Episode 27 -- Spiritual Combat c17 -- Method in Fighting Passions

What is the method to be followed in fighting our Passions and Vices?

Last episode we read about a little morning exercise. When we wake up, Fr Scupoli wants us to turn our minds immediately to our Lord. Such a greeting can be formal or informal. One holy older lady likes to sit up and look out the window and say, “Good Morning, Jesus.” St Philip would kiss the floor and ask Jesus to stay with him that day. Such practices open the window of our soul.

After we greet the Lord, then what?

1. Consider yourself on a field of battle.
2. Imagine the enemy before you: a particular vice (bad habit) or disordered passion
3. Picture Jesus at your right, your invincible Leader + BVM, St Joseph, angels and saints
4. At your left is Lucifer, satan, the devil with his minions.
5. Picture your guardian angel encouraging you to fight. Hold on! Be courageous. If your enemy starts to get the upper hand, call out to Christ and the Saints! You will win!

Will we fight today against our main spiritual enemy?

What kinds of things is our Captain telling us?

• Our weakness should not discourage us. He is with us!
• Remember the four weapons: distrust of self, trust in God, prayer, right use of the faculties of the soul
• PREDOMINANT PASSION -- the inclination we most struggle with and the one we want to conquer
• Do we know our most common foe, our predominant passion? What is our great weakness?
• In Light of HIS love and mercy, we can accept the truth about ourselves.

In this episode, we will be reading a very short chapter about the right order of attacking our faults. Yes, we should start with a predominant fault, but we have to aware of other enemies from time to time.