Remedy for Great Temptations.
As soon as you feel any temptation within you, do as little children do when they see a wolf or a bear in the countryside: they immediately run into their father’s and mother’s arms, or at least call upon them for help. In like manner, have recourse to God, invoking His mercy and His help: this is the remedy our Lord teaches: _Pray_, He tells us, _that ye enter not into temptation._
If, nevertheless, you see that the temptation continues or grows stronger, run in spirit to embrace the holy Cross, as though Jesus Christ crucified were before you. Protest to Him that you will not consent to the temptation, and ask for His holy protection; and persevere in thus disavowing what is passing within you for as long as the temptation lasts.
But in making these protests and refusing consent, do not look the temptation in the face, but look only to our Lord; for if you look at the temptation, especially when it is strong, it may shake your courage.
It will also be well for you to distract your mind with some good and worthy occupation; for when this occupation enters your heart, it will take its place there and extinguish the feeling of temptation.
But the great remedy against all temptations, great or small, is to open one’s heart to one’s director, making known to him the enemy’s suggestions and the impressions they make. For observe that silence is always the first condition the devil imposes upon the one he would seduce; in this resembling a libertine who, wishing to debauch a woman, begins by enjoining secrecy upon her about all his dealings with her: conduct surely quite contrary to that of God, since God, in His inspirations, above all asks that we make them known to our superiors and guides.
As soon as you feel any temptation within you, do as little children do when they see a wolf or a bear in the countryside: they immediately run into their father’s and mother’s arms, or at least call upon them for help. In like manner, have recourse to God, invoking His mercy and His help: this is the remedy our Lord teaches: _Pray_, He tells us, _that ye enter not into temptation._
If, nevertheless, you see that the temptation continues or grows stronger, run in spirit to embrace the holy Cross, as though Jesus Christ crucified were before you. Protest to Him that you will not consent to the temptation, and ask for His holy protection; and persevere in thus disavowing what is passing within you for as long as the temptation lasts.
But in making these protests and refusing consent, do not look the temptation in the face, but look only to our Lord; for if you look at the temptation, especially when it is strong, it may shake your courage.
It will also be well for you to distract your mind with some good and worthy occupation; for when this occupation enters your heart, it will take its place there and extinguish the feeling of temptation.
But the great remedy against all temptations, great or small, is to open one’s heart to one’s director, making known to him the enemy’s suggestions and the impressions they make. For observe that silence is always the first condition the devil imposes upon the one he would seduce; in this resembling a libertine who, wishing to debauch a woman, begins by enjoining secrecy upon her about all his dealings with her: conduct surely quite contrary to that of God, since God, in His inspirations, above all asks that we make them known to our superiors and guides.
Now, if, after all this, the temptation persists in assailing and tormenting us, we have nothing to do but persist in our turn in protesting that we will not consent to it; for, just as maidens cannot be married while they say no, so the soul, though troubled, can never be offended while it says no.
Dispute not with thine enemy, and never answer him with a single word, save that which Our Lord answered him, and with which He confounded him: _Get thee behind me, Satan! for it is written: Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve._ A chaste wife answers not a word, nor even grants a glance to him who would seduce her; but, leaving him outright, she immediately turns her heart toward her husband, and inwardly renews the faith she has promised him; so the devout soul, seeing itself assailed by some temptation, must not in any way amuse itself with disputing or answering; but simply turn toward Jesus Christ her Spouse, and protest to Him anew that she would be faithful to Him, and belong to Him alone.
Dispute not with thine enemy, and never answer him with a single word, save that which Our Lord answered him, and with which He confounded him: _Get thee behind me, Satan! for it is written: Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve._ A chaste wife answers not a word, nor even grants a glance to him who would seduce her; but, leaving him outright, she immediately turns her heart toward her husband, and inwardly renews the faith she has promised him; so the devout soul, seeing itself assailed by some temptation, must not in any way amuse itself with disputing or answering; but simply turn toward Jesus Christ her Spouse, and protest to Him anew that she would be faithful to Him, and belong to Him alone.