As someone who has already given up nearly everything, the devil has quite a task tempting this Apricot. My mind is now so thoroughly celibate that if ten naked ladies danced in front of me, I would probably be more interested in learning a few of their dance moves. I always did love ballroom, and in my younger days I was rather elegant on the dance floor.

I barely drink, and with my current medical troubles my diet is so restricted that gluttony is no longer an option. Gambling is out too — you need money for that, and I haven’t any. On the surface, it might seem as though temptation has very little to work with.

But the devil is never discouraged. His aim is not simply to lure us into obvious sins; his real strategy is far more subtle. He tries to undermine our understanding of God’s love — God’s total, unconditional love for us. Saint John Vianney expressed it perfectly: “He makes us think everything is lost when nothing is lost.” That is the devil’s favourite lie: that we are lost, abandoned, or beyond God’s reach.

God, unsurprisingly, sees things very differently. “You are precious in my eyes,” He says in Isaiah (43:4). And if we wander, He sends the Good Shepherd — His own Son — to come and find us (Luke 15). God’s response to our weakness is not irritation but tenderness.

For that reason, I do not wish to give the devil any more space on this page. That deceptive, whispering creature does not deserve the final word.

Instead, I want to speak about the purpose of Lent. In this Apricot’s view, Lent is a time to shift the furniture, do a bit of spring cleaning, and make room for more of God’s love. We can never have too much of God’s admiration, God’s delight, or God’s pride in each one of us. But to receive it more deeply, we sometimes need to clear out the clutter — the opinions, habits, or temptations that drown out His voice. We need to fast from them. We probably also need to repent, confess, and hear God’s tenderness in the words of absolution.

We also need to give. Giving is a sign of sacrifice — a small echo in the world of the great sacrifice made by Christ on the cross. Yes, give to the poor and support charities that care for the destitute and the vulnerable, but also give forgiveness. Be brave enough to forgive someone who has truly hurt you. Christ forgives from the cross; we can do the same from our armchairs and sofas. Forgiveness also clears out “the one I do not want to mention” from the rooms of our hearts, minds, and souls.

Lent in three words: declutter, give, forgive. Quite catchy.