How to Guard Holy Purity - Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Dignare Me Laudare Te, Virgo Sacrata ^ | A.D. 20th century | Antonio Cardinal Bacci

[Pyro7480]

The following, which is reproduced in full from the blog Antonio Cardinal Bacci: Meditations For Each Day, should be spread far and wide.

William Bouguereau's L'Innocence

How to Guard Holy Purity

1. Purity of heart is a quality which attracts everybody, even those who are evil themselves. It makes a man seem like an angel in human form, for it shines from his countenance. Unfortunately, the virtue of purity is as difficult as it is beautiful. It is fatal for anyone to cast himself into the mire. The first sin of impurity is a disaster, because it is often the first link in a tragic chain which makes him the slave of his lower impulses and of the tyrannical enemy of souls, the devil.

We must resist the earliest suggestions of the flesh by every means in our power, both natural and supernatural.

St. Thomas Aquinas tells us that none of the passions dethrones reason so much as sensuality (Summa, II-II, q. 53, a. 6). St. Augustine warns us also in his Confessions that lust has its cause in a perverse will, and if anybody surrenders to it, he acquires the evil habit. If this habit is not resisted, the sin becomes a frightening necessity. Resist from the beginning if you wish to avoid ruin and the slavery of the devil, who cunningly uses this passion to capture souls. If a man is overcome by violent temptation and falls into sin, however, he should not lose courage. God is infinitely good and merciful. He knows our weakness. When anyone falls, let him rise immediately. Let him return to God by repenting and making a good confession. Let him resolve to make any sacrifice rather than fall again.

2. Because it is so difficult to preserve the angelic purity of the soul, it is absolutely essential to make good use of the measures favoured for this purpose by the masters of the spiritual life. The first of these is prayer; the spirit of prayer will keep us close to God. If our mind and heart are united to God in the performance of every action, we will never allow ourselves to be separated from Him by impurity. This spirit of prayer must be based on humility and the consciousness of our continual need of God, and must be kept alive by love for Him.

The second measure is to avoid the occasions of sin. "Sensuality is best conquered by flight." (Summa, I-II, q. 35) St. Thomas advises us. "He who loves danger will perish in it." (Ecclus. 3:25) Battles like this said St. Francis de Sales, are won by the soldiers who retreat. As soon as an impure thought or image intrudes itself, drive it away as if a serpent were attacking you. It is fatal to allow the thought or image to gain ground, for at this stage victory becomes extremely difficult.

Thirdly, it often helps to occupy the mind and imagination immediately with things in which we are interested. The greatest danger of all in these moments of temptation is idleness.

3. Let us examine our conscience now and we shall perceive that every time we have fallen in any way it was always because we did not put into practice the remedies suggested. So let us not lose courage but renew our determination to employ at the first sign of danger the necessary means of defending our purity. It will be a hard struggle at times. But the grace of God will never let us down as long as we do our best to co-operate with it. Each one of us should remember that God is faithful and will not permit you to be tempted beyond your strength, but with the temptation will also give you a way out that you may be able to bear it (I Cor. 10:13). Our first reward will be the exhilaration of having fought hard and won.

**Appendix: Some addition advice from Fr. Tim Finigan of the excellent blog The Hermeneutic of Continuity:

Several meetings kept me in London all day today: one social, one business and one both. The last was in Golden Square followed by a meal at a nearby Italian restaurant. I don't think I will need to eat at all tomorrow. I was careful to memorise the map of that somewhat labyrinthine area of London to avoid ending up walking to Piccadilly via any of the streets that have seedy clubs.

Mind you, custody of the eyes is necessary most of the time in central London. I often think of the advice of the book of Ecclesiasticus (9.7) when I am in central London: "Noli circumspicere in vicis civitatis" (do not look about in the lanes of the city). I first saw this quotation in an extract from Louis of Granada in a book of meditations. It is consoling to know that there is nothing new under the sun.

[Pyro7480]

My latest blog post.

[Pyro7480]

Catholic ping!

[Pyro7480]

Catholic ping!

[Greg F]

A remarkable thing about purity in this sordid age is the social power it gives a person. In politics and other public lifestyles there is nothing true to attack the person with or for. “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” (or the School Board) becomes possible.

[Integrityrocks]

The last time I went to confession regarding this sin I was reminded that in today’s times, one is considered a freak who adhears to the vow of chastity outside of marriage. It is a difficult road to tread, but so rewarding.

[ArrogantBustard]

Chastity ... in fact, we are called to chastity whether we are married or not.

The virtue of chastity is the proper governing of our sexual appetites, based on our state in life. For a married person, then, chastity consists in preserving oneself for one’s spouse both in thought and in action.

Matthew 5:28 “But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.”

Incidentally, I believe should not even look upon our spouses with “lust”. Lust is all about taking. Rather, we should look upon them with “love”, which is all about giving. Physically, the result may well be more or less the same ;’} ... but spiritually ... lust degrades, love ennobles.

[Greg F]

The virtue of chastity is the proper governing of our sexual appetites, based on our state in life. For a married person, then, chastity consists in preserving oneself for one’s spouse both in thought and in action.

Matthew 5:28 “But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.”
________________________________________________________

Best practical advice I ever got on this was from a single preacher: “Look but don’t land.”

[Alex Murphy]

The second measure is to avoid the occasions of sin. "Sensuality is best conquered by flight."

Of the sins that tempt us, we are told to resist them all except idolatry and sexual temptation. Those we are told to flee, and not fight (1 Corinthians 6:18, 1 Timothy 2:22).

Good thread, Pyro7480!

[Pyro7480]

I’m glad you liked it, Alex. :-)

[Pyro7480]

BTTT

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

Very good post which illustrates the spiritual truth that we must conquer ourselves to be truly free. Freedom according to the world’s definition is really slavery.

[annalex]

I have a story to tell and an observation. I recently made a comment how Our Lady is the basis of all ecumenism, because of her mystical connection to the Mother Church. This is, as you know, a standard catechetical truth, but it was received quite polemically.

A few months earlier I was participating in a small ultraconservative forum (it now closed, or I'd give a link) and someone there had a section on celibacy and chastity. The section was run by a Buddhist, and his interest was, characteristically for Buddhists, self centered on a certain kind of personal growth. He was considered an oddity, the rest of the forum was filled with quite a boisterous crowd. Well, I read his celibacy advice with somewhat detached interest (I am married), and then someone started posting there his story, which was that he was a man who came to a realizaton that he could not enter a marriage because of some character flaws and so that the only honest path for him was celibacy. Again, there was no trace of any particular Catholic conviction in him, just an honest look at himself.

One of them, however, remarked that with long abstinence he began to see people's auras. This is a known phenomenon -- the saints are depicted with auras for a reason. I thought it would be fun to post some stuff from Aquinas on the aureoles, -- the so called crowds (Question 96. The aureoles. So we had a little Aquinas seminar going.

Which brings me to this point: everyone, Catholic or not, married or not, has an innate need for chastity and purity. And who is the patron and source of all purity? Our Lady. So her power to convert the Ecumen is not only connected to her motherhood, but also to her virginity.