p. 73Means against Temptations

1. Be persuaded that we must undergo temptations, lest we grow careless and lead from day to day a life of levity. Hence in time of peace act prudently, lest thou be unprepared when the evil one assails thee, for he aims at causing men so to live, as if they already enjoyed everlasting peace.

2. Make an act of love of God as soon as thou art aware of being tempted, whether it be against holy purity or against humility, or whether it be only some scruple, or some other suggestion of Satan. Hence say to the devil in mocking: “All right! Thou comest quite opportunely to me. Since thou comest without being called, I will make use of thee as a means of admonishing and urging me to love God.” Thus will the wiles of Satan seeking thy ruin become for thee a food of life, and a source of many merits, so that the fiend will be careful not to come so soon again, seeing that he is made to serve thy soul as an encouragement and an incentive to virtue. Call to mind the divine benefits, and say with the pious Joseph in Egypt, “How then can I do this wicked thing, and sin against my God?” (Gen. xxxix. 9.)

3. Excite in thyself feelings directly opposed to the temptation, for poison is rendered harmless by antidotes. For instance, thou art tempted by impure feelings; make thy body suffer, in order to stifle them in their origin. If thou art tempted to anger and spite, pray for those who are the occasion of such feelings. Act in like manner concerning all other evil inclinations. This means is so much the more effective, as it decisively combats self-love.

4. Thou shouldst not consider or acknowledge temptations as chastisements, for by them God incites us to seek refuge and help from Him, to own our own nothingness and to learn what He demands of us. Hence we should look upon temptations as divine favors, and thank God for the opportunity of being able in some things to carry our cross with Jesus Christ, wholly resigned to the divine will. Yea, and even more; we ought sincerely to rejoice over the temptations, according to the counsel of St. James, “Count it all joy, when you shall fall into diverse temptations” (Chap. I., v. 2); and why? because as God said to St. Paul, “Virtue is perfected in infirmity,” that is, the more numerous the temptations we have to sustain against a virtue, the more we become perfect therein, for the constant efforts to overcome them are the best teachers of virtue.

5. Love tenderly the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, and have so unlimited a confidence in her, as to hold it as impossible for her to allow a child of hers to perish in combating sin. In time of temptation flee at once under her mantle, as a pullet seeks refuge under the wings of the hen, and say, for instance: “O Mary, show thyself a Mother to me! O my Lady, I am suffering violence, hasten to my assistance!”

6. Remember the four last things. Impress on thy mind some striking saying concerning each one of them, and recall to mind in temptations at one time the saying concerning death, at another time that concerning judgment, etc. But as the devil may try to prevent thee from remembering any of them when he tempts thee, it will prove very useful if, when free from temptation, thou often exercisest thyself in recalling those sayings, so as to become accustomed to them.

7. Disclose all thy temptations to thy spiritual father. Such sincerity often produces admirable, yea, even wonderful, effects, on account of the humility practised therein.

8. Humble thyself at once most willingly before God, acknowledging thy sinfulness, and that thou deservest still greater trials, saying, “It is meet, O Lord, that I should suffer this, for it is far less than I have deserved.”