Thought for the Day – 1 April– Esteem All Opportunities of Fighting for the Acquisition of Virtue (Part One)

Thought for the Day – 1 April– The Spiritual Combat (1589) – Dom Lorenzo Scupoli OSM (c1530-1610)

“None shall be crowned who has not fought well.” 2 Tim 2: 5

XXXVIII: … Esteem All Opportunities of
Fighting for the Acquisition of Virtue (Part One)

“I shall not be contented to have you simply NOT shun the opportunities which may present themselves of attaining the different virtues, – for, I would have you esteem them as goods of great price and value – seek and embrace them joyfully whenever they present themselves and, account those dearest and most precious which are most repugnant to nature!

To this end, by the Divine assistance, you will be enabled to attain, by impressing strongly upon your mind, the following considerations:
Firstly – that opportunities are means adapted, nay, necessary, for the attainment of virtue.
When, therefore, you pray to the Lord for any virtue, you at the same time ask for occasions to exercise it; or else would your prayer be vain and you would be contradicting yourself and tempting your God, Who does not usually give patience without tribulation, nor humility without humiliations!

The same may be said of all virtues which are most surely attained by means of Crosses.
And the more painful these are, the more effectually do they aid us and, therefore, the more acceptable and welcome should they be.
For acts of virtue performed in such circumstances, are more generous and energetic and open to us, an easier and more speedy way to virtue.

But, we ought also, to value and not to leave without its appropriate exercise, the most trifling occasion, though it be but a word or a look which crosses our will – because, the acts thus produced, are more frequent, though less intense, than those called forth by circumstances of great difficulty.”

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli