Salesian Literature

Chapter 13:  Counsels for preserving chastity

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Be extremely prompt to turn away from all the tendencies and all the attractions of lust.  In fact, this evil acts in an imperceptible manner.  It advances from small beginnings and leads to great misfortunes.  It is always easier to run away from it than to heal it.

 

The human bodies are like glasses which cannot be carried together, one touching the other, without running the risk of breaking them.  They are like ripe and well-seasoned fruits which receive some damage by touching each other.  Even water, however fresh it may be in a vessel, when touched by any animal cannot keep its freshness for long.  Do not allow anyone, Philothea, to touch you in an unbecoming manner either playfully or out of fondness.  Although chastity may perhaps be preserved among these actions, rather thoughtless than malicious, yet the freshness and flowering of chastity always receive some damage and loss.  But to allow oneself to be touched immodestly is the total ruin of chastity.

 

Chastity depends on the heart for its source and on the body as its subject.  Hence it may be lost by all the external senses of the body and by the thoughts and desires of the heart.  It is unchastity to look at, hear, speak, smell, and touch immodest objects when the heart rejoices and takes pleasure in it.  St. Paul says bluntly: Let not fornication be even named among you (Eph. 5:3).  The bees not only dislike to touch dead bodies but flee from and hate extremely every kind of stench that comes from it.  The sacred Spouse of the Song of Songs has her hands dripping with myrrh (5:5) a liquid that preserves from corruption.  Her lips are fastened with a red ribbon (4:3), a sign of modesty in words.  Her eyes are those of the dove (4:1), on account of their clearness.  Her ears have earrings of gold (1:10), a symbol of purity.  Her nose is like the cedars of Lebanon (7:4), an incorruptible wood.  Such should be the devout soul: chaste, clean and pure in hands, lips, ears, eyes and in the whole body.

 

About this I recall the words which the ancient Father John Cassian relates as coming from the mouth of the great St. Basil.  He once said about himself: “I do not know anything of women, all the same I am not a virgin.”  Indeed chastity may be lost in as many ways as there are different sorts of immodesty and wantonness.  Insofar as they are great or small, some make chastity weak, others wound it and still others make it die completely.  There are some indiscreet, immodest, sensual intimacies and passions which strictly speaking do not violate chastity but weaken it, make it languishing and tarnish its brightness.  There are other familiarities and passions not only indiscreet but visious, not merely foolish but immodest, not only sensual but carnal.  By these chastity is at least severely wounded and endangered.  I say: at least, because it dies and perishes completely when immodesty and lust give the body the final effects of voluptuous pleasure.  In this manner, then, chastity perishes more unworthily, wickedly and unhappily than when it is lost through fornication, adultery or incest.  For these latter of vileness are simply sins but others are, as Tertullian says in his book On Chastity “monsters” of iniquity and sin.  Now Cassian does not believe, nether do I, that St. Basil had such dissoluteness when he accuses himself of not being a virgin.  For I think that he was referring only to impure and voluptuous thoughts.  Even though they had not defiled his body yet they had stained the chastity of his heart of which those who are generous are very jealous.

 

Do not frequent immodest persons especially if they are also shameless of being immodest, as they are almost always.  The he-goats touching sweet almond trees with their tongues make them bitter[1].  Similarly these depraved persons with corrupt hearts can scarcely speak to anyone, either of the same or of the opposite sex, without causing them to fall off from chastity to some extent.  They have poison in their eyes and breath like basilisks[2].  Hence associate with chaste and virtuous persons.  Often think and read about sacred things, because the word of God is chaste (Ps. 119:9) and renders chaste those who delight in it.  David compares it to topaz (Ps. 119:127) a precious stone which has the power to weaken the heart of concupiscence.

 

Keep yourself always close to Jesus Christ crucified both spiritually through your meditation and really by Holy Communion.  Those who lie on the herb agnus castus become chaste and modest[3].  Even so by resting you heart on our Lord, who is the true chaste and immaculate Lamb, you will see that your soul and heart will soon find themselves purified of all defilement and unchastity.

 

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[1]  Pliny

[2]  The basilisk is a mythical reptile with breath and look capable of causing death.

[3]  Pliny, Agnus castus (chaste lamb): A tree once believed to be preservative of chastity.

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