Self-control

Day 13. Admonition 10   Of Bodily Mortification.   There are many who if they commit sin or suffer wrong often blame their enemy or their neighbor. But this is not right, for everyone has their enemy in their own control.  This is their own body by which they sin. Therefore blessed is that servant who always holds captive the enemy thus given into their power.  Who wisely guards themselves from it.  As long as they act like this, then no other enemy, visible or invisible, can do them harm.

“Let us go to St Peter and St Paul, and let us pray them together that they may teach us and help us to possess the unbounded treasure of holy poverty, for it is a treasure so great and so divine, that we are not worthy to possess it in these vile bodies of ours.” 1   Francis was crazy about his body, not that he was handsome, rather the opposite though that was not why he constantly referred to it as ‘vile’: He pronounced it his enemy, the enemy of all who would follow Christ.   Francis teaches self-control in the literal sense, that we can control our deeds by keeping our body’s captive. While it is true that it is in our bodies we enact sin, always our actions follow our intentions.   Thoughts then deeds. But can our mind be captive of our deeds and so is incapable of doing the good?

1( upon the occasion of brother Masseo’s elevation while at prayer: Ch. XIII of  The Little Flowers of St. Francis of Assisi By Brother Ugolino)