Tag: whatarewetodowhenwounded?

Posted in CONFESSION/PENANCE, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, THE SPIRITUAL COMBAT - Fr Lorenzo Scupoli

Thought for the Day – 3 March – What Are We To Do When Wounded? (Part Two)

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 2 March – The Spiritual Combat (1589) – Dom Lorenzo Scupoli OSM (c1530-1610)

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

XXVI: … What Are We To Do When Wounded?
(Part Two)

“This exercise is very displeasing to the devil, both because he sees it to be most acceptable to God and, also because, he is enraged to see himself overcome by one,over whom he had been at first victorious.
And, therefore, he seeks by many artful wiles, to make us relinquish it and, through our carelessness and lack of vigilance, he is but too often successful!
The more difficult, therefore, this exercise may seem to you, the greater violence must you do to yourself, renewing it repeatedly, even after a single fall.

And, if after any fall, you feel uneasy, distrustful,and confused in mind, the first thing to be done is to recover your peace and quietness of mind, and together with it, your confidence in God.
Armed with these, turn again to the Lord — for your uneasiness on account of your sin arises, not from the consideration of the offence against God but, of the injury to yourself.

To recover this peace, discard entirely from your mind, the thought of your fall and set yourself to meditate on the unspeakable goodness of God — how He is beyond measure, ready and willing to forgive every sin, how grievous soever; calling the sinner by manifold ways and means, to come to Him that He may unite him to Himself in this life, by His grace, in order to his sanctification and, in the life to come, by His glory, for his eternal beatication.

And having quieted your mind by these and the like reflections, turn your thoughts once more to your fall, according to the instructions given you above.

Again, at the time of sacramental Confession, to which I exhort you to have frequent recourse, recall to mind all your falls and ,with renewed sorrow and indignation at the offence against God and, renewed purpose, never again to offend Him, disclose them with all sincerity to your spiritual Father.”

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/03/02/thought-for-the-day-2-march-what-are-we-to-do-when-wounded-part-one/

Posted in ACT of CONTRITION, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, QUOTES on WATCHING, SELF-DISTRUST, THE SPIRITUAL COMBAT - Fr Lorenzo Scupoli

Thought for the Day – 2 March – What Are We To Do When Wounded? (Part One)

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 2 March – The Spiritual Combat (1589) – Dom Lorenzo Scupoli OSM (c1530-1610)

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

XXVI: … What Are We To Do When Wounded?
(Part One)

“When you feel yourself wounded from having weakly, or it maybe, even willfully and deliberately, fallen into some sin, be not over-fearful or over-anxious but,, turn instantly to God, saying:

“Behold, O Lord, what I, of myself, have done!
And what, indeed, could be expected of me but falls?”

And then, after a short pause, humble yourself in your own eyes, mourn over the offence committed against your Lord and, without falling into discouragement, be full of indignation against your evil passions, especially that which has occasioned your fall.
Then say:

“Nor even here, Lord, should I have stopped,
if Thine Goodness had not withheld me.”

And here give thanks to Him and love Him more than ever, wondering at the excess of His Mercy, Who, when you had so deeply offended Him, stretched out His right Hand to save you from another fall!

Lastly, say, with great confidence in His Infinite Compassion:

“Forgive me, Lord, for Thine own sake,
suffer me not to depart from Thee,
nor to be separated from Thee,
nor evermore to offend Thee.”

And this done, do not sit down to consider whether God has pardoned you or not — for this is nothing else but pride, restlessness of mind, loss of time and, under colour of various fair pretexts, a delusion of the devil.
But, committing yourself unreservedly to the Merciful Hands of God, pursue your exercise as if you had not fallen.

And if you should fall wounded many times in the day, repeat that which I have taught you, with no less faith than the first, the second, the third and even the last time and despising yourself and hating the sin, more and more, strive to lead, henceforth, a life of greater watchfulness.”

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli