De Imitatione Christi
Depuis longtemps je me nourrissais de «la pure farine» contenue dans l'Imitation, c'était le seul livre qui me fît du bien, car je n'avais pas encore trouvé les trésors cachés dans l'Evangile. Je savais par coeur presque tous les chapitres de ma chère Imitation, ce petit livre ne me quittait jamais ; en été, je le portais dans ma poche, en hiver, dans mon manchon, aussi était-il devenu traditionnel ; chez ma Tante on s'en amusait beaucoup et l'ouvrant au hasard, on me faisait réciter le chapitre qui se trouvait devant les yeux.
For a long time I nourished my spiritual life with the "fine flour" contained in the Imitation of Christ. It was the only book which did me good, for I had not yet discovered the treasures hidden in the Holy Gospels. I knew by heart nearly every chapter in my beloved 'Imitation'. The little volume never left my side. In summer, I kept it in my pocket; in winter, in it was in my muff. It had become a custom with my aunt to open it at any page and ask me to recite by heart the chapter she had chanced upon.From Chapter V of the Autobiography of a Soul, by Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. See here on our sister blog and here for copies of her manuscripts.
Liber Primus: Admonitiónes ad spirituálem vitam útiles:
Cap. 13. De tentatiónibus repriméndis
1. Quámdiu in mundo vívimus sine tribulátione et tentatióne esse non póssumus. Unde in Job scriptum est: Tentátio est vita humána super terram. Ideo unusquísque sollícitus esse debéret circa tentatiónes suas, et vigiláre in oratiónibus, ne Diábolus inveníret locum decipiéndi, qui nunquam dormítat, sed círcuit quærens quem dévoret (1 Petr 5, 8*). Nemo tam sanctus et perféctus est, qui non hábeat aliquándo tentatiónes, et plene eis carére non póssumus.
*[8] Sóbrii estóte, et vigiláte : quia adversárius vester diábolus tamquam leo rúgiens círcuit, quaerens quem devóret : [8] Be sober and watch: because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, goeth about seeking whom he may devour.Tentatiónum utilitátes
2. Sunt tamen tentatiónes hómini valde útiles, licet moléstæ sint et graves, quia in illis homo humiliátur, purgátur et erudítur. Omnes Sancti per multas tribulatiónes et tentatiónes transiérunt et profecérunt, et qui tentatiónes sustinére nequivérunt, réprobi facti sunt, et defecérunt. Non est áliquis ordo tam sanctus, et locus tam secrétus, ubi non sint tentatiónes et adversitátes.
Nunquam a tentatióne immúnes sumus in hac vita
3. Non est homo secúrus a tentatiónibus totáliter, quam diu víxerit, quia in nobis est unde tentámur. Ex quo in concupiscéntia nati sumus, una tribulatióne vel tentatióne recedénte alia supervénit, et semper áliquid ad patiéndum habémus. Nam bonum felicitátis perdídimus. Multi quærunt tentatiónes fúgere, et grávius íncidunt in eas. Per solam fugam non póssumus víncere, sed per patiéntiam et veram humilitátem, ómnibus hóstibus effícimur fortióres.
Per Dei auxílium eas superámus
4. Qui tantúmmodo extérius declínat, nec radícem evéllit, parum profíciet, imo cítius ad eum tentatiónes rédient, et pejus séntiet. Paulátim, et per patiéntiam cum longanimitáte Deo juvánte mélius superábis, quam cum durítia et importunitáte própria. Sæpius áccipe consílium in tentatióne, et cum tentáto noli dúriter ágere, sed consolatiónes íngere, sicut tibi optáres fíeri.
In princípio facílius víncitur tentátio
5. Inítium ómnium malárum tentatiónum inconstántia ánimi est, et parva ad Deum confidéntia, quia sicut navis sine gubernáculo hinc inde a flúctibus impéllitur, ita homo remíssus, et suum propósitum déserens varie tentátur. (...)
Notes on Latin Vocab
aliquándō: adv. (alius and quandō), at some time; formerly.aliquis: (adj. = aliqui) some, any (excl.).
carére: pres infinitive act from careō, uī, itus, 2, n.: to be without, to be free from, to be deprived of
decipiéndi: gen, sing gerund from dēcipiō, cēpī, ceptus, 3, a.: to deceive; beguile, delude, mislead, (dē and capiō)
defecérunt: 3rd pers pl perf indic intrans, from dēficiō, fēcī, fectus, pass. (dē and faciō), dēfit, fierī, 3, n. and a.: to make off from; free one’s self from; desert, leave, forsake, fail, be wanting, be exhausted, fail; give way, sink, faint, to be broken down, prostrated, sick at heart, to be depressed, discouraged,
deserens: 1st pers ing present participle indic active from dēserō, uī, tus, 3, a.: to disconnect, loosen one’s self; leave, forsake, abandon, desert, leave behind, give up, break off.
duritia abl sing fem from dūrĭtĭa, ae: A severe mode of life, rigor, austerity, Hardness, oppressiveness, severity
evellit: 3rd pers sing pres indic act from ē-vellō vellī, volsus or vulsus, ere,to tear out, pluck out, extract
hinc inde: hinc et inde, de part et dʼautre, des deux côtés. From one side and another, from both sides.
imo: rather, on the contrary, whereas in fact
incidunt: 3rd pers plur indic act intrans from incidō, cidī, cāsus, 3, n.: to fall into; descend or fall,
ingere: 2nd pers sing pres imperative from in-gĕro, gessi, gestum, 3, v. a. to carry, pour, throw, or put into, in, or upon
licet; from licet -cuit and -citum est, ēre, impers. It is lawful, is allowed, is permitted
nequiverunt: 3rd pers pl perf inic intrans, from nĕquĕo, īvi and ĭi, ĭtum, 4. Imperf. nequibat. not to be able, to be unable, cannot
parum : (adv.), only a little, too little; little; not,
remissus: nom sing masc past participlefrom rĕ-mitto, mīsi, missum, 3, v. a. and n. relaxed, not rigid, strict, or hard, both in a good and bad sense.
tantummodo: only
unusquísque: from ūnusquisquĕ, (9) ūnaquæquĕ, ūnumquodquĕ (ūnumquidque subst.), everyone, chaque, chacun, chacune
English translation
Chapter XIII - Of resisting temptation
1. So long as we live in the world, we cannot be without trouble and trial. Wherefore it is written in Job, The life of man upon the earth is a trial.(1) And therefore ought each of us to give heed concerning trials and temptations, and watch unto prayer, lest the devil find occasion to deceive; for he never sleepeth, but goeth about seeking whom he may devour. No man is so perfect in holiness that he hath never temptations, nor can we ever be wholly free from them.2. Yet, notwithstanding, temptations turn greatly unto our profit, even though they be great and hard to bear; for through them we are humbled, purified, and instructed. All Saints have passed through much tribulation and temptation, and have profited thereby. And they who endured not temptation became reprobate and fell away. There is no position so sacred, no place so secret, that it is without temptations and adversities.
3. There is no man wholly free from temptations so long as he liveth, because we have the root of temptation within ourselves, in that we are born in concupiscence. One temptation or sorrow passeth away, and another cometh; and always we shall have somewhat to suffer, for we have fallen from perfect happiness. Many who seek to fly from temptations fall yet more deeply into them. By flight alone we cannot overcome, but by endurance and true humility we are made stronger than all our enemies.
4. He who only resisteth outwardly and pulleth not up by the root, shall profit little; nay, rather temptations will return to him the more quickly, and will be the more terrible. Little by little, through patience and long suffering, thou shalt conquer by the help of God, rather than by violence and thine own strength of will. In the midst of temptation often seek counsel; and deal not hardly with one who is tempted, but comfort and strengthen him as thou wouldest have done unto thyself.
5. The beginning of all temptations to evil is instability of temper and want of trust in God; for even as a ship without a helm is tossed about by the waves, so is a man who is careless and infirm of purpose tempted, now on this side, now on that.
Imitation du Christ : Livre 1 chapitre 13 : paragraphe 1 à 5 (début)
De la résistance aux tentations
Tant que nous vivons ici-bas, nous ne pouvons être exempts de tribulations et d’épreuves. C’est pourquoi il est écrit au livre de Job: La tentation est la vie de l’homme sur la terre. Chacun devrait donc être toujours en garde contre les tentations qui l’assiègent, et veiller et prier pour ne point laisser lieu aux surprises du démon, qui ne dort jamais, et qui tourne de tous côtés, cherchant quelqu’un pour le dévorer. Il n’est point d’homme si parfait et si saint qui n’ait quelquefois des tentations, et nous ne pouvons en être entièrement affranchis.
Mais, quoique importunes et pénibles, elles ne laissent pas d’être souvent très utiles à l’homme parce qu’elles l’humilient, le purifient et l’instruisent. Tous les saints ont passé par beaucoup de tentations et de souffrances, et c’est par cette voie qu’ils ont avancé; mais ceux qui n’ont pu soutenir ces épreuves, Dieu les a réprouvés, et ils ont défailli dans la route du salut. (…) (Livre I chapitre 13 :1-2)
(…) Plusieurs cherchent à fuir pour n’être point tentés, et ils y tombent plus gravement. Il ne suffit pas de fuir pour vaincre, mais la patience et la véritable humilité nous rendent plus fort que tous nos ennemis. (Livre I chapitre 13, fin paragraphe 3)
Celui qui, sans arracher la racine du mal, évite seulement les occasions extérieures, avancera peu; au contraire, les tentations reviennent à lui plus promptement et plus violentes. Vous vaincrez plus sûrement peu à peu et par une longue patience, aidé du secours de Dieu, que par une rude et inquiète opiniâtreté. Prenez souvent conseil dans la tentation, et ne traitez point durement celui qui est tenté, mais secourez-le comme vous voudriez qu’on vous secourût vous-même.
Le commencement de toutes les tentations est l’inconstance de l’esprit et le peu de confiance en Dieu. Car, comme un vaisseau sans gouvernail est poussé çà et là par les flots, ainsi l’homme faible et changeant qui abandonne ses résolutions est agité par des tentations diverses. (…) (Livre I chap.13 : paragraphe 4-5)
Prières
Veni Creator Spiritus (for chant, see here).Ave Maris Stella
Magnificat (for choral version see here, starting at 30 minutes).
Gloria
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