WARNING LIGHT

A week ago I came across a quotation from one of my favorite saints, Caesarius of Arles, in which he is warning his flock to beware of those moments when they are feeling complacent and satisfied with their spiritual progress. The danger is this: it is just at those moments that we naturally tend to let down our guard, and the devil takes advantage of our carelessness and lures us into sin.

Oops! Pay attention!

I remember a similar idea in C.S. Lewis’ “The Screwtape Letters.” This religious classic is a series of letters written by a senior devil to a novice devil who is just learning the basics of how to be a good tempter. In one of these letters, the older devil points out that the man who is the assigned target for the younger is now in a perfect position to be lured into sin: The gentleman in question has become quite satisfied with his spiritual life, and thinks that the balance in his “bank account“ in heaven is in pretty good shape. Thus the man is getting smug. The senior devil points out that this man is now the perfect target for temptation because his guard is down. It’s a time for rejoicing among the demons. The younger devil is instructed to encourage this self satisfaction, so that it will become easier and easier to lure this gentleman into sin. 

Caesarius  and Lewis are on to something here: If you become complacent or satisfied with your relationship with the Lord, bad things can happen.

I have found that a daily examination of conscience can be very valuable defense against spiritual complacency. If I sit down at the end of my day and can find no imperfections or faults that I need to ask God’s help with, then the little red warning light appears on the dashboard: “Caution! You are in a dangerous situation." 

Caesarius tells us to watch out for tiny ¨harmless¨ faults and ¨trivial¨ venial sins. And C.S. Lewis warns that the devils rejoice when they see us start to relax and become self-satisfied about the state of our spiritual life. 

I hope that these brief but wise cautions will be as helpful to you as they have been to me.

Saint Caesarius of Arles, pray for us!