Thought for the Day – 3 May – The Spiritual Combat (1589) – Dom Lorenzo Scupoli OSM (c1530-1610)
“None shall be crowned who has not fought well.” 2 Tim 2: 5
LVIII: … The Offering of Self to God
(Part One)
“There are two things necessary to make our self-oblation completely acceptable to God.
One, is that it be made in union with the offering made by Christ to the Father and, the other, is that it be totally free from all attachment to creatures.
As regards the first, we must remember that the Son of God, during His sojourn on earth, offered to His heavenly Father, not only Himself and His works but also, ourselves and our works.
Thus, must our oblation be made in union with His and dependent upon His that both, may be sanctified in the sight of the Almighty.
With regard to the second, we must remember we can hardly offer ourselves to Heaven, if we are bound to earth by worldly attachments. Therefore, if we perceive ourselves to be bound by the slightest earthly affection, let us have recourse to God, imploring Him to break asunder the bonds which chain us to earth that we may belong to Him alone. This is of great importance!
For if, he who is a slave to creatures, pretends to give himself to God while bound to creatures, he gives what is not his, for he is the property of those creatures to whom he has given his will!
To offer to God what has been given to creatures, is to mock the Almighty.
Thus, it is that, although we have offered ourselves as a holocaust to the Lord, yet we have not only failed to advance in the way of virtue but, have even contracted fresh imperfections and increased the number of our sins!”
Dom Lorenzo Scupoli
AnaStpaul 