First Sunday in Lent
At the onset of Lent, Holy Mother Church takes us out to the desert with Our Blessed Lord. The reasons are obvious. First of all, the idea of Lent originates in Our Lord’s fast of forty days and forty nights. It was His immediate preparation for the ministry that he would commence shortly thereafter. By contemplating Our Lord’s penance, we are moved to imitate Him and practice self-denial in abstaining from food, drink and other natural pleasures.
The second reason we are given this Gospel is to contemplate the manner in which the Saviour deals with temptation. It is somewhat shocking that Jesus accepted being tempted by the devil, who held no sway over Him. And yet, by taking our humanity, He wanted to be like us in all things except sin. So Our Lord is tempted to sin, but He does not sin. This is the object of our contemplation on this day.
In this morning’s homily at Matins, St Gregory explained the distinction between the various parts of temptation that lead to sin. First, there is temptation itself, in other words, the suggestion of something sinful. This comes in the form of a thought or through the attraction of the senses. Second, there is some pleasure that comes because of the thought or the attraction, and this entices us to embrace the object of pleasure. Then comes the consent, which constitutes the actual sin.
It is crucial to distinguish these three steps. There can be no sin in the simple suggestion, and there can only be venial sin in feeling the pleasure if full consent is not given. If I am walking down the street on Good Friday and the scent of a nearby steak barbecue reaches my nostrils, I cannot help but perceive the suggestion, that is to say, the attraction to have some. Immediately, the image of a succulent steak, which inevitably draws my starving appetite, arises in my mind. All that remains at the level of the suggestion. If I do not have control of my senses, in an instant, I may begin to salivate and imagine myself enjoying my own share. This is the second step: the pleasure at the thought of actually having my share in this delicious repast. At this stage, if I am in the habit of never resisting any pleasures that present themselves, I may find myself getting in line and reaching for my wallet to pay for my lunch. If my Guardian Angel comes along and says: “Hey, it’s Good Friday, you’re supposed to be fasting”, then I’m presented with the actual sin: either I get ahold of myself and run away as fast as I can, or I consent: here there is sin, and since the precept of fasting is of a grave nature, it would be a mortal sin.
The reason it is so crucial to distinguish the parts of the temptation is that while no one is exempt from being tempted, temptation itself is not a sin. The tempter, the devil, can succeed in making people think that because they have had a temptation, they have somehow given in to it when, in reality, they are just human and find themselves attracted to certain pleasures. When the enemy succeeds in doing this, his job is made so much easier: all he has to do is present the temptation, and the person will fall, thinking that temptation equals sin; they become the plaything of the devil. This is where Our Blessed Lord’s example is so powerful. The enemy’s temptations have no sway over Him whatsoever, for He immediately repels them with a verse of Holy Scripture that puts the tempter to naught.
This is the way to deal with all forms of temptation, which are summarised in the three temptations we hear in the Gospel. They englobe all forms of sin, falling under the triple concupiscence of which St John tells us in his first epistle: the concupiscence of the flesh, the concupiscence of the eyes, and the pride of life (cf. 1 Jn 2:16). Framed another way, they are the desire for sensual pleasure, for fame (which includes vanity and notoriety), and power. If you have made the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius, you will remember the meditation on the Two Standards and how the devil tempts primarily through riches; that is to say, he inspires the desire to have more pleasure, more good looks, more power. You will also recall that the most potent way to counterattack those desires and not be swept away by the current is to ask for their opposites: suffering, humiliation, and lowliness.
So, as soon as we perceive a temptation, be it sensual or spiritual, as soon as we perceive that what is being suggested is contrary to God’s law, we must immediately oppose resistance. Mind you, this resistance can take two forms. Either it can be an explicit rejection of the suggestion, or it can simply be turning one’s mind in another direction. This latter approach is the best way to go when the temptation is of a sexual or simply sensual nature. Experience shows that, whereas animals are aroused to pleasure by sight and smell, humans are aroused by sight and thought. Turning one’s eyes and thoughts away to something else is a very simple and effective way of rejecting the temptation that, instead of leading to sin, leads to an act of the opposite virtue. In this way, in God’s plan, the enemy’s temptations are destined to make saints out of us. Temptation is, therefore, good for us as long as we deal with it properly.
In today’s epistle, St Paul reminds us not to receive the grace of God in vain. Now is the time to turn to Him seriously in prayer. Today is the day of salvation. But he does not hide the difficulty of the enterprise. Those who truly follow Christ and seek to live according to His teachings and example will necessarily encounter the same kind of obstacles He did. He dealt patiently with all, despite the tribulations and distress, the blows, the prison, the labour, the watching and fasting, living in chastity and meekness, never giving up on anyone, but showing immutable and persevering love for all.
And yet, what happened to Christ happens to His disciples. Some honour us, others slander us. Some say the worst things about us; others praise us. Some say we are tricksters, and yet, what we say is the pure, utter truth. Some treat us as if nobody knew of us, and yet the very fact that they take pains to say it shows that we are well known indeed. We are looked upon as dying out, and yet we are well and truly fully alive, and a great posterity is being prepared. People chastise us, but they cannot kill us; nay, they cannot really hurt us. Some think that we are plunged into sorrow because we have a serious outlook on life and its consequences. Yet, we are always filled to the brim with joy because we know the One in whom we have put all our trust (cf 2 Tm 1:12). We are looked upon as penniless because we have no esteem for the goods of this world, and yet we are the ones who enrich others with the goods that do not pass. We have nothing really, nor do we want it, for by means of our faith and what it promises us, we already possess all things (Cf 2 Cor 6).
In the end, we see why temptation is so useful. As the Archangel Raphael told Tobias the elder: Because thou wast acceptable to God, it was necessary that temptation should prove thee (Tob 12:13). If there were no trial, no one would ever know if you had any virtue. If you were never enticed to evil deeds or to illicit pleasures, there would be no opportunity to strengthen your mind and your body to be a good soldier in the Lord’s army. You would remain a spiritual dwarf, unable to be of any use in the great battle that engages us all.
The book of Sirach summarises it well: Son, when thou comest to the service of God, stand in justice and in fear, and prepare thy soul for temptation. Humble thy heart, and endure: incline thy ear, and receive the words of understanding: and make not haste in the time of clouds. Wait on God with patience: join thyself to God, and endure, that thy life may be increased in the latter end. Take all that shall be brought upon thee: and in thy sorrow endure, and in thy humiliation keep patience. For gold and silver are tried in the fire, but acceptable men in the furnace of humiliation (Ecclesiasticus 2:1-5).
Make not haste in the time of clouds, that is to say, in time of desolation and temptation. Endure patiently. Don’t run away. If you can, ask for more. And so it is that little by little, from one temptation to the next, you will become a strong warrior, one who is feared by the demons themselves. Until that day comes and you have truly acquired some virtue, if you do not want to fall, reach out and take Our Lady’s hand, and She, the Most Powerful Virgin, will hold you tight.
