Capítulo 15. Como al Señor reparte el don de la castidad, no igualmente a todos; porque a algunos lo da solamente en el ánima, y de lo mucho que las tentaciones contra la castidad aprovechan, si se saben llevar.
The Gift of Chastity and the Interior Struggle
God distributes the gift of chastity differently among souls, often allowing the sensitive part to be tempted while the spirit remains firm in its resolve.
It's worth noting carefully that God doesn't give this gift equally to everyone, but differently, as it pleases His holy will. He gives more of it to some, and less to others. To some, He gives chastity in the soul alone—a firm, deliberate resolve never to fall into this vice for any reason. Yet, even with this good resolve, such a person may still have ugly imaginings in the soul and painful temptations in their sensitive nature. While these don't make the reason consent to evil, they afflict it and keep it busy defending itself against their relentless pressure.1 This is like Moses and his people: while he was high on the mountain in God's company, the crowd was worshiping idols down below. Anyone in this state should give thanks to our Lord for the good He has given in the soul, and patiently endure how little obedience their sensitive nature shows them. For just as even if Eve alone had eaten from the forbidden tree, original sin would not have been committed if Adam, her husband, had not consented and eaten, so as long as that good resolve not to consent to anything evil remains alive in the highest part of the soul, the sensitive part—however much it may "eat"—cannot bring about mortal sin, since the man does not consent with her; rather, he is displeased with her and rebukes her.23
Discernment in the Midst of Temptation
The soul must vigilantly reject temptations and seek counsel, understanding that these trials serve to reveal our weakness and our total dependence on God.
In this you must take care not to let imaginations or movements stay in you without rejecting them; for anyone who sees the danger they're in by having that hellish fire inside them and the serpent at their breast—all the more if they've already found that from those things consent to the evil deed or to that wicked delight usually comes—and still does not reject it: such negligence is judged mortal sin, since they saw the danger and loved it by not casting it out.4 But as long as there remains a living resolve not to consent to any evil deed or wicked delight, and to resist—even if weakly—when you see the danger you're in, consider that our Lord has not let you fall into mortal sin. Since it's hard to make a reliable judgment on this without hearing from the person suffering, you should talk to a learned confessor and take his advice. And if you still find it hard to endure such a constant war within yourself, remember that the labor of temptation purges past sins. It also spurs a person to serve God more when they realize how much they need Him. We come to know our own weakness—no matter how foolish we might be—when we see ourselves walking in such danger, balanced on the horns of a bull; we realize that if God let go of us for even a moment, we would fall into the dreadful depths of mortal sin.5 And until this weakness is confessed and experienced at its very root, the temptations of the flesh will not cease in you—they are like torments and blows that force you to admit that this good does not dwell in you unless it is granted from above.✦6
The Fruitful War of the Spirit
Temptations, when resisted, act as blows that deepen purity and allow God's strength to manifest through the soul's refusal of the flesh.
And if you're a faithful servant of God, the more your flesh fights you, the more you'll strive with your soul to keep your chastity, and the temptations will be like blows that help root purity more deeply in you; and you'll see the wonders of God, who, just as his goodness seems greater by occasion of our wickedness, so through the weakness of our flesh works strength in our soul, the spirit saying No to what the flesh invited it to, and fixing itself again in the love of chastity as often as the flesh invited it to lose it.✦ And so, by means of so troublesome and base a contrary, God works the other thing, which is chastity—so precious and so worthy.
Martyrdom in the Daily Combat
Enduring the struggle for chastity is a form of martyrdom that unites the soul with God and serves as a tangible proof of love for Him.
And remember that a good war is worth more than a bad peace; and that it's better for us to labor not to consent—and so give pleasure to our Lord—than, by taking a little bestial pleasure that as it passes leaves double the pain, to give offense to the One we ought to love and please with all our strength. Call on Him with humility and with trust, for He will not fail to help the one who fights for His honor; for in the end He will see that you come out of this fight with gain, and He will count this labor as something like martyrdom.7 So then, just as the martyrs preferred to die rather than deny the faith, so you should endure what you endure rather than break His holy will.8 He will make you a companion with them in glory, since you are already one with them here in the labor. And in the meantime, take comfort that you have within yourself a proof that you love God, since for His love you don't do what your flesh craves.
Read the original Latin
Y es de mirar con atención que este don no lo da Dios por un igual a todos, mas diferentemente según a su santa voluntad place. Porque a unos da más de él y a otros menos. A algunos da castidad en el ánima sola, que es un propósito firme y deliberado de no caer en este vicio por cosa que sea; mas con este propósito bueno tiene este tal en su ánima imaginaciones feas, y en la parte sensitiva tentaciones penosas, que aunque no hagan consentir a la razón en el mal, aflígenla y danle que hacer en defenderse de sus importunidades. Lo cual es semejante a Moisés y a su pueblo, que estando él en lo alto del monte en compañía de Dios, estaba el vulgo del pueblo adorando ídolos en lo bajo de él. Y quien en este estado está, debe hacer gracias a nuestro Señor por el bien que le ha dado en su ánima, y sufrir con paciencia la poca obediencia que su parte sensitiva le tiene. Porque así como aunque Eva comiera sola del árbol vedado, no se cometiera el pecado original si Adán, su virón, no consintiera y comiera, así mientras aquel propósito bueno de no consentir cosa mala estuviere vivo en lo más alto del ánima, no puede hacer la parte sensitiva, por mucho que coma, que haya pecado mortal, pues el varón no consiente con ella, antes le desplace y le reprende.
En lo cual debéis estar advertida, que no dejéis que las imaginaciones o movimientos se estén en vos sin las desechar; porque quien ve el peligro en que está con tener aquel fuego infernal dentro de sí y la serpiente en su seno—cuanto más si ha probado otras veces que de aquello le suele venir el consentimiento en la mala obra o en aquel mal deleite—y no lo desecha, juzgase la tal negligencia por pecado mortal, pues vio el peligro y lo amó, por no desecharlo. Mas mientras hubiere propósito vivo de no consentir en mala obra ni en mal deleite, y resistir, aunque flacamente, cuando miráis el peligro en que estáis, pensad que no os dejó nuestro Señor caer en pecado mortal.
Y porque en esto a duras penas se puede dar cierta sentencia sin información de quien lo padece, conviene informar de ello al docto confesor y tomar su consejo. Y si, con todo esto, se le hiciere de mal sufrir guerra tan continua dentro de sí, mire que con el trabajo de la tentación se purgan los pecados pasados y se anima el hombre más a servir a Dios viendo que le ha más menester; y conocemos nuestra flaqueza, por locos que seamos, viéndonos andar a tanto peligro y en los cuernos del toro, que a dejarnos Dios un poquito de su mano, caeríamos en la espantosa hondura del pecado mortal. Y hasta que esta flaqueza sea muy de raíz confesada y experimentada, no cesarán en ti las tentaciones de la carne, que son como tormentos y golpes que te hagan confesar cómo no mora en ti este bien, si de arriba no es concedido.
Y si fueres fiel siervo de Dios, mientras más tu carne te combatiere, tanto más tú con tu ánima te esforzarás a guardar tu castidad, y las tentaciones serán como golpes que te ayudarán a arraigar más en ti la limpieza; y verás las maravillas de Dios, que así como por ocasión de nuestra maldad parece mayor su bondad, así por la flaqueza de nuestra carne, obra fortaleza en nuestra ánima, diciendo el espíritu, NO, a lo que la carne le convidaba, y afirmándose de nuevo en el amor de la castidad, cuantas veces la carne le convidaba a perderla. Y así, por medio de un contrario tan molesto y vil, obra Dios el otro, que es la castidad, tan precioso y tan digno.
Y acuérdate que vale más buena guerra que mala paz; y que es mejor trabajar nosotros por no consentir, y dar en ello placer á nuestro Señor, que por tomar un poco de placer bestial, que en pasando deja doblado dolor, dar enojos a quien con todas nuestras fuerzas debemos amar y agradar. Llámale con humildad y con fiucia, que no dejará, de socorrer a quien por su honra pelea; que al fin Él hará que salgas con ganancia de aquesta pelea, y te contará este trabajo en semejanza de martirio. Pues como los mártires querían antes morir que negar la fe, así tú, padecer lo que padeces por no quebrar su santa voluntad. Y hacerte ha compañero en la gloria con ellos, pues lo eres acá en el trabajo. Y entretanto, consuélate con tener en ti mismo una prueba de que amas a Dios, pues por su amor no haces lo que tu carne apetece.
Scripture echoes
Notes
- 1 ↩parte sensitiva: the sensitive (appetitive/sensory) part of the soul, as distinct from reason; keep the scholastic anthropology rather than paraphrase as mere 'feelings' or 'body'.
- 2 ↩Source has virón (archaic/variant of varón, 'husband/man') of Adam, then later varón for the rational 'husband' of the soul in the allegory. Rendered consistently as husband/man; the allegory maps Adam = higher rational will, Eve = sensitive part.
- 3 ↩por mucho que coma continues the Eve-eating metaphor for the sensitive appetite's indulgence of desire without rational consent; kept as "eat" in quotes to preserve the figure without inventing a flat paraphrase.
- 4 ↩"juzgase ... por pecado mortal": classic moral-theology claim that willful negligence after clear recognition of proximate danger can itself amount to mortal sin; not a formal definition of every unbidden thought.
- 5 ↩Spanish «en los cuernos del toro» is a vivid idiom for extreme peril (as if already on a bull’s horns). Kept as a concrete image rather than flattened to generic “in great danger.”
- 6 ↩«este bien» (“this good”) points back to the gift of chastity discussed in the chapter; rendered as “this good” to keep the anaphoric force rather than inserting “chastity” where the Spanish does not name it again.
- 7 ↩Source fiucia is the older form of fiducia/confianza; rendered as trust.
- 8 ↩Spanish is elliptical (así tú, padecer...); the infinitive is taken as hortatory, parallel to the martyrs' preference.
Audi Filia (Hear, O Daughter) companion
Rule yourself daily, not just on retreat
Chosen Portion turns the mirror into a daily practice — a short reading and examining question each morning before you lead anyone.
Chosen Portion makes the mirror daily: the ruler-formation questions this collection preserves become a two-minute morning examination in the app.
- A daily formation reading drawn from centuries of counsel to those in authority
- One pointed examination question a day — two minutes, before the meetings start
- Track your practice over weeks and watch the examined life become a habit