ST. THOMAS AQUINAS ON HOW TO PRESERVE CHASTITY
INCE CHASTITY is so difficult a virtue that, in
Our Lord’s words, not all men “take it,” but
those only “to whom it is given,” it is
necessary for those who desire to live a life of
continence, so to conduct themselves as to avoid all
that might prove an obstacle in the prosecution of their
design. Now there are three principal hindrances to
continence. The first arises from the body. The second
from the mind. The third from external circumstances,
whether they be of persons or of things.
The body is an obstacle to continence. As St. Paul
says, “The flesh lusteth against the Spirit” (Gal. 5:17), and
“the works of the flesh are fornication, uncleanness,
unchastity and the like.” Concupiscence is that law of the
flesh, of which, in his epistle to the Romans, St. Paul
says, “I see another law in my members fighting against the
law of my mind” (Rom. 7:23). Now the more the flesh is
pampered, by superabundance of food, and by
effeminacy of life, the more will its concupiscence
increase. For, as St. Jerome says, “A man heated with
wine will quickly give the rein to lust.” The book of
Proverbs warns us against wine as “a luxurious thing”
(Prov. 20:1). Job, again, tells us that Behemoth (by whom
Satan is signified) “sleepeth under the shadow, in the covert
of the reed and in moist places” (40:16). St. Gregory (33
Moral) thus interprets this passage. “Moist places,” he
says, “betoken voluptuous works. We do not slip on dry
ground; but, we have no sure foothold on slippery soil.
Hence, those men pursue the journey of this present life
in moist places, who cannot hold themselves upright in
justice.” He, then, who desires to undertake a life of
continence must chastise his flesh, by abstention from
pleasure, and by fasts, vigils, and such like exercises.
St. Paul sets before us his own conduct as an
example in this respect, “Everyone that striveth for the
mastery, refraineth himself from all things. . . . I chastise my
body and bring it into subjection, lest, perhaps when I have
preached to others, I myself should become a castaway” (1
Cor. 9:25). What the Apostle practiced in deed, he
taught in word. In his Epistle to the Romans (13:14),
after his warning against “chambering and impurities,” he
concludes, “make not provision for the flesh in its
concupiscences.” He rightly lays stress upon the
concupiscence of the flesh, i.e., its desire for pleasure;
for it is incumbent on us to make provision for what is
necessary for our body, and St. Paul himself says, “No
man ever hated his own flesh, but nourisheth it and cherisheth
it” (Eph. 5:29).
An obstacle to continence arises also from the mind,
if we dwell on unchaste thoughts. The Lord says by His
prophet, “Take away the evil of your devices from my eyes”
(Isa. 1:16). For, evil thoughts often lead to evil deeds.
Hence the Prophet Micheas says, “Woe to you that devise
that which is unprofitable” and he immediately continues,
“and work evil in your beds” (2:1). Amongst all evil
thoughts, those which most powerfully incline unto sin,
are thoughts concerning carnal gratification.
Philosophers assign two reasons for this fact. First, they
say, that as concupiscence is innate in man, and grows
with him from youth upwards, he is easily carried away
by it, when his imagination sets it before him. Hence
Aristotle says (2 Ethics), that “we cannot easily judge of
pleasure, unless we enjoy it.”
The second reason is given by the same philosopher
(3 Ethics), “Pleasure is more voluntary in particular
cases than in general.” It is clear that by dallying with a
thought we descend to particulars; hence, by daily
thoughts we are incited to lust. On this account St. Paul
warns us to “Fly fornication” (1 Cor. 6:18); for, as the
Gloss says, “It is permissible to await a conflict with
other vices; but this one must be shunned; for in no
other means can it be overcome.”
But, as there are many obstacles in the way of
chastity, there are also many remedies against such
obstacles. The first and chief remedy is to keep the mind
busied in prayer and in the contemplation of Divine
things. This lesson is taught us in St. Paul’s epistle to the
Ephesians, wherein he says, “Be ye not drunk with wine
wherein is luxury; but, be ye filled with the Holy Spirit,
speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual
canticles” (which pertain to contemplation), and “singing
making melody in your hearts to the Lord” (whereby prayer
is implied) (5:18). Hence in Isaias, the Lord says, “For by
my praise I will bridle thee, lest thou shouldst perish” (48:9).
To the divine praise is, as it were, a bridle on the soul,
checking it from sin.
The second remedy against lust is the study of the
Scriptures. “Love the study of Holy Writ,” says St.
Jerome to the monk Rusticus, “and thou wilt not love
the vices of the flesh.” And St. Paul in his exhortation to
Timothy says, “Be thou an example of the faithful in word,
in conversation, in charity, in faith, in chastity,”
immediately adding, “Till I come, attend unto reading” (1
Tim. 4:12).
The third preservative against concupiscence is, to
occupy the mind with good thoughts. St. Chrysostom,
in his commentary on the Gospel of St. Matthew, says
that, “physical mutilation is not such a curb to
temptation, and such a source of peace to the mind, as is
a habit of bridling the thoughts.” St. Paul also says to
the Philippians, “For the rest, brethren, whatsoever things
are true, whatsoever modest, whatsoever holy, whatsoever
lovely, whatsoever of good
fame, if there be any virtue,
if any praise of discipline,
think on these things” (4:8).
The fourth help to
chastity is to shun
idleness, and to engage in
bodily toil. We read in the
book of Ecclesiasticus,
“Idleness hath taught much
evil” (33:29). Idleness is
pre-eminently an
incentive to sins of the
flesh. Hence Ezechiel says, “Behold, this was the iniquity of
Sodom thy sister, pride, fullness of bread, abundance and
idleness” (16:49). St. Jerome likewise writes, in his letter
to the monk Rusticus, “Do some work, that so the devil
may always find thee employed.”
A fifth remedy for concupiscence lies in certain
kinds of mental disquietude. St. Jerome relates, in the
epistle quoted above, that, in a congregation of
cenobites there dwelt a young man who could not, by
means of fasting or any laborious work, free himself
from temptations of the flesh. The superior of the
monastery seeing that the youth was on the point of
yielding, adopted the following means for his relief. He
commanded one of the most discreet among the fathers
to constantly upbraid the young man, to load him with
insults and reproach, and, after treating him thus, to
lodge complaints against him with the Superior.
Witnesses were called, who all took the senior father’s
part. This treatment was continued for a year. At the
end of that time, the superior questioned the youth
about his old train of thought. “Father,” was the reply,
“I am scarcely permitted to live. How, in such straits,
shall I be inclined to sin?”
A great obstacle to continence arises from extrinsic
circumstances, such as constant intercourse with
women. We read in Ecclesiasticus, “Many have perished
by the beauty of a woman, and hereby lust is enkindled as a
fire . . . for her conversation burneth as fire” (9:9). And, in
the same chapter, the following safeguard is proposed
against these dangers: “Look not upon a woman that hath a
mind for many, lest thou fall into her snares. Use not much
the company of her that is a dancer, and hearken not to her
lest thou perish by the force of her charms.” Again, in
another chapter, “Behold not everybody’s beauty; and tarry
not, among women, for from garments cometh a moth, and
from a woman the iniquity of a man” (42:12). St. Jerome, in
his book against Vigilantius, writes that a monk,
knowing his own frailty, and how fragile is the vessel
which he carries, will fear to slip or stumble, lest he fail
and be broken. Hence, he will chiefly avoid gazing at
women, and especially at young ones, lest he be caught
by the eyes of a harlot, and lest beauty of form lead him
on to unlawful embraces.
Abbot Moses, in his conferences to the fathers, says
that, in order to preserve purity of heart, “we ought to
seek solitude and to practice fasting, watching, and
bodily labor: to wear scant clothing; and to attend to
reading in order, by these means, to be able to keep our
heart uncontaminated by passion, and to ascend to a
high degree of charity.” It
is for this reason that such
exercises are practiced in
the religious life.
Perfection does not
consist in them; but they
are, so to speak,
instruments whereby
perfection is acquired.
Abbot Moses, therefore,
continues, “Fasting,
vigils, hunger, meditation
on the Scriptures,
nakedness, and the privation of all possessions are not
themselves perfection; but they are the instruments of
perfection. The end of discipline does not lie in them;
but, by their means we arrive at the end.”
But, perchance, someone may object, that it is
possible to acquire perfection without fasting or vigils
or the like, for we read that, “the Son of Man came eating
and drinking” (Matt. 11:19), nor did His disciples fast, as
did the Pharisees, and the followers of St. John. To this
argument we find in the Gloss the following answer,
“John drank no wine nor strong drink; for abstinence
increases merit, though nature has no power to do so.
But, wherefore should the Lord, to Whom it belongs to
forgive sin, turn away from sinners who feast, when He
is able to make them more righteous than they who
fast?” The disciples and Christ had no need to fast; for
the presence of the Bridegroom gave them more
strength than the followers of John gained by fasting.
Hence Our Lord says, “But the days will come when the
Bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then they
shall fast” (Matt. 9:15). St. Chrysostom makes the
following comment on these words, “fasting is not
naturally grievous, save to those whose weakness is
indisposed to it. They who desire to contemplate
heavenly wisdom rejoice in fasting. Now, as when Our
Lord spoke the words we have just quoted, the disciples
were still weak in virtue, it was not the fitting season to
bring sadness upon them. It was more meet to wait until
they were strengthened in faith. They were dispensed
from fasting, not by reason of their gluttony, but by a
certain privilege.” St. Paul, however, writing to the
Corinthians, expressly shows how fasting enables men
to avoid sin, and to acquire perfection. He says, “Giving
no offence to any man, that our ministry be not blamed; but in
all things let us exhibit ourselves as the ministers of God, in
much patience, in tribulation, in necessities, in distresses in,
stripes, in prisons, in seditions, in labors, in watchings, in
fastings, in chastity” (2 Cor. 5:3).
“St. Thomas preserved his chastity unsullied in a
crisis of the most pressing danger and was
therefore considered worthy to be surrounded by
the angels with a mystic girdle. . . . If the purity
of Thomas therefore had failed in the extreme peril
into which it had fallen, it is very probable that
the Church would never have had her Angelic
Doctor” — Pope Pius XI.
