Chastity
Reading Tanquerey on the subject of chastity, I came across some interesting passages.
Distrust of self:
“This distrust must last to the very end of life. Solomon was no longer a youth when he let himself be caught by the love of women. It ws old men who tempted the chaste Suzanna. The evil spirit that assails us in mature life is all the more dangerous, because we thought him conquered.” - The Spiritual Life
Further on, there is counsel for priests and religious, which more or less surprised me. If this counsel would have been heeded there may not have been so many who left Holy Orders to get married, nor those who took advantage of kids in recent decades.
The flight from dangerous occasions:
“The mutual attraction that exists between the sexes creates dangers for those vowed to celibacy. Hence, useless meetings must be dispensed with, and when meetings are necessary, the danger must be made remote. This is why the spiritual direction of women must be conducted exclusively in the confessional. Two things we must protect, our virtue nd our good name. The one and the other make extreme reserve imperative.”
“Children (or youth) of graceful appearance, of a joyful and affectionate nature, may likewise be a source of danger. One loves to look at them, to caress them, and, if one be not on guard one may be led to familiarities that perturb the senses. This disturbance is a warning given us by God, to make us understand that we must desist and that we have proceeded too far.” - The Spiritual Life
(Art: Detail, Allegory on Chastity, Basilica of St. Francis, Assisi)
July 8th, 2007 at 6:47 am
Terry,I remember reading the passages you just quoted from Tanqueray years ago, and I remember being surprised. Yet, I should not have been. Human nature is human nature and the old spiritual masters always took it into account. What wise warnings; if only they had been heeded.
July 8th, 2007 at 7:42 am
Chastity thrives in humility. Total consecration to Mary is an expression of humility.
Ask for the GIFT of chastity each day, even when you think you are doing splendidly and don’t need to ask for it. Ask for it through the intercession of Saint Joseph, especially in the 4th Joyful Mystery of the Rosary. The Church, in her Roman Missal, enjoins priests to ask Saint Joseph for chastity both before and after daily Mass.
Remember, it is a GIFT, not an achievement.
July 8th, 2007 at 11:34 am
What Don Marco says is so true. St Therese of the Child Jesus prayed to St Joseph for chastity everyday.
July 8th, 2007 at 11:50 am
Yes indeed - and I do too. I find this prayer especially helpful:
“Thou art all fair O Mary,
And the original stain is not in thee.
O Mary, By thy holy and Immaculate Conception, Make my body pure and my spirit holy.”
July 9th, 2007 at 7:05 am
Christopher West was invited to give a talk at the Exodus conference last week. A friend of mine just returned from there & brought a recording of his talk on cd. He asked a man to stand up, & then asked everyone to look at his body. The crowd nervously giggled & one person piped up, “this is inappropriate.” And his response was basically that the puritanical view of being afraid of the body and thinking “spirit = good. body = bad” is what’s wrong with our spirituality today. We need to view the body as the gift that it is from God, and ask Him to untangle the twisted desires we have. It’s not the body that’s bad, but our view of it & how we want to use/abuse others/ourselves for our gratification. He suggested that when tempted with lust, to pause for a moment. Recognize that you are lusting, and give it to God, thanking him for the gift of the person who you are objectifying, and then asking Him to untangle the disordered desires of your heart & supplant them with love & holiness. Good stuff.