Take up the Holy Trio

“At daybreak Jesus went out to a solitary place.” Luke 2:42

The smell of smoke lingers in the chilly early morning air. Leaving the warm confines of community and moving with steadiness past the snug little hovels, goes one man. A dog wags his tail and sweeps the step at his master’s door. A few tethered animals raise their droopy heads and acknowledge Him as he passes silently pressing toward his destination: a rocky high place up and away from any possible distractions. Up there, in the silence, he can be with his Father; as was his custom, Jesus rises early to pray.

As disciples of Christ we are called to imitate His life of prayer which appears like a rather extreme form of devotion. What we must realize, however, is that we are in a spiritual combat zone and the evil darkness is thick and narcotic and seeks to tranquilize us. Scripture can help us as it sheds light on the three pronged strategy waging war against us: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.

In this season of preparation for Easter we are challenged to make a major effort to turn from the wiles of the devil. We are reminded of the weaponry that our Lord has provided to ward off the attacks of the evil one. These are what St Augustine termed the “holy trio”. To combat the lust of the flesh we are exhorted to fast, to combat the pride of life we are exhorted to pray, and to combat the lust of the eyes we are exhorted to give alms or random acts of mercy. Basically, sensual gluttony is tamed with fasting; unrealistic confidence about our own abilities is offset by humble dependence on God in prayer, and covertness and greed by generosity. If we are not practicing these in unison or if we are only emphasizing one there will be an imbalance and a possible breach of the defenses. Each member of the “trio” is strengthened further by its partner such that our prayers are catapulted into God’s presence when we couple them with the practice of fasting and almsgiving.

In Lent we are called to empty ourselves in order to be more filled with the life and power of Christ. Extreme devotion is only possible with the extreme presence of our Lord. Is He merely present or pre-eminent in your life?