1st Sunday of Lent

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One of the clearest themes in this week’s Readings is that of Temptation. It is one of those things that we all struggle with. So let us look at what happens to us and the process of discernment that must take place when we are making decisions.

But the question that I ask myself is: Why do we get tempted?
A way of looking at this question is to look at the first reading. We see that the Serpent “the most subtle of all wild beasts” Here we see that there was temptation to eat of the fruit and so therefore disobey God: So therefore putting them greater than God. This is the first way that we get tempted especially into Sin. We see ourselves as greater than God. We put the self first before even God. Therefore making ourselves into little gods. We find that we think that we know best and so ignore what is around us. We ignore the law of God.

Temptation also comes in many shapes and sizes. It may come in a size of a chocolate bar at the moment especially if we have given up chocolate or sweets for Lent. It may come in meat on Fridays or if you are fasting on a particular day during Lent. Another example is when maybe if you have given up drinking for Lent and after work you are invited out for a drink everyone else is having a drink and yet you are left on the side as it were drinking soft drinks. There then maybe a temptation to join them. We justify it by thinking that it might be easier just to have a drink because you don’t want to be explaining what you are doing. This happens especially when we are ashed on Wednesday. How much easier is it to wipe the ashes off straight away rather than have to answer questions and be looked at oddly?

So what do we do? How do we battle the temptations of this world? There is a clue in the Prayer that we pray every time we come to Mass the Our Father. In that prayer we ask lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.

But we have to do something as well. I remember when I was a child we always gave up sweets for lent. On Shrove Tuesday we had our last sweets and then over night the sweet tin was hidden and not seen again till Easter day. In one sense my parents did a great thing. They put temptation out of harm’s way.  So we need to also look after ourselves by not putting things around us that may tempt us not to do the thing that we had given up.
The other thing is that at the start of doing something it is really easy and we start with a lot of enthusiasm and then as time goes by it gradually diminishes so we need to have also what a priest friend used to call stickablity. Let’s take going on a diet or exercising for example. We know that it is good for us and we do very well for the first few days or weeks and then as time goes on old habits  creep back in and we are back to square one. This will happen especially when we have bitten of too much in our Lenten penance.
So maybe I should leave you with some tips that have helped me deal with temptation.

1.  Stick to our Penance
2.    Prayer
3.    “ Lead us not into temptation”
4.    Don’t let the Lettuce rot in the fridge 

Comments

Mark said…
I find it difficult to stick to small hardships during Lent as our culture is no longer one with self-discipline and restraint. We are all encouraged to have fun and do what feels good. Sacrifice is an out-moded concept yet very desirable. I'm not sure where to look for inspiration but I am trying hard to stick to my goals.
15 March 2011 at 19:54
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