Untitled - Saints' Books

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INSTR. in.] The Chastity of the Priest. 263
But the means in which we should place the greatest
confidence is
prayer, and recommending ourselves to
God. It is useful, as soon as we perceive the first
motion of impurity, to renew our purpose to suffer
death rather than consent to sin, and immediately after
to have recourse to the wounds of Jesus Christ for aid.
Thus the saints, who were flesh, and subject to tempta
tions, have acted, and thus they have conquered.
If I
am tormented," says St. Augustine, by any bad thought,
I have recourse to the wounds of Jesus; for I find rest
in the wounds of our Saviour." Thus, also, St. Thomas
of Aquinas repelled the attacks of the woman by whom
his chastity was assailed: "Do not permit, O Lord
Jesus and O most holy Virgin Mary, that I should offend
the saint. 2
God !"
It is also very useful to make the sign
of the cross
on the breast, and to have recourse to our angel
guardian and our holy patron. But above all, it is
useful to have recourse to Jesus Christ and the divine
Mother by instantly invoking their most holy names,
and by continuing to invoke them until the temptation
is beaten down. Oh ! how powerful are the most holy
names of Jesus and Mary against the attacks of impurity !
Devotion to the holy Virgin, who is called the Mother
of fair love, and the guardian of 3
is a most
virginity,"
useful devotion for the preservation of chastity. And
to recite, at rising in the morning and going to bed at
night, three "Hail in Marys,"
honor of the purity of
Mary, is a devotion that has singular efficacy in obtain
ing the gift of continence.
4
Father Segneri relates that a sinner addicted to the
"Cum me pulsat aliqua turpis cogitatio, recurro ad vulnera
2 "
Christi. Tula requies in vulneribus Salvatoris." Manual, c. 22, 21.
Ne sinas, Domine Jesu, et Sanctissima Virgo Maria !"
Surius,
7 Mart.
3 "
Mater pulchrae dilectionis et Gustos virginitatis."
4 Crist, istr. p. 3, r. 34, 2.