Life of St John Vianney.pdf - the Catholic Kingdom!

""""A"We288 THE CUR1& OF AHS.A religious complained to his Superior that he wai*subject to violent temptations. The Superior orderedthe cook and the gardener to call him continually tohelp them. Some time afterwards he asked him howhe was going on. Ah, father, said he, I have no time*now to be tempted.If we were deeply impressed with a sense of theholy presence of God, it would be very easyto us toresist the enemy. With this thought before us, God seesme 1 we should never sin.There was a Saint once who complained to ourLord after a temptation was past, saying, Where * wastThou, my loving Jesus, during this horrible tempest?*Our Lord replied,I was in the midst of thine heart,and was pleased to see thee combat so bravely.At the moment of temptation we must firmly renewour baptismal promises. Listen, and mark this well.When you are tempted, offer to God the merit of thattemptation to obtain the opposite virtue. If you aretempted to pride, offer the temptation to obtain humility ;if by impure thoughts, to obtain holy purity ; if tothoughts against your neighbour, to obtain the virtueof charity. Offer the temptation also for the conversionof sinners. This enrages the devil, and causes him tofly,because the temptationis turned against himself.After that, he will leave you very quiet.Christian ought always to be ready for battle.As, in time of war, sentinels are always placed here andthere to see if the enemy is advancing, so we oughtalways to be on our guard, to see whether the enemyislaying snares for us, or is about to surprise us.are, in this world, like a ship at sea. Whatpioduces the wav^s ? The storm. In this world the