Lectio et Oratio

Episode 1 -- Treatise on Peace of Soul c1 -- Importance of the Human Heart

Why is it so important to guard the human heart?

We begin a new book! Besides The Spiritual Combat, Fr Lorenzo Scupoli wrote a little masterpiece, A Treatise on Peace of Soul. This new book is much shorter, 15 chapters. The first chapter is about the place of the human heart in the spiritual life. What did God make the human heart for? And how must it be guarded?

Episode 107 -- Spiritual Combat c66 -- Illusions from the Devil at the End of Life

If the devil cannot make us vain by reminding us of our good deeds, what last trick might he try?

If the devil has not been able to make us lose faith, fall into despair, or become vain, he has one last trick up his sleeve. He will sometimes use his angelic power to produce images or visions or illusions. He will transform himself, as it were, into an angel of light, and try to deceive us with these imaginary visions. Instead of being humble, a person becomes so fascinated at being a “visionary.” But Fr Scupoli warns us about how the devil uses this tactic to lead us astray. He gives us a few pieces of advice on what to do when such things happen to us. His advice is useful not only for the end of our lives, but at other periods too.

The Lord wants us to desire union with Himself by faith, hope, and charity. Fr Scupoli suggests, like St Philip did, the distrusting of these visions. If a vision is really from God, he will find a way to convince us after we have tried to ignore it!

As we saw last episode, vainglory is the third tactic of the devil as death approaches.

Glory is not always bad.

• Glory = the recognition, the manifestation, the showing forth of someone’s excellence, greatness, goodness.

• Vain = empty/pointless

• There is nothing wrong, in itself, with knowing another’s goodness or even one’s own goodness. In heaven, we will know the full truth of ourselves and others. Glory becomes vainglory when we do one of the following:

1. Seek glory, recognition, for something we do not really have!

2. Seek glory, recognition, for something that is not really great at all, something very small and fragile…

3. Seeking recognition from someone whose judgement is very poor and uninformed.

4. Seeking recognition, glory, admiration, but not REFERRING it to the honour of GOD and the salvation of others.

At the end of our lives, let us not focus on the good works we have done as though we are the primary AUTHOR.

1. God has done these things through us. They are HIS. Why pretend that these good works are really mine alone?

2. Our contribution is fairly small! Why focus so much on it?

3. Our own judgment is poor. We are bad judges in our own case! Why try to impress ourselves?

4. Whatever we have done is meant to honour God and help others get to heaven.

What the devil tries to do is to make us focus on ourselves too much. The good news is the way in which the Lord gradually frees us from our bad self-love. He allows this self-love to fade away. He enables us to love ourselves with charity, as He loves us, as vital members with unique missions of his Mystical Body.

Episode 106 -- Spiritual Combat c65 -- Remedies for Temptations to Vainglory at the End of Life

If the devil cannot make us despair at the end, what else will he try?

Chapter 65 of The Spiritual Combat goes along with chapter 64. If the devil cannot make us despair of our sins, he wants to make us rest in our good deeds. The third tactic of the devil at the end of our lives is to make us puffed up with our own importance and presume that we have done great things on our power. Fr Scupoli has sound advice on how to counter this temptation.

We saw last episode how the devil’s second tactic can be turned against him. When our remembrance of our past sins causes us despondency and discouragement, let us humble ourselves all the more. Let us remember that as soon as we turn to Christ for forgiveness, we should have great confidence in his infinite mercy. Our trust in not in ourselves and our own unaided power, but in the power of His precious Blood. From our side of things, eternal damnation would be just. But the Lord’s infinite mercy must be our hope. Even if we feel or imagine that God has rejected us, our faith and hope and love lead us to trust in His merciful Love. Despair comes from focusing on ourselves. Hope comes from knowing His Power.

Episode 105 -- Spiritual Combat c64 -- Temptations to and Remedies for Despair at the end of Life

When our past sins rise up before us at death, what should be our reaction?

In the hour of death, the devil will try to make us despair, that is, to lose hope in our salvation and God’s merciful power. How? By throwing in our face our past sins. We will see in this episode that recollection of past sins is generally a grace from GOD. But we know a tree by its fruits. God brings our sins to our memory to lead us to humility, compunction, and trust in God’s mercy. The devil does so to make us despondent. We will see tonight what to do when the devil tries to turn past sins against us. Fr Scupoli suggests a radical abandonment of ourselves to the infinite power and mercy of God.

We saw in our last episode that the first tactic the devil likes to use at the hour of death is to attack our faith. Faith is the foundation of the spiritual life. Faith is the surrender of ourselves to God and His plan. The devil will try to make us confused about what God has told us about himself. Fr Scupoli insists that we should not respond to the evil except by affirming our WILL to die in the Catholic faith. We must not dispute with him. We must ignore arguments and scripture passages he presents. Let us focus our hearts on Christ crucified and the Church formed from his opened side on the Cross. We know that the Church is the bride of Christ and speaks for Him. In the Church we have found the truth. Where else is there to go?

Episode 104 -- Spiritual Combat c63 -- Attacks on Faith Just Before Death

What is the devil’s first way of attacking us at the hour of our death?

The final four chapters of The Spiritual Combat deal with the four methods the devil uses to tempt us at the hour of our death.

Chapter 63 — Challenges our FAITH

Chapter 64 — Tries to make us DESPAIR

Chapter 65 — Tempts us to VAINGLORY

Chapter 66 — Fills us with ILLUSIONS

In this episode's reading we focus on the ways to counter temptations to faith at the end of our lives. Just as the devil tempted Eve by leading her into a discussion about what God said and then sowed doubt in her mind, so the devil comes at all of us in a similar way. Let us not engage him in discussion!

Last episode, Fr Scupoli showed how the moment of death is the most dangerous of all moments in the spiritual combat. All can be lost at the moment of death. This is why the devil likes to make a final assault on our souls. He makes one last desperate attempt to lead us from God. If we die in God’s grace, however, we are safe and secure eternally. What should we do to prepare?

1. Live the spiritual battle each day! (Training for the final test!)

2. Think about the significance of death — our door to eternity and God.

3. Imagine yourself alone at the point of death — what will be our regrets?

Episode 103 -- Spiritual Combat c62 -- Preparing for Final Assaults at the Moment of Death

What is the most important day in our spiritual warfare?

The Spiritual Combat teaches us how to overcome ourselves and temptations so as to live for God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each day is a battle. Each day requires vigilance and trust in God. But there is one day that is the most important day of battling. There is one day in which our eternal destiny is decided: the day of our death. In this episode's reading we will look at some advice on how to prepare for that great day.

Last episode, Fr Scupoli stressed our need to persevere until the end. As long as we do not give us, we will be saved. How can he be so sure? Christ is our Saviour. He has already won. In Him, we already won. As long as we stay on the battlefield, our enemies will be conquered. It does not matter how strong they seem right now. HE has overcome the world.

Episode 102 -- Spiritual Combat c61 -- Persevering until Death

Will my examination of conscience keep revealing unruly passions in my soul?

The final chapters of The Spiritual Combat discuss various requirements of the soldier of Christ. One of these requirements is perseverance. Perseverance in the spiritual battle is not itself one of the four main weapons, but a necessary condition for the use of the weapons. As long as we are in this life, we have to keep weeding the garden of our soul. God has not willed to remove completely the effects of original sin. In his wisdom, he allows us to be tempted by concupiscence, our tendency to sin, until we die. Thus, we must be resolved to fight, fight, fight. As long as we do not lay down our weapons, the victory is guaranteed. Why? Because our Captain, our champion, is Christ.

One of the other requirements that we looked at last episode is the examination of conscience each night. We must look over our day to see where we have sinned. We must especially look at the occasions of our sins. God wants us to learn from our sins. If only we could avoid the occasions, the persons, places, and things that cause us to fall, we would not fall so often! During Compline, the Church encourages us to make this examination of conscience. She wants us to ask pardon, to ask for light to know ourselves, and to ask for the grace to amend our lives. But let us never forget to give thanks to the risen Lord. Let us give thanks for any victory we have had today. How good the Lord is to us. Forgetting what lies behind, let us with St Paul, press forward to what lies ahead!

Episode 101 -- Spiritual Combat c60 -- Examining our Conscience

What is the best way to examine my conscience at night?

Throughout THE SPIRITUAL COMBAT, Fr Scupoli is convinced that we need to keep a close watch on ourselves and to place great confidence in God. His book is masterful in showing us the right way to react to our own faults. In chapter 26, he discussed a method of humble trust in God’s mercy whereby we do not allow our faults to pull us farther from God. We run back to him. At the same time, a daily examination of our faults is necessary, together with gratitude for the events of the day. Chapter 60 provides us with a framework for thinking about the day that has passed.

Last episode we read about the trial that many serious Catholics face, often in the early days of their deeper conversion, the problem of involuntary impure ideas and even hateful visions. The devil and our fallen human nature seem to conspire to scare us about the spiritual path we are following. In place of the sensible devotion we have been feeling, the soul experiences strange and unwanted ideas, even involving holy things. Such experiences are designed by the devil to make us think we have abandoned God and should return to our life of sin, symbolized by the slavery of the Israelites in Egypt. Just as God allowed the people of Israel to be tempted to return to slavery, Fr Scupoli singles out at least three reasons why God would allow us to undergo this trial.

1. They help prevent us from future NEGLIGENCE.

2. They lead us to closer UNION with God our loving Father.

3. They make us more aware of what our fallen human nature is capable of when unaided by GRACE.

Instead of being over anxious, we need to smile. The God who saved us from a life of sin can deliver us from this trial. Let us not spend too much time going over these thoughts. “In the battle for purity,” St Philip would say, “it is the cowards who win, those who flee.” Be humble and get your mind quickly to something non-sinful. Call a random friend. Organize one’s closet. Count your books!

Episode 100 -- Spiritual Combat c59.4 -- Dealing with Special Impure Delusions

How should I react if in prayer I am troubled by involuntary impure and scary thoughts and even visions? Am I weird and lost?

In the last part of chapter 59 of The Spiritual Combat, Fr Scupoli deals with a problem that many serious Catholics face at one point or other in their lives: strange sexual ideas during prayer. Chapter 59 has been teaching us what to do in the face of spiritual dryness and darkness, that is, when our minds seem empty and our hearts are cold But what do we do when, far from having nothing in our minds, we suddenly have many unwelcome images and thoughts? Fr Scupoli gives very sound advice.

1. LOVE: Remember the Holy Spirit has not abandoned you! Do not become despondent.

2. FAITH: God has at least three reasons for allowing this trial that we will look at tonight.

3. HUMILITY: Allow it to remind us of what we are capable of if left to ourselves.

4. TRUST: Remember that the ONE who allowed us to see a danger has the POWER to deliver us.

5. PATIENCE! Speedily get your mind elsewhere.

The more general problem is not images, but our inability to pray like we used to pray. God begins to give Himself to us at a deeper level. We saw last episode that there are several things we can do when our usual meditation is no longer possible.

1. Remember the PRAYER of Sara (Tobit 3:21-23). Make it our own.

2. Remember Our LORD’s words in the Garden: “NOT MY WILL, BUT THINE BE DONE.”

3. THUS WE practice PATIENCE in these times of dryness.

IF we do not give up, we will become truly devout. True devotion has four qualities:

1. eager and unswerving will to follow Christ
2. will to bear the Cross at whatever time or in whatever way He shall decide.
3. loving God because He is worthy of our love.
4. giving us sweetness of God for the sake of God.

Our progress in these four things is the true measure of spiritual ADVANCEMENT and not the warm and sweet feelings we have in prayer. How crucial patience is in the spiritual life. How dryness and aridity contributes to patience. “By your patience,” Christ said, “you will save your souls” (Luke 21:19).

 

Episode 99 -- Spiritual Combat c59.3 -- Becoming Truly Devout Despite Dryness and Darkness

What is the true standard for being devout?

In this episode we will examine the true ideal, the true measure, the standard for our advancing in the spiritual life. In the midst of dryness in prayer and even spiritual darkness, how can we know that we are going forward and not backward? What is the sign of really following Christ?

Episode 98 -- Spiritual Combat c59.2 -- Reacting to Dryness and Spiritual Aridity

How should we react to experiences of sensible dryness and even spiritual darkness?

In this episode, as with the last episode, we continue to see that there are different causes of sensible devotion: the dispositions of our nature, the devil, and God. God gives us sensible devotion when he makes us eager to pray and practice our religion. Sensible devotion is a feeling of really wanting to do things for God and our advancement. We have great joy in doing it and can even taste how “sweet” it is to receive Communion. God gives these devotional feelings to lead us away from sin and attachment to the world.

But we are not to look too carefully at the causes of sensible devotion. Enjoy it. But try to attach yourself to God alone and His will.

God also is the cause, at times, of sensible dryness, or distaste, or aridity in spiritual things. When we lose our ability to meditate and pray as we used to do, when we lose our zest for serving God, when we do not feel anything anymore, we have to examine our conscience. Dryness can come from our negligence in denying ourselves things and being generous with God. But if there is not fault that we can discern, we have to humble ourselves before God. He gradually weans us away from emotional and imaginative consolations. He may even lead us into a deeper spiritual darkness in which we experience fear and a loss of awareness of where we are going in the spiritual life. God gradually removes all human consolations so that we will learn to lean on God’s power alone.

Let us not be discouraged. Let us not talk with others about this cross that we are experiencing, except with our spiritual director. We must receive Communion and pray in order to receive the strength to follow God’s will and carry our Cross.

Episode 97 -- Spiritual Combat c59.1 -- Causes of Sensible Devotion and Dryness

What are the causes of spiritual dryness?

Among the special trials we face as we try to live out The Spiritual Combat are dryness, that is, being insensible to devotional practices, feeling nothing. Is it our fault when this happens? What are the causes? In this episode we will read about the various causes. God is even the cause sometimes as He tries to lead us into deeper union with Himself!

Last episode we read about more perfect ways of offering ourselves to God. We must always do so, in all the events of life, through Christ Jesus. He has already offered Himself for each one of us individually. He prayed for each of us. We, in our turn, can offer ourselves to God for our own sanctification and that of others. We can do this above all at Mass.

Episode 96 -- Spiritual Combat c58.2 -- Offering of Self to God 2.0

How do we make our self-offering more acceptable to God? 

The goal of The Spiritual Combat is to lead us to spiritual freedom. We strive to be free of the power of bad self-love so that we can offer ourselves to God and His service. As we draw to the end of the book, however, Fr Scupoli wants to help us make this self-offering more perfect. In this episode we will see that this self-offering should be made at all times with Christ’s self-offering in mind. Fr Scupoli wants us to remember that we can offer Christ’s merits to the Father not only for ourselves, but also for others. He gives us powerful tips for offering ourselves to God in union with Christ for the good of others.

Episode 95 -- Spiritual Combat c58.1 -- Offering Ourselves to God

How do we make our self-offering acceptable to God? 

In this episode we read about how there are two things necessary to make our self-offering completely acceptable to God.

1. Make it in union with Christ’s offering to the Father.

2. Be free of all attachment to creatures.

• Our Lord offered not only His own life to the Father, but also all of our lives and works. When he became Man he united in a mysterious way all human persons to himself. We are called to recognize what He has done for us and offer ourselves back to the Father through Him.

• Detachment: we want to belong totally to God. Thus, we must love Him above all things and all things in relation to God. We must be willing to give up everything and anything that might hinder our union with God. We must seek to love all things as coming from God.

Episode 94 -- Spiritual Combat c57 -- Thanksgiving

Are we bound in justice to give thanks to God for all He has done?

In this episode we begin the final section of The Spiritual Combat. We have read about the four spiritual weapons; we have read about the Holy Eucharist, the weapon of weapons against our spiritual enemies. Fr Scupoli now has a series of final thoughts.

Having discussed the Eucharist, a Greek word that means thanksgiving, it is natural that Fr Scupoli should begin his final words of advice on the spiritual combat with advice on thanksgiving. It is true that we must be courageous in this battle and make significant effort. But God’s love is prior to all our efforts. We strive against self, because His grace sustains us and spurs us on. After the chapter on thanksgiving, we will read a series of chapters on offering ourselves to God, dryness in our spiritual lives, ongoing examination of conscience, preparing for death, and temptations to despair and vainglory.

Last episode we read about how to make a spiritual communion. Fr Scupoli encourages us to prepare for it like we would to receive Holy Communion at Mass. He told us the benefits of receiving Holy Communion:

1. The soul regains lost virtues
2. Recovers her pristine purity
3. The soul is rendered worthy to partake of the merits of the Cross

Receiving Communion is highly pleasing to the eternal Father.

Let us never forget: God wants us to receive Holy Communion! By receiving in the proper state, we are doing His will. We are being obedient. We give the Lord joy. If we really prepare well for a spiritual communion, our spiritual communion could even be more powerful in our spiritual lives than receiving Communion at Mass without much preparation.

Episode 93 -- Spiritual Combat c56 -- Spiritual Communions

Can I receive the grace of Communion without going to church?

In this episode we'll read about making spiritual communions!

Last episode we read about how to make a love filled thanksgiving for communion!

Episode 92 -- Spiritual Combat c55.4 -- Returning Love for Love After Communion

If our desire is to grow in love by receiving Holy Communion, what should we do once we have received?

At the conclusion of chapter 55, Fr Scupoli offers some suggestions for how to pray after receiving Communion. He focuses on our need to speak to Christ Himself. He proposes that we ask Him a question: What has brought Thee to me? Our Lord gives a one word answer. From that answer, a dialogue begins. Fr Scupoli also suggests that we turn to God the Father in thanksgiving.

We saw last episode that we must have great confidence as we approach Communion. If we have repented of our mortal sins in confession and hate sin, let us not allow our fears to hold us back. Let us approach the Lord with great confidence. He is the one that makes us worthy. He is the one that can cleanse us more and more.

Episode 91 -- Spiritual Combat c55.3 -- Immediate Loving Preparation for Communion

As the time draws near to receive Communion and we remember our sins, what should be our thoughts?

Fr Scupoli wants us to turn our minds to the Person of Christ as the time for receiving draws near. He wants us to focus on the greatness of his divinity and his humanity. But he also wants us to remember our own insignificance in comparison to God. But as our past sins crown in around us, what should be a out attitude? How should we approach Our Lord?

We saw last episode that Fr Scupoli never wants us to forget why God gave us the Eucharist. He wants to TRANSFORM US. He wants to make us like His Son. He wants to to become one with the One we eat, to become like the One we feed upon. Let us therefore offer to Christ our memory, understanding, and will. Let us ask for the grace to be pleasing to Christ by the “gracious acceptance of His holy will.”

Episode 90 -- Spiritual Combat c55.2 -- Why God Gave us the Holy Eucharist

If God’s motivation in giving us His Son in Holy Communion is not self-interest, what is His motivation?

Just as chapter 54 of the Spiritual Combat offered us a method before, during and after receiving Communion, so chapter 55 offers another method. Chapter 54 focused on the Eucharist as a weapon to overcome our spiritual enemies. Chapter 55 offers a method in order to grow in divine love.

The reason God gave us the Eucharist was love. God’s love is not like human love. His love has no hidden self-interest. He is not trying to get something for Himself. Why then does he offer us the Eucharist? He wants to transform us!

Last episode we read about five characteristics of God’s love:

1. Eternal

2. Infinite

3. Not necessitated

4. Not responding to our previous merits

5. Not self-interested.

1. Eternal — God has always determined to fee us with the Eucharist!!!

2. His Son is INFINITE. The Gift he offers is Infinite. The Love behind the gift is infinite.

3. Not Necessited: God’s love for us is free. God has chosen to bestow His Son on us.

4. Not merited: God’s love is first. We did not first love Him; He first loved us, St John teaches.

5. Not based on self-interest. He offers us the Eucharist purely out of his own love and His desire to help us. God’s basic happiness is not increased. The Blessed Trinity does not stand in need of anything.

Episode 89 -- Spiritual Combat c55.1 -- Five Characteristics of God's Loving Desire to Give us the Eucharist

How do I prepare for Communion if I want to grow in the love of God?

Chapter 54 of the Spiritual Combat provided a method of preparing and receiving Communion that focused on fighting our spiritual enemies. Fr Scupoli encourages us in chapter 55 with another method of receiving Communion based on the love of God. Sometimes in the spiritual life the focus of our attention is on fighting our vices and developing virtues. At other times the focus is on uniting ourselves more directly with God by divine love, charity. If our goal is greater union with God by love, how should we prepare for Communion? Fr Scupoli gives us five considerations in this episode that will help us understand God’s love for us. As St Bernard says, “The more we know we are loved, the easier it is to love in return.”

Last episode we read about about the need to turn to God the Son and God the Father after receiving Communion.

1. Speak to God the Son about your prosperity to sin, weakness, inability to fight, He must fight…victory is his.
2. Speak to the Father…offer Him the Son…thanksgiving…ask for grace to overcome enemies
3. Make resolution to fight courageously!