Thought for the Day – 22 March – The Spiritual Combat (1589) – Dom Lorenzo Scupoli OSM (c1530-1610)
“None shall be crowned who has not fought well.” 2 Tim 2: 5
XXXV: … Of the Means Whereby Virtues
are Acquired (Part Two)
“The Sacred Words of Holy Scripture, either uttered with the lips or pondered in the heart, as may best suit our case, have a marvellous power to aid us in this exercise.
We should, therefore, have many such in readiness to bear upon the virtue we wish to practice and these, we should repeat continually throughout the day and especially, at each rising of the rebellious passion.
For instance, if we are striving to attain the virtue of patience, we may repeat the following words, or others like them:
“My children, suffer patiently the wrath which is come upon you.” Baruch 4:25.
“The patience of the poor, shall not perish for ever.” Psalm 9:18.
“The patient man is better than the valiant and he who ruleth his spirit, than he who taketh cities.” Proverbs 16:32.
“In your patience you shall possess your souls.” Luke 21:19.
“Let us run with patience to the fight proposed to us.” Hebrews 12:1.
To the same end, we may, in like manner, use such prayers as the following:
“When, O my God, shall this heart of mine be armed with the buckler of patience?”
“When shall I learn to bear every trouble with a quiet mind, so I may please my Lord?”
“O most dear sufferings which liken me unto my Lord Jesus, crucified for me!”
“Only Life of my soul, I shall ever, for Thy glory, live contented amid a thousand torments!”
“How blessed shall I be, if, in the midst of the fire of tribulation, I burn with the desire of even greater sufferings!”
Let us use these short prayers and others suitable to our advancement in holiness so that we may acquire the spirit of devotion.
These short prayers are called Ejaculations because they are darted like javelins towards Heaven.
They have great power to speed us towards virtue and will penetrate even to the heart of God, if only they have these two accompaniments for their wings:
+++ The one – a full certainty that our exercise of virtue is greatly pleasing to our God.
+++ The other – a true and fervent desire for the attainment of virtue, for the sole end of pleasing His Divine Majesty.”
Dom Lorenzo Scupoli
AnaStpaul 