Responding to Temptation During Lent and Beyond

As the season of Lent approaches, we can be sure that temptation will not be far behind. Thoughts, words, and deeds that were perhaps “swept under the rug” from the past year will resurface with vigor, ready to confront the best of us. How we respond to “rebooted” temptation will be key in whether our Lenten journey will be spiritually productive or not. It is important to note that any temptation, big or small, is not a sin in and of itself, and that Jesus himself experienced it while he walked among us.
The forty days of Lent, observed since the early church, are patterned after the time Jesus spent in the desert before beginning his public ministry. He fasted for the duration, and afterward, was tempted three times by Satan. The first two attempts by the devil were countered with quotes from scripture. It is the third one that got a rebuke in addition to the written word:
“Then the devil took him up to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their magnificence, and he said to him, “All these I shall give to you, if you will prostrate yourself and worship me.” At this, Jesus said to him, “Get away, Satan! It is written: ‘The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve.’” (Mt 4:8-10)
Our response to the temptations we are faced with during Lent should always be rooted in prayer, scripture, and church teaching, and commensurate to the scope of sinfulness at hand. The terms “mortal” and “venial” can be applied in determining a measured response to a particular area of sinfulness. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains:
“Venial sin weakens charity; it manifests a disordered affection for created goods; it impedes the soul’s progress in the exercise of the virtues and the practice of the moral good; it merits temporal punishment. Deliberate and unrepented venial sin disposes us little by little to commit mortal sin. However venial sin does not break the covenant with God. With God’s grace it is humanly reparable. “Venial sin does not deprive the sinner of sanctifying grace, friendship with God, charity, and consequently eternal happiness” (CCC 1863)
A temptation to commit Venial Sin should be dealt with as resolutely as possible. Gossip around the water cooler, and the “white lies” that ensue, will not “move the needle” too far, but can accumulate and cause damage by their collective “weight”. Our response to the temptation venial sin presents should be timely and measured. Mortal Sin, however, deserves to be addressed head-on, and in no uncertain terms. It has the potential of depriving us from being in the state of grace, and the charity necessary to be in friendship with God. Again, from the Catechism:
“Mortal sin is a radical possibility of human freedom, as is love itself. It results in the loss of charity and the privation of sanctifying grace, that is, of the state of grace. If it is not redeemed by repentance and God’s forgiveness, it causes exclusion from Christ’s kingdom and the eternal death of hell, for our freedom has the power to make choices for ever, with no turning back.” (CCC 1861)
Let us pray for the grace to respond to temptation during Lent and beyond, using the forty days Jesus spent in the desert as a sure guide.