The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1902-02-08
WayOfthe Flesh
Boys, the Royal Road to Noblest
Manhood is By the Way of For
titude and Restraint.

/ over and over again young mel
need to be told that their own fesl
is their enemy. And it may be a har,
saying in their eyes that, if they wan
to be Christian men, they must b.
harsh to their own body, bringing i
into subsection to the soul by mean.
of denial fasting and pain. In a sof
and sensual age, this instruction ma,
seem too ascetic. The young them.
selves do not want to hear il, do MOI
desire to be urged to self-denial dc
not wish TO be told that the royal road
10 the noblest manhood is by the way
OF fortitude, self-restraint and suffer.
ins' They long to indulge themselves
10 eat gluttonously of rich food, tc
drink stimulsnts. to sleep late in the
morning, to shrink from the cold bath,
10 dress their bodies in fine clothes 10
read suggestive stories. to listen ia
ie"d talk. to fill their minds with indie
cent pictures, to fiirt with wantop
Sirls and to commit the deadly sins
Oh seiI-aouse and fornication.
1ney cannot see that. although cre-
ated little lower than the angels.
.hey are, by their tendency to gratify
,Ie nesh, degrading themselves to the
ieNei OF the beast; and that the more
a man struggles against sensuaIitv,
lhe hlgher he raises himself, the more
estlmap!e he becomes. the nearer he
approaches to the excellence of the an
Sellc spirits that are above them
1hey may find some stamina for
themselves in this talk by d contrib
utor, now the father of sons. who. ont
OF his own experience, directs them
now TO be pure.
Dear Columbian: Years ago. when 7
was young man, l stayed away from
the Sacraments for long time. When
l ala return to my religious duties /
went to confession to a priest who
was in the full flush of vigorous
MANHOOD. about 80 years of age. After
acknowledgements of nv 9TH
er transgressions, | told of certain Of
[enses against holy purity and I
wound up with the statement; .'Fa-
ther. 1 can't help it,
Stop right there said the confess
5or; don't say that. L don't mind
listening to anything that a man has
lone, If he's sorry for it and is re-
solved not to do it again. But l don't
Ike to hear man make excuses for
lis sins. Don't plead the baby-be a
nan. Don't tell God he is demanding
more than YOU can give-if You
'ouldn't help it, he wouldn't insist that
'ou must help it or be damned.
Heaven is worth working for and
for and God is worth serv-
ng even at some palms. Take cour-
ge. Say, With Gods aid 1 WILL /
elp it-I won't do it again. Subdue |
our own flesh and when you have |
one that you can more easily conquer !
he world of your former companions |
sin and the devil of impurity who |
empted you to this vileness. For
iods sake, don't do it again. When
ou feel the first flame of passion.
mink of Christ on the cross, see him
urn his dying eyes upon YOU, and
SIX yur soul, viii l add to his woe
i'll L increase the number of the sins
'r which he is making expiation?'
More he said to me of encourage
tent and advice that strengthened me
sainst a relapse. But after that what
yer explanations | had to make I
ever again said, Il can't help it."
So l admonish my boys now: IF
ou do wrong. don't make your of
nse worse by saying, Il can't help
Certainly don't do that until YOU
ave tried every means to keep pure.
cd be THANKED, there are good young
en-, and, so far as 1 know, they have {
/
we in fortifying country before it's {
emies are actually on the march {
'ainst it. and so l counsel. and in s
ruct, and warn my sons hoping that {
ey will know what to do, that they 2
III be trained in the wea apons of the f
ritual combat, before the hour for |
tile sounds and the rush of the I
nflict is upon them.
What, then, are the means to take c
keep pure? n
They relate to the body, to the mind, a
d to the soul.
rhe means that relate to the body h
2 these:
'irst-Avoid the use of Intoxicating
uor They stimulate the passion and n
AIKEN the will. g
eat heartily at night -
. light supper is apt to bring on a :
md rest.
you go to bed, lie on h
lr side and not on your back. = r
'ourth-If you can't sleep and are a.
Tested by evil thoughts, get up and :,
in d chair. Better spend part of :,
= night in a chair than eternity in -
'ifth-No lolling in bed after you ot es
AXE in the morning. Get up at a C
I'd hour and get up early: if you
axe before the time and cannot fall >,
eep again, get up then anyhow. |.
ixth-Take a cold sponge bath ev- =
morning. and for four days or so ~
ry month, take cold bath morn y!
and night. l.
eventh-Get rid of superfluous en- N 4,
V by means of exercise. Join a gym "
ium. if You can. If not. buy a set n
dumb bells and take long. brisk M
ks. al
ighth = If the flesh still wars w
inst the spirit. conquer it by means az
fasting and a ropes end. CO
he means to purity that relate to IN
mind are these: or
not let the imagination ha
od on impure thoughts. When they We
lc get up and stir around and ly
TX of something else. ce
the mind with decent lie.
passages from the
lie, beG:Itiful poems, extracts from
Gus orations, pages from Shake de
,re's plays, etc. til
good company Espec- ha
7 when beset with temptations to of
urity. after divine aid has been az
5ht human sympathy is the next o.
defense. Go to some friend who fol
feel for YOU and who will help to i9i
e away the fiend. tio
brave, be cneertul. be in
ident of victory. The moping man ar
seeks solitude and gives way to as.
incholy under the trial, is apt to of
lie means that relate to the soul yel
these:
rst-Pray. When desire stirs with 7
+ temptation comes from without ON,
he heart on prayer Promise God on
you will not turn away from him do,
iolate his command l,,n
cond-Appeal to the Blessed Vir- fer
She is the mother of purity. She I'm
nick to protect those who invoke ern
To preserve their innocence lie,
the sacraments. Go j.,