Prayers and Promises
The Devil Preys
When Jesus wandered through the desert for 40 days, He faced the devil’s temptations. The devil attempted to prey upon Jesus just as the devil attempts to prey upon us—to sever our relationship with God.
Jesus rebuffed the devil by remaining faithful to God and obedient to His heavenly Father’s will. His victory over the devil in the desert was a prelude to His victory at the Passion—“the supreme act of obedience of his filial love for the Father.” [CCC 539]
Our 40-day journey through the Lenten Season is meant to unite us with the mystery of Christ in the desert. In this unity, we practice penance through self-denial, good works, and prayer. We build our resolve to resist the promptings of the devil and adhere to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.
A Fallen Angel
The devil is sneaky, however. It uses every form of manipulation and exploits all of our weaknesses to drive us away from God and into a destructive life of sin and darkness of the soul. All it needs to do is raise a doubt and add a layer of confusion to trap us and pull us off the path to holiness on earth for eternal life in Heaven. The devil ensnared Adam and Eve causing them to turn away from God in the Garden of Eden.
Remember, the devil is a fallen angel who rejected God and wants very much for each of us to reject God as well. Although there may be times in our life when we think the devil is overpowering us, the fact is the devil’s power is limited. It cannot “prevent the building up of God’s reign” [CCC 395]; let us remember that when the devil stirs up one of its confusions in our mind and heart.
The New Adam and New Eve
If our journey is difficult, let us find strength in Jesus, the new Adam. Where the first Adam failed to resist temptation in the Garden of Eden, the new Adam conquered the devil in the desert by remaining faithful and obedient to God. If finding that strength also proves difficult, let us turn to Mary, our Blessed Mother. Known as the new Eve, Mary was free from all power of sin and never strayed from God. By the grace of God, Mary protects us against temptation as she gently guides us to her Son.
The Lenten Season is a period of cleansing so that we can be renewed for God’s sake and the sake of our salvation. Do we treat this period of time as fulfilling an obligation by giving up a habit or favorite food for 40 days, only to return to our familiar ways at Easter time? Or do we take this opportunity to express our love for God and build on that love in the coming months ahead? As we make our choice, let us pray to Mary for her protection and may our Lord deliver us from evil so that the devil loses its power to prey.
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About the Author
For 15 years, Carol has been the writer/editor of Journey to Our Lady, a spiritual publication that helps readers seek out a closer relationship to our Blessed Mother, who draws the faithful closer to the Holy Trinity. From her Journey, Carol has authored the prayer book, Heavenly Mother Help Me; Prayers, Poetry and Prose for Daily Living, as a companion for individuals trying to live their faith every day.
Carol is an independent writer and speaker. Her article on Marian devotions is featured in the May 2017 issue of Catholic Update and Liguorian magazine.
Carol’s spiritual reflections, poetry, and prayers can be found on her web site: www.journeytoourlady.com and on Twitter: Carol Monaco @journey2ourlady.
Carol also is a member of the World Apostolate of Fatima (USA) and a member of Association Jeanne Jugan, a Catholic lay organization that provides individuals with an opportunity to share in the spirituality of the Little Sisters of the Poor.
