Lectio et Oratio

Episode 60 -- Spiritual Combat c36 -- Continual Progress is Necessary

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In my spiritual life, is it possible to take a break, stand still, and stop progressing?\

Fr. Scupoli does not think it is possible in our spiritual journey to heaven to stand still. He thinks that we are either making progress or falling back. In this episode he explains why this is the case. It has to do with the inclinations, the desires, of fallen human beings. We will also see that Fr. Scupoli thinks there is a series of stages that we pass through in the spiritual life. The challenges and revulsions we feel now are not forever!

Last episode, Fr. Scupoli encouraged us to desire a whole number of things! In particular, chapter 35 suggests the following list of things we should pray to have!

  1. Undaunted courage
  • Resolute will to follow Christ
  • Fondness for the particular virtue we need right now in our lives
  • Frequent reflecting on God’s being pleased with that virtue
  • Early morning resolution to practice that particular virtue
  • Examining ourselves during the day on our faithfulness to that virtue
  • Using our spiritual reading about the Saints and our meditations on the life of Christ to grow in that virtue
  • Knowing certain lines of Scripture that deal with that virtue
  • Daily little Aspirations, ARROW prayers, darts to heaven, when we are tempted to quit.
  • A conviction that God likes to see us LABOUR!
  • An earnest desire to make progress.

    • Let us ask the Lord for these desires and practice. We need to ask for a new heart and a new mind. We need to do little things each day towards a particular virtue that is contrary to our current attractions to sin.

    If I am aiming at patience, what ASPIRATIONS prayers can I say each day?

    • —> “O Lord when shall I be armed with patient as a shield against the weapon of my enemy?"
  • —> “When shall I love Thee so as to receive with joy all the afflictions You are pleased to send me?"
  • —> “O Life of of my soul, shall I never begin to live for Thy glory alone, perfectly resigned to all sufferings."
  • —> “O how happy shall I be, if in the fiery trial of tribulation, I burn with a desire of being consumed for Thy service.”
    • ...more
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    Lectio et OratioBy Fr Michael Eades of the Toronto Oratory
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