Dangers to salvation - 2

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 each person on board throws his goods into the sea in order to save the ship and 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 to prevent ourselves becoming 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 blind sees not what he is doing, and therefore he is in danger of falling into every crime. Thus so many are lost by submitting to the tyranny of their passions. Some are slaves to the passion of avarice. A person who is now in the other world said: Alas! I perceive that a desire of riches is beginning to tyrannize over me. So said the unhappy man; but he applied no remedy. He did not resist the passion in the beginning, but nurtured it till death, and thus at his last moments left but little reason to hope for his 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 afterwards, yielding to human respect, he was led to deny the Faith, 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 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 miserable 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 they fall into hell.

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 lower the sails; that is, we should avoid all the occasions which may increase the passion, and should cast anchor by uniting ourselves to God, and by begging of Him to give us strength not to offend Him.

But some of you 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 would impel you to evil, you must not indulge, but must resist its inclinations.

The time is short... the fashion of this world passeth away (1 Cor. vii. 29-31). 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.