Crushing Temptations

Obviously from a couple of years ago, this is a good reminder to me of my own Lenten realization.

In Mel Gibson's movie The Passion of the Christ, in the very first scene in the garden, as Jesus is praying in agony, he sees a snake creeping up to him. The instant he sees the snake, he crushes it, he stomps on it, he has no mercy toward it and no second thoughts, no hesitation. That's what we all have to do with temptations: stop them at their very source, their very first beginnings, the very first thoughts.

Peter Kreeft, Food for the Soul, Year C First Sunday of Lent

I must say that one of my personal advances during this Lent is to recognize some temptations when they occur. This might sound obvious, but most of my temptations creep up for sins that are habitual. That makes sense. Sometimes I am fighting myself and sometimes I'm being assaulted by enemy barrages. When I'm in the middle of the battle, do I stop to ask where the blows are coming from?

Too often I don't. But having had the grace given to ask myself the question, "What if this is a temptation?" I've been able to simply say, "Go away!" I'm not always good at repeating it too many times, but sometimes just knowing it might be coming from outside is enough. Now, part of my morning prayer is to ask Jesus to show me when I'm being tempted so I have that extra help.

It strikes me, having read the quote above, that another part of my battle needs to be the immediate crushing with no second thoughts. Too often I feel as if it is natural to have a long battle with temptation, which I may win or I may lose. But the times when I've crushed the thought and refused to allow it entry, however many times there is a knock on the door — those are the times I've won.