貞潔之德與「四樞德」中的「節德」，息息相關。在他的默想箸作「神親」，赤足聖衣會會士佳播神父寫著：「在婚姻以外，絕對的貞節是人人必守的，別無例外。婚姻內的貞潔讓夫婦在不違反婚姻目的之下享受親密的快感。正如神貧非役於世物，而是善用世物，則貞潔非役於感觀，而是制衡感觀。」

鄧奎利神父在「神修生活」一書中比喻：「貞潔之德是如此脆弱易損，需要其它德行的維護，就像城堡需要外圍城牆一樣。維護貞潔的四度城牆是：謙遜、責任感、克己和愛天主。」本週，我們先探討首兩度城牆。

謙遜

謙遜產生：不妄自信、信賴天主、躲避危機、和坦白真誠四種態度。

不妄自信與信賴天主並肩而行。聖斐理.乃立常謙卑地向天主說：「我的天主，盯緊著斐理！否則他會出賣祢。」我們要為守護貞潔而祈禱。

天主不會讓我們受到超乎我們能力的誘惑。特利騰大公會議訓道：「天主不會令人做不可能的事；但當祂命令，祂要我們盡力而為，並為力所不及的祈求天主，祂會賜給我們力量去完成祂的命令。」

面臨考驗，我們不要與誘惑對話，而是轉向祈求天主的聖寵。聖施禮華神父曾寫道：「每當我們故意選擇與誘惑對話，靈魂便喪失平安，一如順從不潔會摧毀聖寵。」

人類不善固守貞潔，所以，要小心退避誘惑危機。聖業樂告誡聖聶樸說：「別輕易讓異性進入你的居所；如因聖職需要探望寡婦或貞女，也不要單獨進入異性的居所。讓同行者不要使你蒙羞。你不要獨自或沒他人目證下與異性同座，以免瓜田李下，並可迴避嫌疑閒語。」

謙遜防止我們醉心諂媚或自詡，幫助我們對自己和神師坦白真誠。「被揭露的誘惑就是要被克勝的誘惑。」告解和接受神修指導時的誠懇，幫助我們得到光照，克勝罪惡和誘惑。

「聖潔來自肉性的謙虛。」—— 聖施禮華神父。

善盡責任

聖本篤的會規寫著：「空閒是靈魂之敵。」聖若望.鮑思高說：「避免空閒和游手好閒的人；要善盡本份。空閒令我們犯罪，因為它教我們所有邪惡。」

喜愛研讀和工作，能使我們充滿有益的思想；相反，白日夢、閒談及浸淫媒體，都會使我們的腦海，充斥著空幻的景象與危險的思想。

聖業樂勸議道：「喜愛聖經知識，你便不會喜愛肉慾的罪惡… 常工作，別讓魔鬼找到你的空閒。」

Chastity is a moral virtue that is closely connected to the cardinal virtue of temperance. In the meditation book, Divine Intimacy, Father Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen, OCD, wrote, “Outside marriage, absolute continence is demanded of everyone without distinction. Conjugal chastity limits marital pleasure to the ends of marriage itself. Even as poverty frees us from slavery to earthly goods and regulates their use, so chastity frees us from slavery to our senses and moderates their use.”

Father Adolphe Tanquerey, author of The Spiritual Life, wrote, “Chastity is a frail and delicate virtue that cannot be preserved unless it be protected by other virtues. It is, as it were, a citadel that requires for its defence the raising of outward ramparts.”

The four “ramparts” or “guardians” of chastity are: humility, devotion to the duties of one’s state, mortification, and love for God. This week we will look at the first two, and next week, the last two.

Humility

Humility produces four dispositions in us: distrust of self, confidence in God, flight from dangerous occasions, and sincerity in spiritual direction.

Distrust of self and confidence in God must go together. St. Philip Neri used to address God humbly: ‘My God, beware of Philip; otherwise he will betray You.”

Chastity is a gift that we should pray for.

God will not allow us to be tempted beyond our strength. The Council of Trent teaches: “For God does not enjoin the impossible; but when He commands, He bids us do what lies in our power and to pray for what lies beyond, the while He lends us the power to accomplish His command.”

In times of trial, instead of dialoguing with temptation we should turn to God and pray for grace. St. Josemaria Escriva wrote, “As soon as you wilfully allow a dialogue with temptation to begin, the soul is robbed of its peace, just as consent to impurity destroys grace.”

Human beings are weak in the area of chastity, therefore we should take the precaution of fleeing from dangerous occasions of sin.

St. Jerome gave St. Nepotian the following pieces of advice: “A woman’s foot should seldom if ever cross the threshold of your home.”

“If, in the course of your clerical duty, you have to visit a widow or a virgin, never enter the house alone. Let your companions be persons, associates, who will not disgrace you.”

“You must not sit alone with a woman or see one without witnesses.”

“Beware of all that gives occasion for suspicion; and to avoid scandal shun every act that may give colour to it.”

Humility causes us to repress the inordinate desire to please and to receive affection. It also helps us to be truthful to ourselves and to our spiritual directors. “A temptation laid bare is a temptation already overcome.”

Sincere confession and spiritual direction allow us to receive light to overcome sin and temptation.

Devotion to duties

St. Benedict in his rule wrote, “Idleness is the enemy of the soul.”

St. John Bosco said, “Avoid idleness and idle people; carry out your duties. Whenever you are idle you are in serious danger of falling into sin, because idleness teaches us all kinds of vice.”

Love for study and work fills our mind with wholesome thoughts, whereas day-dreaming, idle chatting, and curious use of the media fill our mind with vain fancies, illusions, and dangerous thoughts.

St. Jerome gave this advice: “Love the knowledge of Scripture, and you will no longer love the sins of the flesh…. Always have some work on hand, that the devil may find you busy.”

“Holy Purity is the humility of the flesh,” according to St. Josemaria Escriva.