where divine love is kindled: "In meditatione mea exardescet ignis" (Ps. 38:4). Furthermore, as we have considered many times already, to preserve ourselves in the grace of God it is absolutely necessary always to pray and ask for the graces we need; whoever does not make mental prayer will hardly pray at all, and by not praying he will certainly be lost.

It is therefore necessary to take the means for salvation and to lead an ordered life. In the morning upon rising, make the Christian acts of thanksgiving, love, offering, and resolution, with a prayer to Jesus and Mary to preserve you from sin that day. Then make your meditation and hear Mass. During the day, do spiritual reading, make a visit to the Most Holy Sacrament and to the divine Mother. In the evening, the rosary and the examination of conscience. Communion several times a week, according to the advice of a spiritual director, who must be kept steadily. It would also be very useful to make a spiritual retreat in some religious house. One must also honor Most Holy Mary with some special devotion — for example, fasting on Saturday. She calls herself the Mother of perseverance, and promises it to those who serve her: "Qui operantur in me, non peccabunt" (Sirach 24:30). Above all, one must always ask God for holy perseverance, and especially in time of temptation, then invoking more frequently the most holy names of Jesus and Mary for as long as the temptation persists. If you do this, you will certainly be saved; and if you do not, you will certainly be damned.

Affections and Prayers

My dear Redeemer, I thank You for these lights You give me and for the means You make known to me for my salvation. I promise You to carry them out faithfully. Give me Your help to be faithful to You. I see that You wish me to be saved, and I wish to save myself, principally to please Your Heart, which so greatly desires my salvation. No, my God, I no longer wish to resist the love You bear me. This love caused You to endure me with such patience while I offended You. You call me to Your love, and I desire nothing else but to love You. I love You, infinite Goodness; I love You, infinite Good. I beg You, through the merits of Jesus Christ, do not permit me to be ungrateful to You any longer; either put an end to my ingratitude, or put an end to my life. Lord, You have begun the work; now complete it: "Confirma hoc Deus quod operatus es in nobis." Give me light, give me strength, give me love.

O Mary, you who are the treasurer of graces, come to my aid. Declare me your servant, as I wish to be; and pray to Jesus for me. First the merits of Jesus Christ, and then your prayers, must save me.