As your Majesty has always been pleased, and
continues to
be pleased, by the sacrifices and offerings we mortals offer to your
glory
from a pure heart, I present this little tract of
The Spiritual
Combat,
dedicating it to your divine Majesty. Nor do I draw back because it is
a small
tract: indeed it is well-known that you alone are that high Lord who
delights
in humble things and despises the world's vanities and pretensions. And
how
without blame and condemnation could I dedicate it to another than your
Majesty,
King of heaven and earth? What this little tract teaches is all your
doctrine,
you yourself having taught us that, trusting no more in ourselves, we
should
trust in you, fight and pray.
Moreover, if every battle needs an expert leader to guide and inspire
the
troops -- as they fight more generously when they fight for an
invincible
captain -- does not this
Spiritual Combat need one as well? So
have
we, who are already resolved to do battle and to conquer whatever
enemy,
have chosen you, Jesus Christ, for our Captain: you who have conquered
the
world, the prince of shadows, and with the wounds and death of your
most
holy flesh have won the flesh of all those who have fought and will
fight
generously.
Lord, when I put this
Combat in order, I kept in mind the
saying:
We
are unable even to think something on our own (2
Cor. 3.5). If without you and without your help we cannot entertain
good
thoughts, how can we fight against so many powerful enemies by
ourselves,
and avoid innumerable hidden ambushes?
Lord, in all respects this
Combat is yours: because, as I have
said,
yours is the doctrine and yours are all the spiritual soldiers. Among
these
are we
Theatine Clerics Regular. Bowed at the feet
of your
most hight Majesty, we therefore ask you to accept this
Combat,
ever
moving and animating us with your present grace to fight more
generously.
We do not doubt at all that, if you fight in us, we will win, to your
glory,
and that of your most holy Mother, the Virgin Mary.
Your most humble servant with your Blood
DON LORENZO SCUPOLI
Cleric Regular
Today you are about
to give battle to your enemies;
do not let your heart weaken;
do not be afraid, do not get discouraged,
and do not shrink before them,
because the Lord your God walks with you
to fight for you
against your enemies and to save you.
(Dt 20.3-4)
Preface ·
Table
of Contents
·
First Chapter
Regular Theatine Clerics: Lorenzo Scupoli was a priest of the
"Theatine Clerics
Regular."
The word "Theatine" comes from the Latin name of the Italian town with
which
their origin was associated; a "Cleric Regular" is a clergyman who
lives
according to a rule (Latin:
regula). There are a number of
orders
with the title "Clerics Regular" but the Theatines were the first with
that
title (I believe; they use the initials CR after all). The Theatine
Clerics
Regular were a relatively new order at his time. Their aim was the
internal
reform of the Church, and they were highly relied on by the Vatican in
the
16th and 17th centuries, especially for clerical and liturgical
reforms.
Contemporaries with the Jesuits, they were for a while called "the
birthplace
of bishops." Today their number and influence has dwindled somewhat.
They
operate one parish in the United States.