A Prayer Under Strong Temptations

http://catholicharboroffaithandmorals.com/The%20Virtue%20of%20Chastity.html


Holy God! I desire to humble myself here before Thee, for that continual proneness which is in me to sin against Thee, that I am so unlike to Thee, and so contrary to what Thy holy laws require me to be. After all the great things thou hast done for me, alas! how apt am I still to spoil and undo myself! The malicious tempter is laying snares for me every where; and the things of this world are still pressing hard upon me, either to terrify me out of my duty, or to humour me into my ruin. And O how ready is my sinful flesh to side with the cruel enemy against my own soul! Innumerable evils have compassed me about; my iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of my head, therefore my heart fails me.

O the sin that still dwelleth in me, that is so nigh to me, that does so easily beset me, and is so apt to prevail against me, to pull me away from the obedience of Thy blessed will, and to engage me in forbidden things, displeasing in Thy sight, and destructive to my soul! O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? when the custom of sinning has so increased my sinful inclinations, that the leopard may as soon change his spots, and the Ethiopian his skin, as I who am so accustomed to evil can of myself, cease from it, if the Lord of hosts be not with me; if the God of Jacob be not my refuge. But with Thee, the Almighty God, all things are possible; yea, Thou canst as easily make us holy as bid us be so. To Thee the very powers of hell are weakness; nothing in the world can resist Thy will. O pity Thy poor tempted creature, and give me not up, in justice, to a reprobate sense, and to vile affections, nor to such blindness of mind and hardness of heart, as should render me past feeling; nor ever punish my former sins, by giving me over to their sway and power; but let it be Thy gracious pleasure, O Lord, that all my prevailing iniquities may flee and perish at Thy presence.

O give out the commanding word to those filthy corruptions, hitherto shall ye go and no further. Speak death to my sins, that my soul may live, and for even in the spirit of my mind, that my heart may rise against the sinful evils, and that I may hate all iniquity, and every false way; so resisting the devil, that I may not conspire with the deadly enemy of souls to undo myself. O give me power from on high, to set me above the power of my sins; and give me grace sufficient to turn my heart against the love of my sins, that I may not be false in Thy covenant, nor false to my own chief interest, but manfully fight Thy battles, and approve myself Thy faithful soldier and servant to my life's end; that being so faithful unto death, Thou mayest give unto me the crown of life, and take me at last from this warfare to reign with Thee, world without end. Amen.
ever bless thy name. Stop and heal the running sores, that they may no more break out as they have done, to the dishonor of Thy name, the wounding of my conscience, and hindering the concerns of my own and others' present peace, and eternal bliss; yea, so sanctify my nature, O Lord, and renew me,




A Prayer for Chastity


O God of infinite purity, Thou hast called us, not to uncleanness, but to holiness; Thou hast commanded us to be holy as Thou art holy; and hast promised to none but the pure in heart to see and enjoy Thee in the beauties of holiness, and the joys above. O how shall I, a polluted wretch, shew myself before Thy heavenly Majesty, who art perfect purity; and in whose sight even heaven itself is not clean? O most gracious Lord! look not upon me as I am in myself, and as I through my sins have made myself vile, even in my own eyes; for then Thou canst not choose but abhor my soul, and pour out all Thy wrath upon me; but wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from all my sin and guilt in that fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness, the precious blood of the Lamb of God, slain to take away the sins of the world.

Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean: O create a clean heart in me, and say to my sin-defiled soul, as Thou didst to the leper, I will, be thou clean, and I shall be cleansed and fitted now for Thy holy service, and hereafter for Thy heavenly glory. O my God! cast the unclean spirit out from Thy temple; and if he will not go out but by prayer and fasting, let me add such abstinence to my prayers, as may help to starve the fleshly lusts that war against my soul: and by any means help me, my strength and my Redeemer, to possess my vessel in sanctification and honor; not in the lust of concupiscence, as those that know not God.

Holy Lord, chase away the birds of prey that would devour Thy sacrifice; and drive out these unclean beasts that would trample down the plantation of Thy grace in my soul O let me not live after the flesh, lest I eternally die; but by Thy Spirit so mortify the deeds of the body, that I may for ever live; instead of doing the works of the flesh, let me hate the very garment spotted with it; and not without detestation once name the filthy lusts. Help me, my God, to avoid every occasion of falling, and to abstain from all appearance of evil, and so to delight in Purity, and to keep myself from my iniquity, that may lead the noble spiritual life as becomes the child of my heavenly Father; and not grieve Thy Holy Spirit, O God, but be pleasing in Thy blessed sight, through Jesus Christ. Amen.


Let us therefore remember the recommendations in the writings of the Apostles, thus: In all things let us exhibit ourselves as the ministers of God in . . . chastity (2 Cor. vi. 4-6). The fruit of the spirit is charity . . . modesty, continency, chastity (Gal. v. 22, 23.). Be thou an example to the faithful in word, in conversation, in charity, in faith, in chastity (I Tim. iv. 12).

Finally, let us bear in mind that the state of celibacy, in which this virtue is practised in the greatest perfection, is preferred to that of matrimony, because it frees us from many cares which attend the married state, and leaves the mind at liberty to attend to the service of God. He that is without a wife is solicitous for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please God. But he that is with a wife is solicitous for the things of the world, how he may please his wife, and he is divided. And the unmarried woman and the virgin thinketh on the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit. But she that is married thinketh on the things of the world, how she may please her husband. And this I speak for your profit, that you may have power to attend upon the Lord without impediment (I Cor. vii. 32-35. See Hay's 'Devout Christian.').