The Manuals Side by Side
Interior Mortification
Each work's treatment of this topic, whole and in its own order, in its own column. Paragraph numbers link to the passage in its place in the manual. Back to the topic page, where the passages of St. Alphonsus, True Spouse on this topic are also listed.
Only one manual in the library treats this topic so far; there is nothing yet to set beside it.
Merkelbach, Pastoral Questions
Ch. III, Question I: Concerning the Pious and Devout
- Inordinate passions, which give origin to the capital vices and all arise from inordinate love of self;8 these are to be restrained and weakened, though they can never be fully extinguished. Here three things are to be noted:
8 Cf. St. Thomas, I-II, q. 77, a. 5.
a) first of all the predominant passion by which we more frequently fall into defects is to be investigated and fought;
b) the first motions of passion are to be repressed, lest they grow so much that they can scarcely be overcome;
c) not only a notable passion, but the least passion and every appetite for a licit but unnecessary thing is to be mortified.
- The appetite for external causes which impede perfection: a) the appetite for riches by poverty of spirit and perfect indifference toward them; b) the appetite for honor and glory, which is sought even from good works, by weighing one's own nothingness and our absolute dependence on God, so that all things are gifts of God and from ourselves we have nothing except nothingness and sin; - by referring all works to the glory of God; - by concealing one's own gifts and not speaking about oneself; c) love of delightful things or of persons: by never acting for delight;9 by mortifying affection toward relatives and dealings with them and care concerning their affairs; by avoiding every merely natural friendship, especially one founded in tender and sensible love which draws its origin from gifts of body or disposition alone.
9 Let this be understood in the manner in which it is usually explained in the treatise on Human Acts.