“You feel weak; you fear being overwhelmed by temptation: keep yourselves far away from occasions of sin. This is what it means to watch. Avoid the company of those who might lead you astray; flee even the shadow of anything evil; you cannot be too cautious; it is safer to be a little stricter than a little too easy. Abstain from reading books that are dangerous for you. Turn away from bad thoughts as soon as they arise: attend to some business, speak with some friend, or recite the Our Father with reverence. When you are variously tempted by the threats of the world, by false modesty, by selfishness, by provocative attitudes of others, or by the sinful pleasures of the world; when you feel urged to be cowardly, or greedy, or sensual, or to refuse forgiveness, then close your eyes and think of the Precious Blood poured out by Christ. Do not dare to say that you cannot help but sin; a little attention to these points will succeed (with the grace of God) in keeping you on the right path.
“And again, pray as well as watch. You must know that you can do nothing by yourselves; your past experience has taught you this; therefore turn to God for the will and the power; call upon Him earnestly in the name of His Son; be zealous for His holy ordinances. Is this not within your power? Do you not at least have power over the members of your body, so that you can constantly make use of the means of grace? Do you not have the power to come to church; to observe the fasts and feasts of the Church; to come to the holy altar and receive the Bread of Life? Force yourselves, at least, to do this: stretch out your hand, take the holy Body and Blood, the source of grace; this is not difficult, and you say that you truly desire to obtain the blessings He offers. What would you want more than a free gift, given ‘without money and without price’? Therefore, make no more excuses; do not complain about your wicked heart, about knowing, deciding, and not doing. Your remedy is here.
“…When He, the Lord of hosts, comes to shake the earth with terror, how many of the remnant of Israel will He find? We live in an enlightened age. The false teaching of a merely secular education makes us polite and affable. We are all clever and self-assertive. We think ourselves wise; we flatter one another; we find excuses when we become aware that we have sinned, and so, gradually, we lose the consciousness of sinning. We think our time superior to all others. ‘Blind Pharisees!’ This was our Lord’s deadly accusation against the falsely enlightened teachers of His day. Since therefore we desire to enter into life, let us constantly turn back to Christ for the two foundations of true Christian faith: humility of mind and seriousness of purpose!”
Saint John Henry Newman, Sermons
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