Lest You Remain

The consecrated life must present to today’s world examples of chastity lived by men and women who show balance, self-mastery, an enterprising spirit, and psy- chological and affective maturity.Thanks to this witness, human love is offered a stable point of reference: the pure love which consecrated persons draw from the contemplation of Trinitarian love, revealed to us in Christ. Precisely because they are immersed in this mystery, consecrated persons feel themselves capable of a rad- ical and universal love, which gives them the strength for the self-mastery and dis- cipline necessary in order not to fall under the domination of the senses and instincts. Consecrated chastity thus appears as a joyful and liberating experience. Enlightened by faith in the Risen Lord and by the prospect of the new heavens and the new earth (cf. Rev 21:1), it offers a priceless incentive in the task of educating to that chastity which corresponds to other states of life as well. From Founder’s Writings ( Inspectio cordis, k. 163r–164r) 1. Ponder that chastity is a virtue of angels, rather, even more than angels, due to the fragility of the vessel in which this most expensive and very fragrant liquor is contained. Realize that you are obliged to keep chastity not only because you have loved it, but also because you pledged yourself under oath to keep it: so not only as a virtue, but also through the power of the vow. Remember, that as pure souls more than any other are pleasant to God, the souls given to unchastity are not likeable and fill Him with disgust. Now you have the time to reflect on how you have been keeping this vow. 2. Contemplate that each person is bound to keep the virtue of chastity not only on account of the positive law of God, but also the natural law. You are bound on the triple account; apart from the two mentioned above, there is also the vow. Thus, the more you were exposing yourself to the danger of breaking this vow, the more seri- ously you were sinning, because you were committing sacrilege. You should realize that you sinned like Lucifer who wanted to sit on the throne of God, or any other angel who rebelled against God. If, by God’s will, you are free from the temptations against this virtue, know that you are either not worthy or too weak to be tried. If, in turn, you have been put through your paces, it has come from the great grace of the Great and truly foreseeing God and thus give Him the greatest thanks for that. 3. Reflect whether you have used all the means to protect this virtue. Have you curbed your eye, have you restrained your hand, have you cared for your thought to be spotless and pure? Have you restrained from soft fabrics, sophisticated meals, idle- ness which are robbers of purity and have you avoided indecent books? Although all these should be alien to you, as a religious person, if you have read, listened to or by other means found out that various occasions may lead you to fall into a deep abyss, L EST Y OU R EMAIN W ITHOUT W ORK IN THE V INEYARD OF THE L ORD 40