Thank you for this Introduction! I started to read, but it's much easier to listen to. Now the subject of chapter 3, wherein St. Francis de Sales gives many examples of saints and how they dealt with their own temptations. This is a very helpful. I will add, however, that I was extremely disappointed with St. Augustine's "Confessions". St. Augustine tells us of his dissolute life and how his mother, God bless her, continuously prayed for his conversion. And one day, St Augustine tells us that he and a friend converted. St. Augustine in his book "Confessions" tells us NOTHING of any temptations which may or may not have occurred. NOTHING! And that disappointed me because I wanted to know how he did it. A few pages prior to his conversion, St. Augustine tells how continence is a gift of God; and I think he stuck that line in there so he wouldn't have to continue with his Confessions. As St. Francis de Sales writes, St. Paul, St. Francis of Assisi, blessed Angela, and St. Benedict all suffered from temptations. Read also St. Anthony of the Desert. I find it difficult to believe that St. Augustine has been on a higher level than SS. Paul, Francis of Assisi or St. Benedict.
Did you read the whole book? In chapter 10 of the Confessions, St Augustine talks about the temptations he still struggles with after his conversion - among them, ambition and gluttony.
@@CatholicCulturePod Thanks for your reply. I am referring ONLY to continence, self-discipline or self control - however one describes it. That's it. St. Augustine conveniently mentioned that no more after his conversion despite his dissolute life. How do you go from having a concubine whenever you wanted her, to total abstinence? That's what disappoints. Thanks
In order to know why he did or didn't mention certain things, one must understand the central problem he faced... his problem was not that he was falling into sexual sin despite having made a resolution against it. Rather, he did not even have the will to make a decision to pursue chastity. Once he received the grace to truly want and choose chastity, the big victory was won - that's what is most crucial and interesting in his story. The question of "how did he do it" is answered right there - grace! (Whatever ongoing momentary temptations he may have faced after that, they were probably pretty prosaic by comparison to that definitive struggle, and based on chapter 10, we have to take his word that chastity wasn't a problem for him by the time he wrote the book. And by the way, not every saint was equally tempted, and it doesn't mean that the less tempted saint was stronger - in fact, quite possibly the opposite, God may spare someone temptation precisely because they are less strong.)
Thank you for this Introduction! I started to read, but it's much easier to listen to. Now the subject of chapter 3, wherein St. Francis de Sales gives many examples of saints and how they dealt with their own temptations. This is a very helpful. I will add, however, that I was extremely disappointed with St. Augustine's "Confessions". St. Augustine tells us of his dissolute life and how his mother, God bless her, continuously prayed for his conversion. And one day, St Augustine tells us that he and a friend converted. St. Augustine in his book "Confessions" tells us NOTHING of any temptations which may or may not have occurred. NOTHING! And that disappointed me because I wanted to know how he did it. A few pages prior to his conversion, St. Augustine tells how continence is a gift of God; and I think he stuck that line in there so he wouldn't have to continue with his Confessions. As St. Francis de Sales writes, St. Paul, St. Francis of Assisi, blessed Angela, and St. Benedict all suffered from temptations. Read also St. Anthony of the Desert. I find it difficult to believe that St. Augustine has been on a higher level than SS. Paul, Francis of Assisi or St. Benedict.
Did you read the whole book? In chapter 10 of the Confessions, St Augustine talks about the temptations he still struggles with after his conversion - among them, ambition and gluttony.
@@CatholicCulturePod Thanks for your reply. I am referring ONLY to continence, self-discipline or self control - however one describes it. That's it. St. Augustine conveniently mentioned that no more after his conversion despite his dissolute life. How do you go from having a concubine whenever you wanted her, to total abstinence? That's what disappoints. Thanks
In order to know why he did or didn't mention certain things, one must understand the central problem he faced... his problem was not that he was falling into sexual sin despite having made a resolution against it. Rather, he did not even have the will to make a decision to pursue chastity. Once he received the grace to truly want and choose chastity, the big victory was won - that's what is most crucial and interesting in his story. The question of "how did he do it" is answered right there - grace! (Whatever ongoing momentary temptations he may have faced after that, they were probably pretty prosaic by comparison to that definitive struggle, and based on chapter 10, we have to take his word that chastity wasn't a problem for him by the time he wrote the book. And by the way, not every saint was equally tempted, and it doesn't mean that the less tempted saint was stronger - in fact, quite possibly the opposite, God may spare someone temptation precisely because they are less strong.)
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