The following extract, taken from the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises, prepares our soul for a firm decision never to sin again.

What follows is crucial for the future behavior of the soul. St. Anthony conclusively proves, through arguments from common experience and scripture, that only by assiduously avoiding all unnecessary occasions of sin can the soul remain in security in this mortal life.

Saint Anthony Mary Claret O God, Who strengthen St. Anthony Mary with wondrous love and patience in evangelizing people, through his intercession, enable us to seek those things which are Thine, and to labor in Christ for the good of our fellow men. Grant this through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

       Imagine you see yourself in this world as in the midst of a great field with traps laid everywhere in it, like the vision seen by St. Anthony; or, as St. Bernard says, with robbers lying in ambush who wish to rob us of our rich treasures of grace and virtue.

       My Lord Jesus Christ, give me the wings of a dove so that I may fly and quickly escape the dangers of sin and take refuge in Thy most holy Wounds.

First Point

       My soul, you must consider how important it is to shun the occasions of sin. Know this importance for the following reasons. One maxim agreed among philosophers is this: remove thecause and you remove its effect. Thus, with fire put out, the heat is gone. If the spring dries up,the stream stops flowing. And if one does not remove the cause he will try in vain to stop the effect. When a wise, experienced physician wants to cure a sickness, he endeavors to find the cause which produces it and remove the cause; otherwise he would be wasting his time. So, too,a man who is trying to correct himself would spend his time in vain, if he does not remove the occasions and dangers of sin. Moreover, in the spiritual warfare against vice, and in particular against impurity, he conquers more gloriously who is the most careful to run away. God Himself declares that "He that loveth danger shall perish in it" (Ecclus. 3:27); "He that toucheth pitch, shall be defiled with it" (Ecclus. 13:1); and he who puts his hand in the fire will feel its burning.Thus one who voluntarily remains in a proximate occasion sins already, and he becomes defiled and stained. The occasion makes the thief, according to the proverb; and it is so true, as experience has shown concerning many people whom the occasion in which they found themselves made them fall. Though they had not at first the intention of sinning, they did not know to flee like chaste Joseph (Gen. 39:12), nor cry out like chaste Susanna (Dan. 13:24).

       Joseph, "leaving the garment in her hand, fled" from his master's wife. Susanna, approached by the wicked elders, "cried out with a loud voice."

Affections

       O my God, now I know that if I have sinned, it has been because I did not flee, as Joseph did, nor cry out, as did chaste Susanna. Alas! I have been not only neglectful, but also rash, like David, and Solomon, who fell because they did not fly from the occasion of sin.

       O Lord, I resolve to sin no more, and to achieve this I will separate myself from the dangers and occasions of falling into sin. I will be mindful of that maxim of St. Philip Neri, which says, In the warfare of sensuality, the cowards are the winners.

Second Point

       Consider, my soul, that our chief enemy, satan, never stops laying traps, as he seeks everychance which presents itself to carry out his aim. He makes people in cautious when they frequently goabout with persons of the other sex. At the outset he sees to it that their association is upright. Then he proceeds to mix in some silly behavior and he keeps going further until finally they fall miserably into sin. The same happens to them as occurs to the moth which hovers about the flame, singes its wings, and falls to its doom. Ah, how many souls were once chaste, but because they proceeded to the flame of that occasion, they were singed, burned, and perished forever! Oh, how many of both sexes have miserably fallen because repeatedly they went to parties and to questionable entertainments, engaging in lovemaking and the like! The same thing befalls many as happens to a pitcher of cold water which, when placed next to fire, proceeds imperceptibly to receive heat until finally it boils over. Many begin friendships, go out to certain entertainments with unconcern and, little by little, without knowing how, they find themselves caught by passion, in which they simmer and boil over. Just as there is no more effective remedy for stopping the pitcher from boiling over and making it cool, than to move it away from the fire, likewise the most effective remedy for man to not sin is keeping away from dangers and occasions of sin.

Affections

       Alas! I am alarmed about myself. I am astonished that I have not sinned more, considering the danger in which I have been. I find myself like one who has been asleep, and upon awaking discovers he is on the edge of a cliff, or notices that he has at his side a poisonous snake. Oh,what fear seizes such a man! How promptly he moves away!

       I will move away from sin and the occasions of sin as from the sight of a serpent: "Flee from sins as from the face of a serpent," says Ecclus. (21:24), "for if thou comest near them, they will take hold of thee. The teeth thereof are the teeth of a lion, killing the souls of men. All iniquity is like a two-edged sword."

       I do not wish to do as Eve did, who, being idle and engaging in conversation with the serpent, fell miserably into sin. I will strive to be always worthily occupied and withdraw from all occasions of offending my Lord and God.

Third Point

       Consider now the means you must resort to in order to avoid the danger of sinning. The first will be to reflect that you have at your side your guardian angel, who, like a guide, counsels you with the words of the psalm: "Turn away from evil and do good: seek after peace and pursue it" (Ps.33:15).

       The second will be that if anything in the course of time becomes an occasion of sin, leave it oruproot it and cast it far from you, as your Master and Redeemer teaches you and commands you. Even if it be something as necessary as the eyes of your face, uproot it; that is, though it be aperson as useful to you as your hands or feet, cut it away and put it far from you (cf. Mt.5:29,30).

       The third means will be the holy fear of God. God truly sees you. God hears you. God beholds all your thoughts and inclinations. This God who watches and hears you and who knows all things, has power not only to take life from your body, but also to cast body and soul into hell. Thus He is One you must fear, as He teaches you in the holy Gospel (Mt. 10:28).

       Get away from dangers and occasions of sin not only because of the holy fear of God, but also because it is wise; the Holy Ghost declares that the fool is over-confident and therefore falls; while the wise man walks with fear and escapes evil. "A wise man feareth and declineth from evil: the fool leapeth over and is confident." (Prov. 14:16). Indeed, one who puts himself in danger shows his foolishness: he lets you see that he does not even know himself; for if he knew himself and that he is so fragile — more so than glassware, more flammable than gunpowder — he would not proceed as he does and put himself in danger of offending God. Gunpowder is not ignited by itself: all the harm comes from without. If glass is well protected, even if quite fragile,it lasts for ages. A man, in addition to facing external hazards, has internal ones which he cannot so easily avoid. He is therefore all the more obliged to avoid external danger. Ah, Christian souls! Is it true that you do not know you live in a body which breeds a destructive element? In that body is the root of your ruin! Oh, if you were wise, with what certainty you would save your soul! Fear God, and you will be wise; know yourself, and you will be saved.

Affections

       Lord, grant that I may know what I am and what Thou art ... Ah, if I knew myself, I surely would not put myself in occasions of sin. The soldier who knows that gunpowder easily ignites, does not proceed to turn over hot coals with a cartridge; he understands well that the powder would explode and injure him. If I knew well how easily I am kindled with the fire of passion, I would not be so rash regarding the person I meet. Oh, if I knew Thee better, my God, I would respect Thee, I would love Thee with a filial fear, and thus I would never sin again!

       I am now resolved to separate always and promptly from the persons, places and things which I know are occasions of sin. If any such present themselves to me which would make me fall, I will say to my God, the prayer of the Prophet. "O God, come to my assistance; O Lord, make haste to help me" (Ps. 69:2). And I will address Thee, my Jesus, as the Apostles did, "Save us!We perish!" (Mt. 8:25).

       And Thee, O most holy Virgin, I beg and will beg, that thou pray to God for me now and always and at the hour of my death. And you, O ye angels and Saints, I remind you of the charge which you have from my heavenly Father to guard me in all my ways, so that I may not fall into sin and may happily arrive at my fatherland in Heaven. Our Father, Hail Mary.

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