Archbishop Charles Chaput in his book Things Worth Dying For, wrote that, “suicide rates have increased in every US state in recent years, especially among males and the elderly. In the period 1999-2016, twenty-five states saw suicides increase by more than 30 person, with the Midwest hardest hit.”
I can see how it increasing with injustices happening more and more. Especially when you feel you’ve been wronged and can’t do anything to overcome it. Or when you’ve tried your best, the world goes wrong, and you feel you have no hope. Or when the enemy is so strong and victorious and God isn’t protecting you.
Sounds horrible, right? A book that helps me is A Dialogue of Comfort Against Tribulation by Saint Thomas More. He said during these times of temptation (for suicide), he recommends to, “resist, contemn, and ask for help.”
Let’s go through each of these:
RESIST
Saint Thomas More said, “just as a soldier sometimes does better to flee from his enemy’s traps, so a man under this kind of temptation should not always reason against it, but should cast it entirely out of his mind and not allow himself to think about it.”
Easier said than done, but I think this is a good goal to aim towards.
CONTEMN
Saint Thomas More means to show contempt towards the devil. “Some people make the sign of the cross upon their hearts, and then they laugh at the devil and scorn him, and turn their minds to some other matter. When the devil sees how little attention they give him, he often draws entirely away. This is not only because his proud spirit cannot endure to be mocked, but also because he know that if he keeps up the temptation without getting the person to sin he will be giving a great increase of merit to him.”
Key takeaways for me here: 1) make a sign of the cross on our hearts and 2) turn out minds to something else.
ASK FOR HELP
Saint Thomas More’s third and final advice on the matter is to “ask God’s help, praying for himself and requesting the prayers of others, especially of good priests at Holy Mass. Let him ask prayers from his own guardian angel and from saints to whom he is devoted.”
BONUS MATERIAL!
Saint Thomas More gives additional advice during temptation. He said, “many verses can be found in the Psalms as weapons against the devil’s temptations, such as ‘let God arise, let his enemies be scattered, and let those who hate him flee before him’ (Psalm 68:1) Praying such passages in the midst of temptation is pleasing to God and terrible to the devil’s temptations. Non are more terrible to him than the words our Savior used to drive him away: ‘Begone, Satan!’ And none are more useful to us or more acceptable to God than the words our Savior taught us: ‘Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.’ I am sure that those who use such remedies will be surrounded by God’s protection as by a shield, and will not need to fear these terrors of the night.”
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