Lord save us: we perish

As long as we live on this earth we must, according to St. Paul, work out our salvation in fear and trembling in the midst of the dangers by which we are beset. Once upon a time when a certain ship was in the open sea a great tempest arose which made the captain tremble. In the hold of the vessel there was an animal eating with as much tranquillity as if the sea were perfectly calm. The captain being asked why he was so much afraid, replied: If I had a soul like the soul of this brute, I too would be tranquil and without fear; but because I have a rational and an immortal soul, I am afraid of death, after which I must appear before the Judgment seat of God; and therefore I tremble through fear. Let us tremble. The salvation of our immortal souls is at stake. They who do not tremble, are, as St. Paul says, in great danger of being lost; because they who fear not, seldom recommend themselves to God, and labour but little to adopt the means of salvation. Let us beware! We are, says St. Cyprian, still in the battle, and still combat for eternal salvation.

The first means of salvation, then, is to recommend ourselves continually to God that He may keep His hands over us, and preserve us from offending Him. The next is to cleanse the soul from all past sins by making a General Confession. A General Confession is a powerful help to a change of life. When the tempest is violent the burden of the vessel is diminished, and every man on board throws his goods into the sea in order to save his life. O folly of sinners, who, in the midst of so great dangers of eternal perdition, instead of diminishing the burden of the vessel — that is, instead of unburdening the soul of her sins — load her with a greater weight. Instead of flying from the dangers of sin, they fearlessly continue to put themselves voluntarily into dangerous occasions; and, instead of having recourse to God's mercy for the pardon of their offences, they offend Him still more, and compel Him to abandon them.

Another means is to labour strenuously not to allow ourselves to become the slaves of irregular passions. Give me not over to a shameless and foolish mind (Ecclus. xxiii. 6). Do not, O Lord, deliver me up to a mind blinded by passion. He who is thus blinded sees not what he is doing, and therefore he is in danger of falling into every crime. Hence it is so many are lost by submitting to the tyranny of their passions. Some are slaves to the passion of avarice. They do not resist the passion in the beginning, but foster it till death, and thus at their last moments leave but little reason to hope for their salvation. Others are slaves to sensual pleasures. They are not content with lawful gratifications, and therefore they pass to the indulgence of those that are forbidden. Others are subject to anger; and because they are not careful to check the fire at its commencement when it is small, it increases and grows into a spirit of revenge.

Disorderly affections, if they are not beaten down in the beginning, become our greatest tyrants. Many, says St. Ambrose, after having victoriously resisted the persecutions of the enemies of the Faith, were afterwards lost because they did not resist the first assaults of some earthly passion. Of this Origen was a miserable example. He fought for, and was prepared to give his life in defence of the Faith; but, by afterwards yielding to human respect, he was led to deny it, as we are told by Natalis Alexander. We have still a more miserable example in Solomon who, after having received so many gifts from God, and after being inspired by the Holy Ghost, was, by indulging in a passion for certain pagan women, induced to offer incense to idols. The unhappy man who submits to the slavery of his wicked passions, resembles the ox that is sent to the slaughter after a life of constant labour. During their whole lives worldlings groan under the weight of their sins, and, at the end of their days, fall into hell.

Let us conclude. When the winds are strong and violent, the pilot lowers the sails and casts anchor. So when we find ourselves assailed by any bad passion, we should always lower the sails; that is, we should avoid all the occasions that may increase the passion, and cast anchor by uniting ourselves to God, and by begging of Him to give us strength not to offend Him.

But some will say: What am I to do? I live in the midst of the world where my passions continually assail me even against my will. I will answer in the words of Origen: "The man who lives in the darkness of the world and in the midst of secular business, can with difficulty serve God." Whoever then wishes to insure his eternal salvation, let him retire from the world, and take refuge in one of those exact Religious Communities which are the secure harbours in the sea of this world. If he cannot actually leave the world, let him leave it at least in affection by detaching his heart from the things of this world, and from his own evil inclinations: Go not after thy lusts, says the Holy Ghost, but turn away from thy own will (Ecclus. xviii. 30). Follow not your own concupiscence; and when your will impels you to evil, you must not indulge, but must resist its inclinations.

The time is short: it remaineth that they also who have wives be as if they had none; and they that weep as though they wept not; and they that rejoice as if they rejoiced not; and they that buy as though they possessed not; and they that use this world as if they used it not; for the fashion of this world passeth away (1 Cor. vii. 29). The time of life is short; we should then, prepare for death, which is rapidly approaching; and to prepare for that awful moment let us reflect that everything in this world shall soon end. Hence the Apostle tells those who suffer in this life to be as if they suffered not, because the miseries of this life shall soon pass away, and they who save their souls shall be happy for eternity. And he exhorts those who enjoy the goods of this earth to be as if they enjoyed them not, because they must one day leave all things; and if they lose their souls, they shall be forever miserable.