Jour 9 de 33

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

In princípio facílius víncitur tentátio

5. (...) Ignis probat ferrum, et tentátio hóminem justum. Nescímus sæpe quid póssumus, sed tentátio áperit quid sumus. Vigilándum est tamen, præcípue circa inítium tentatiónis, quia tunc facílius hostis víncitur, si óstium mentis nullátenus intráre sínitur, sed extra limen statim ut pulsáverit illi obviátur. Unde quidam dixit,

Princípiis obsta, sero medicína parátur,
Cum mala per longas invaluére moras.
Ovid. De Remed. II, 91.

Nam primo occúrrit menti simplex cogitátio, deínde fortis imaginátio, póstea delectátio, et motus pravus, et assénsio. Sicque paulátim ingréditur hostis malígnus ex toto , dum illi non resístitur in princípio. Et quanto diútius ad resisténdum quis torpúerit, tanto in se quotídie debílior fit, et hostis contra eum poténtior.

Tentatiónes ad nostram salútem praeordinátae sunt

6. Quidam in princípio conversiónis suæ gravióres tentatiónes patiúntur, quidam in fine. Quidam vero quasi per totam vitam suam male habent. Nonnúlli fatis léniter tentántur, secúndum divínæ ordinatiónis sapiéntiam et æquitátem, quæ statum, et mérita hóminum  pensat, et cuncta ad electórum suórum salútem præórdinat.

Fervéntius Deum exorémus

7. Ideo non debémus desperáre, cum tentámur, sed eo fervéntius Deum exoráre, quátenus dignétur in omni tribulatióne nostra nos adjuváre, qui útique, secúndum dictum S. Pauli, talem fáciet cum tentatióne provéntum (1 Cor. 10, 13)*, ut possímus sustinére. (...)

*[13] Tentátio vos non apprehéndat nisi humána : fidélis autem Deus est, qui non patiétur vos tentári supra id quod potéstis, sed fáciet étiam cum tentatióne provéntum ut possítis sustinére.
[13] Let no temptation take hold on you, but such as is human. And God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that which you are able: but will make also with temptation issue, that you may be able to bear it. (Knox: With the temptation itself, he will ordain the issue of it, and enable you to hold your own.)

Notes on Latin vocab

diutius: dĭūtĭus, adv. comp., and dĭūtissĭme, adv. sup., v. diu.s
eo: ĕō, adv. old dat. and abl. Referring to a cause or reason before given, therefore, on that account, for that reason.
exoremus: 1st pers plural pres subj active, from exōrō, āvī, ātus, 1, a.: to pray effectually; entreat, implore
fatis: ? 'assez', for. 
ingréditur: 3rd pers sing pres indic passive (dep) from ingredior , gressus sum, 3, dep. n. and a.: to walk into; w. dat., proceed to, take
invaluere: 3rd pers plur perf indic active intrans: from in-vălesco, valŭi, 3, v. n. inch. To grow strong or powerful
lēniter adv.with comp.and sup. lenis, softly, mildly, gently:
limen: acc sing n (extra - ), from līmen, ĭnis, n. Gr. λέχρις, λοξός; Lat. obliquus, līmus; hence prop. a cross-piece, a threshold; the head-piece or foot-piece of a doorway, the lintel or the sill (limen superum et inferum).
moras: acc plur from mora , ae, f.: delay, cessation, pause, respite, stay, hindrance, obstacle
mōtus, ūs, m.: a moving, motion, freq.; swiftness, agility, 
nullátenus: nullā-tĕnus cf. eā-tenus, etc., adv., in nowise, by no means
Nonnúlli: nomin plural from nonnullus: some, several
obsta: 2nd pers sing pres imperative, from obstō, stitī, stātus, 1, n.: to stand before or against; withstand, oppose, hinder, restrain, 4.91; to be obnoxious
obviatur: 3rd pers sing pres indic passive, from ob-vĭo, āvi, 1, v. n., to meet. In a hostile sense, to withstand, resist, oppose: alicui (cf illi, dat)
pensat: 3rd pers sing pres indic active, from penso, āvi, ātum, 1, v. freq. a. pendo, to weigh or weigh out carefully 
præcípue: praecĭpŭē, adv., v. praecipuus chiefly, principally, eminently
pravus; prāvus, a, um: (adj.), crooked; subst., prāvum, ī, n., perverseness, wrong, evil, falsehood
proventum: acc sing m, from prōventus, ūs, m. provenio, a coming forth, growing up, growth, increase; produce, yield, crop
pulsáverit: 3rd person sing future perf indic active,from pulsō, āvī, ātus, intens. a. and n.: to beat much; batter, buffet
quatenus, Interrog., to what point, how far 
quīdam, quaedam, quoddam, and subst. quiddam, pron. indef., a certain, a certain one, somebody, something 
sero: late, at a lae hour of the day.
sínitur: 3rd pers sing pres indic passive, from sinō, sīvī, situs, 3, a.: to allow, permit, suffer, leave off, forbear
torpuerit: 3rd pers sing fut perf indic active, from torpeō, uī, 2, n.: to be numb, torpid; unmoved
utique: adv, in any case, at any rate, certainly, surely, assuredly, by all means, particularly, especially, at least, without fail, undoubtedly

English translation

Temptation is more easily overcome at its first onset

5. (...) As fire testeth iron, so doth temptation the upright man. Oftentimes we know not what strength we have; but temptation revealeth to us what we are. Nevertheless, we must watch, especially in the beginnings of temptation; for then is the foe the more easily mastered, when he is not suffered to enter within the mind, but is met outside the door as soon as he hath knocked. Wherefore one saith,

Check the beginnings; once thou might'st have cured,
But now 'tis past thy skill, too long hath it endured.
Ovid. De Remed. II, 91.

For first cometh to the mind the simple suggestion, then the strong imagination, afterwards pleasure, evil affection, assent. And so little by little the enemy entereth in altogether, because he was not resisted at the beginning. And the longer a man delayeth his resistance, the weaker he groweth, and the stronger groweth the enemy against him.

Temptations are pre-ordained unto our health

6. Some men suffer their most grievous temptations in the beginning of their conversion, some at the end. Some are sorely tried their whole life long. Some there are who are tempted but lightly, according to the wisdom and justice of the ordering of God, who knoweth the character and circumstances of men, and ordereth all things for the welfare of His elect.

We should implore God more fervently

7. Therefore we ought not to despair when we are tempted, but the more fervently should cry unto God, that He will vouchsafe to help us in all our tribulation; and that He will, as St. Paul saith, with the temptation make a way to escape that we may be able to bear it. (...)

French translation

Imitation du Christ : Livre 1 chapitre 13 : continuité par. 5 à par. 7

(…) Le feu éprouve le fer, et la tentation, l’homme juste. Nous ne savons souvent ce que nous pouvons, mais la tentation montre ce que nous sommes. Il faut veiller cependant, surtout au commencement de la tentation, car on triomphe beaucoup plus facilement de l’ennemi, si on ne le laisse point pénétrer dans l’âme, et si on le repousse à l’instant même où il se présente pour entrer. C’est ce qui a fait dire à un ancien: Arrêtez le mal dès son origine; le remède vient trop tard quand le mal s’est accru par de longs délais. D’abord une simple pensée s’offre à l’esprit, puis une vive imagination, ensuite le plaisir et le mouvement déréglé, et le consentement. Ainsi peu à peu l’ennemi envahit toute l’âme, lorsqu’on ne lui résiste pas dès le commencement. Plus on met de retard et de langueur à le repousser, plus on s’affaiblit chaque jour, et plus l’ennemi devient fort contre nous.

Plusieurs sont affligés de tentations plus violentes au commencement de leur conversion; d’autres, à la fin; il y en a qui souffrent presque toute leur vie. Quelques-uns sont tentés assez légèrement, selon l’ordre de la sagesse et de la justice de Dieu qui connaît l’état des hommes, pèse leurs mérites, et dispose tout pour le salut de ses élus.

C’est pourquoi, quand nous sommes tentés, nous ne devons point perdre l’espérance, mais prier Dieu avec plus de ferveur, afin qu’il daigne nous secourir dans toutes nos tribulations; car, selon la parole de l’Apôtre, il nous fera tirer avantage de la tentation même, de sorte que nous puissions la surmonter.(…)

Prières

Veni Creator Spiritus (for chant, see here).
Ave Maris Stella
Magnificat (for choral version see here, starting at 30 minutes).
Gloria