Two Hundred and Fifty-eighth Subject. How to act in temptations contrary to holy purity

If thy right eye scandalize thee, pluck it out and cast it from thee.— ST. MATT. v. 29.

Let us adore the Spirit of the Lord teaching us by the wise man, that he who exposes himself to danger will infallibly perish, and that consequently we must study to avoid it, unless we wish to perish miserably.

There are animals, even ferocious ones, that one can combat, so to say, hand to hand; while there are others so venomous that one can hardly look upon them without some danger.

We may reason and argue on the temptations which bear on pride, on avarice, on indolence, etc., but for those which may wound holy purity, we must repulse them immediately, cut, in fact, the thought in two; arrest immediately the first impression of an idea, of a sentiment; examine nothing, reason on nothing, look upon nothing, if possible; but immediately raise our hearts towards God, towards Jesus on the cross, towards Mary, and think of a passing action, or even distract oneself by some innocent recollection, some question of study, etc.; we must beware of recurring to it, of casting another glance upon it, of again lending our ear to it, under pretext of wishing to assure ourselves that the thing is indeed bad.

A fly alights on our person, we chase it away with our hand, without troubling ourselves whence it comes or whither it goes: it returns, we chase it away in the same manner; it is in this way we should act in regard to this kind of temptation. With these precautions, and with a care to watch over our senses, and to pray, we may be tranquil; God is not offended by a temptation thus repelled; far from that, he is glorified by it. Moreover, it is matter of experience that energetic souls scarcely ever succumb; those attentive religious will not be afraid of the arrow that flieth in the day, of the business that walketh about in the dark, of invasion, or of the noonday devil; on the contrary, a thousand shall fall at Thy side, and ten thousand at Thy right hand, but it shall not come nigh Thee; while the cowardly, the sensual, the inquisitive, the proud, almost always succumb.—Ps. xc. 67.

Pause.

ACT OF CONTRITION.—Thou hast warned me, O my God! that the devil goeth about like a roaring lion, seeking to devour us; and I have not paid sufficient attention to it. Therefore, how many faults have I not to reproach myself with! How often hath the infernal serpent cast his venom into my heart! How often, perhaps, has he overcome me! Pardon, O my God! pardon me for my negligences. I ask this pardon of Thee by the merits of Jesus Christ, and by the intercession of Mary.

I make the resolution to......