Conquering Evil Works

Evil works... .

1. to create familiarity, and by subtly exploiting weaknesses 
2. stirs up temptations (see below),
3. raises doubts and undermines trust in others and in oneself, then
4. capitalizes on confusion by offering a cheap sympathy through false allies to coax dependence, 
5. fueling crisis and chaos, meanwhile feeding despair and
6. fomenting self destruction and death.

Before the start of His mission, the Lord Jesus faced the devil in the wilderness. The devil, i.e., Satan, sought to appropriate the very identity, power, and mission of Jesus by assaulting Him with three temptations. Satan challenged Jesus to:

• turn stones into bread to satisfy his hunger
• jump from the temple and misuse his power
• seize the kingdoms of the world by force

The devil's temptations follow three approaches:

1. The first temptation of Jesus is the lust of the flesh (St Matthew 4:3–4). Our Lord is hungry, and the devil tempts Him to turn stones into bread, but Jesus responds with Scripture from Deuteronomy 8:3. And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know; that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but that man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord.
2. The second temptation is pride (St Matthew 4:5-7), and the devil cites a verse of Scripture (Psalm 91:11-12). The Lord responds with Scripture to the contrary (Deuteronomy 6:16) - You shall not put the Lord your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah.) - declaring that it is wrong for Him to abuse His own power.
3. The third temptation is the lust of the eyes (St Matthew 4:8-10 (T)he devil took him to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them; and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Begone, Satan! for it is written,‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’”), and if there was any easy way to the Messiahship without going through the pain and crucifixion for which He had initially come, this was it. The devil already controlled the kingdoms of the earth (Ephesians 2:2), but he was now willing to offer all to Christ in exchange for His obedience. Jesus responds decisively, You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only (Deuteronomy 6:13). The audacity of the devil is shocking, though not surprising. He demands that Jesus, the Son of God, worship him! The insolence! The devil is in the Presence of the Word of God in the flesh, the Word through Whom God created the universe (St John 1:1-14), Jesus, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity.

Satan sees Jesus as a rival. The devil's envy extends to God's elect. The devil seeks to permanently reduce man to a state of destitution and dwell in eternal separation from God. There, in that hellscape, Satan can dominate his rivals for eternity. Anyone who seeks to dominate another shares the devil's attitude and is participating in the devil's attempts to undermine the dignity of man.

The devil's temptations are echoed in passages such as:

1. Peter's misguided assumptions at the time about the will of God: (Jesus) turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me; for you are not on the side of God, but of men (St Matthew 16:23)."
2. Passersby taunting Jesus. "He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him (St Matthew 27:42)."

Pieter Bruegel the Elder | The Fight Between Carnival and Lent (1559)

We have entered the narthex of Lent. That is, Gesimatide or Shrovetide. Once again we confront the truth about ourselves. As we turn toward the Lenten desert, we confront the truth about ourselves in the light of the Gospel, in the light of Jesus' saving death and resurrection.

1. Septuagesima: the parable of the laborers in the vineyard (St Matthew 20:1-16).
2. Sexagesima: the parable of the sower (St Luke 8:4-15).
3. Quinquagesima: the story of Jesus’ healing of a blind beggar (St Luke 18:31-43).

Shrovetide is the preparation we make before heading out on the journey of Lent. We stock up on the necessary provisions that will give us strength for the journey, the devotions which cultivate a heart and mind for God, devotions that dispose us to the grace of God. Reliance upon God is the manna which God provides to us during our desert wandering.

Shrovetide is a time for planning, to listen to the guides provided to us in Scripture that alert us to the dangers lurking in the shadows of our lives, those dark corners where sin lingers, those destructive habits to which we cling. We need help to overcome addictions great and small - physical and emotional idolatries.

Mindful of the temptations that the Lord faced, and how he faced those temptations, we accept our need for the grace of God. We must take shelter in the embrace of the Lord Jesus Who accompanies us into the desert to help us resist the attacks of the devil, that we might emerge victorious and ready for mission.

Contemporary societies revel in the excesses of Carnival, and after Mardi Gras - i.e., Shrove Tuesday, as we know that day in the Ordinariate - much of the formerly Catholic world merely suffers from a 40 day long hangover. How many people approach the spiritual life with any serious consideration for their eternal well-being?

Why 'shrove' or 'shriven'?

• Derived from the word 'shrive': to hear the confession of, assign penance to, and absolve (someone).
• Shrove Tuesday is the day when people go to confession in preparation for Lent, which begins on Quadragesima (Ash Wednesday).

God's grace works in us to...

1. Guide us to Jesus in His Catholic Church. 
2. Convert us to Jesus Christ.
3. Prompt us to Confess our sins in the Sacrament of Penance.
4. Enable us to express contrition, sorrow for sin.
5. Enable us to reverently receive Holy Communion.
6. Find consolation and clarity in Jesus Christ.
7. Prepare us for eternity. 

Lord Jesus, I trust in thee.