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| My Catholic Faith |
| This web page is an extention of Iva Joyce's My Catholic Faith Meditations Its purpose is to share my faith with all those who seek the Truth. |
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Iva Joyce's "My Catholic Faith" Copyright 2000 |
| IN FACE OF TEMPTATION PART I "The Provential Purposes of Temptation" Scripture says that God Himself does not tempt us directly: "Let no man, when he is tempted, say that he is tempted by God. For God is not a tempter of evils, and He tempteth no man. But He allows us to be tempted by our spiritual enemies, at the same time, giving us graces necessary to resist. God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that which you are able to bear it." And this for excellent reasons of His own. He wants to make us merit heaven. Undoubtedly, He could have bestowed upon us eternal life as a pure gift, but in His wisdon He has willed that we merit it as a reward. He even wills that the recompense be in proportion to the merit and hence in proportion to the obstacle overcome. Temptation, which imperils our frail virtue, is certainly one of the most trying hardships; to struggle courageously against it is one of the most meritorious acts we can perform. 1. TEMPTATION IS LIKEWISE A MEANS OF PURIFICATION. a) It reminds us that through lack of vigilance and of effort in the past we have fallen, and it becomes thus an occasion for new acts of contrition, shame, and humiliation, which make for the purification of the soul. b) It obligies us at the same time to put forth earnest and sustained efforts lest we fall; it makes us atone for our negligences and for our surrenders by the performance of contrary acts which further purify the soul. This is why when God wants to purify a soul more perfectly in order to raise it to contemplation, He allows it to undergo horrible temptations. 2. LASTLY, TEMPTATION IS AN INSTRUMENT OF SPIRITUAL PROGRESS. a) It is like a stripe of the lash that awakens us at the moment we would lull ourselves to sleep and relax. b) It is a school of humility, of distrust of self. When tempted we realize more fully our weakness, our powerlessness; we feel more keenly the need of grace, and we pray with greater earnestness. c) It is a school of love of God; for to insure our power of resistance, we throw ourselves into God's arms, there to seek for strength and shelter; we are more grateful to Him for His unfailing grace. Hence, temptation possesses manifold advantages and it is on this account that God allows His children to be tempted: "Because thou wast acceptable to God, it was necessary that temptation should prove you." PART II "The Psychology of Temptation" We shall describe : 1. The frequency of temptation. 2. The three phases of temptation. 3. The signs and degrees of consent. 1. THE FREQUENCY OF TEMPTATION. The frequency as well as the violence of temptations vary greatly. Some persons are often and violently tempted; others are tempted but rarely and without being deeply stirred. There are many causes that account for such diversity: a) First of all, there are temperament and character. Some persons are extremely passionate and at the same time weak of will; often tempted, they are upset by temptation. Others are well-balanced and energetic; seldom tempted, they keep their peace in the midst of temptation. b) Education accounts for other differences: There are souls who have been reared in the fear and love of God, in the habitual fulfilment of stern duty, and who have almost invariably received none but good example. Others have been brought up in the love of pleasure, in the dread of any kind of suffering, and have seen too many examples of worldliness and sensuality. It is evident that the latter will be more violently tempted than the former. c) God's providential designs must also be taken into account. There are souls whom He destines for a holy calling and whose purity He shelters with a jealous care. There are others whom He likewise destines to sanctity, but whom He would have pass through severe tests in order to ground them in virtue. Lastly, others there are whom He does not destine to such a high vocation, and who will be more or less frequently tempted, but never beyond their strength. 2. THE THREE PHASES OF TEMPTATION. According to the traditional doctrine, as expounded by St. Augustine, there are three different phases in temptation: suggestion, pleasure and consent. a) SUGGESTION consists in the proposal of some evil. Our imagination or our mind represent to us in a more or less vivid manner the attraction of the forbidden fruit; at times this representation is most alluring, holds its ground tenaciously and becomes a sort of obsession. No matter how dangerous such a suggestion may be, it does not constitute a sin, provided that we have not provoked it ourselves and do not consent to it. There is sin only when the will yields consent. b) PLEASURE follows the suggestion. Instinctively our lower tendencies are drawn towards the suggested evil and a certain pleasure is experienced. "Many a time it happens," says St. Francis de Sales "that the inferior part of the soul takes pleasure in the temptation, without there having been consent, nay against the soul's superior part." This pleasure does not, as long as the will refuses to consent to it, constitute a sin; yet it is a danger, since the will finds itself thus solicited to yield consent. The question then is: will it yield or not? c) If the will withholds acquiescence, combats the temptation, and repels it, it has scored a success and performed a highly meritorious act. If, on the contrary the will delights in the pleasure, willingly enjoys it and consents to it, the sin is committed. 3. SIGNS OF CONSENT The better to explain this important point, let us see what are the signs of lack of consent, imperfect consent, and perfect consent. a) We may judge there has been no consent, if in spite of the suggestion and the instinctive pleasure accompanying it, we experience disgust, chagrin at seeing ourselves thus tempted; if we struggle so as not to be overcome; if we hold the proposed evil in horrow; especially if we turn to God in prayer. b) We may be culpably accountable for the temptation in its cause, when we perform an action which we could avoid, forseeing that it will be to us a source of temptation: "If I know," says St. Francis de Sales, "some certain conversation leads me to temptation and to a fall, and I do voluntarily indulge therein, I am, doubtless, culpable of all the temptations that shall arise." Yet, one is guilty only to the extent of one's prevision, and if this is but bague and indistinct, the guild is lessened in proportion. c) One may consider consent to be imperfect: 1) When one does not repulse the temptation as soon as its dangerous character is perceived. There is then a fault against prudence, which, without being gravely sinful, puts us in the danger of consenting to the temptation. 2) When one momentarily hesitates. One would fain relish somewhat the forbidden pleasure, but one is loath to offend God; that is, after a moment's hesitation, one repels the temptation. Here again there is a venial fault of imprudence. 3) If temptation is resisted in a half-hearted way. One does resist, if in a feeble, indolent manner, a half-resistance which implies a half-consent, hence a venial fault. d) Consent is full and entire, when the will, weakened by first concessions, lets itself be drawn to taste willingly the sinful pleasure, despite the protests of conscience, which recognizes the evil. In such case, if the matter be grievous, the sin is mortal; it is a sin of thought or "morose delectation," as theologians call it. If to the thought is added desire, the fault is graver still. Lastly, if from desire one passes on to the act, or at least to the quest and pursuit of means adapted to the execution of one's designs, then there is a sin of action. In the different cases we have explained, doubts arise at times regarding the consent or half-consent given. Then we must make a distinction between the delicate and the lax conscience; when it is question of the former, one may rule out consent, for the person is not in the habit of yielding consent, and if he had consented in this particular case he would know it. When it is question of the latter, the presumption is that the person has given full consent, for if he had not, his soul would not be troubled. ST. PERIGRINE'S LENTEN READING ISSUE NO. 7 |
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