Practical Devotion of the Day: Overcoming Passions

It is our body. We have many enemies to the detriment of our soul; the devil who is all ingenuity against us, tries, with every deception, to steal our grace, to lose us. How many follow its perfidious suggestions! - Against us the world unfolds its spells of vanity, of pleasures, of joys, and, with their charm, how many it links in evil! But our worst enemy is the body, a constant tempter that always has the upper hand over our spirit. Don't you notice it?

The flesh opposite to the spirit. The heart, the spirit invite us to good, to God; who prevents us from waiting for you? It is the laziness of the flesh; by meat we mean the passions and low instincts. The heart would like to pray, mortify itself; who distracts him? Is it not the laziness of the flesh that says everything annoying and difficult? The heart urges us to convert, to sanctify ourselves; who turns us away? Is it not the flesh fighting the spirit for our downfall? Where does the impurity feed? Isn't it in the flesh?

War on the passions. Who would ever feed in their own home and delicately, a. poisonous snake? You do it by caressing, nourishing, supporting, with all concern, not only the needs, but also the indiscreet needs of your body. You feed it; and it pays you for intemperance; you lay it down on soft feathers, and it repays you for laziness; you spare him every little evil, and he refuses the least good. Death it bravely.

PRACTICE. - Avoid softness, which is also harmful to physical strength; curbs passions.