Beloved in Christ,
The devil tempted Jesus. The devil tempts every disciple of Jesus. How many times has the devil tempted you today? Will he tempt you tomorrow and on and on? Yes, he will. The devil never gives up making attempts to put us through temptation to sin. Even as Jesus defeated Satan in the battle for his soul, at the end of the test, the Scripture says, "he departed from him until an opportune time" (Lk 4:13). Temptation is the devil's insidious effort to lure into spiritual death. It is a deceit, a cunning, a lie, a falsehood that is appealing and perhaps enticing, but it is ultimately a ruse into hell.
What are the sources of temptations? They are the same for us as they were for Jesus. The tempter targets our weak human nature, uses our twisted world as a means of temptation, and directly suggests we follow our will in place of God's will by worshiping him. The flesh, the world, and the devil are the sources of our temptations. The Holy Spirit led him into the desert, where he fasted and prayed for forty days, after which he became hungry. Jesus was in a weak and vulnerable state when the devil tempted him to turn stone into bread. The devil dangles the glory of the world to Jesus and promises all will be his if he worships him. The evil one tempts Jesus with pride, asking him to put the Lord to the test by throwing himself down from the parapet of the temple in Jerusalem. The devil will tempt us to sin through means and things that seem natural and pleasing to us. We must resist him as Jesus did in the desert and decimate him in the spiritual warfare called temptation.
But it is not the end of Jesus' temptation. There will be no end to temptations. The father of lies will continue to tempt us until the end. He will return time after time, waiting for an opportune time to lure us into the darkness and the pit of hell. He returned to tempt Jesus at the Garden of Gethsemane. He returns repeatedly to lure us into sin, to draw us away from the truth to falsehood, especially when we let down our guards. We must be up in arms spiritually. We must watch and pray. We must soak ourselves in the Sacred Scriptures. We must tame our flesh in fasting and abstinence. God has provided all we need in the Church to fight and defeat the devil's temptation. Jesus was victorious. We, too, shall overcome temptations from the devil when we use the weapons that Jesus used. Let's resist the temptation to sin by deepening our love and friendship with Jesus during this Lenten season.
Let me recommend ways to increase your love and strengthen your friendship with Jesus during this holy season:
* Remember the ashes you received on Ash Wednesday. What does it say to you about the human condition? Ponder frequently over the words said to you when you received ashes: Repent, and believe in the Gospel or Remember that you are dust, and unto dust you shall return. It is sobering when you ponder those words.
*Consider attending at least a weekday morning or evening mass. Make the sacrifice of waking up early to attend Eucharistic Adoration before each daily mass.
*Attend the Stations of the Cross and join in the communal recitation of the Rosary before mass.
*Reduce time spent on social media and devote it to reading your Bible or listening to Catholic podcasts. Use the parish's Formed app.
*Fast, abstain from meat, or substitute with other forms of penance. Free yourself from any attachment to material or physical comfort. Give money saved from frugal living to those most in need in our community.
*Make plans to go to confession.
*Volunteer to help the Men's Club with their Lenten fish dinner distribution or any ministry that attends to needy people.
Have a renewing Lent.
Fr. Bernard Alayode, O.P.
The devil tempted Jesus. The devil tempts every disciple of Jesus. How many times has the devil tempted you today? Will he tempt you tomorrow and on and on? Yes, he will. The devil never gives up making attempts to put us through temptation to sin. Even as Jesus defeated Satan in the battle for his soul, at the end of the test, the Scripture says, "he departed from him until an opportune time" (Lk 4:13). Temptation is the devil's insidious effort to lure into spiritual death. It is a deceit, a cunning, a lie, a falsehood that is appealing and perhaps enticing, but it is ultimately a ruse into hell.
What are the sources of temptations? They are the same for us as they were for Jesus. The tempter targets our weak human nature, uses our twisted world as a means of temptation, and directly suggests we follow our will in place of God's will by worshiping him. The flesh, the world, and the devil are the sources of our temptations. The Holy Spirit led him into the desert, where he fasted and prayed for forty days, after which he became hungry. Jesus was in a weak and vulnerable state when the devil tempted him to turn stone into bread. The devil dangles the glory of the world to Jesus and promises all will be his if he worships him. The evil one tempts Jesus with pride, asking him to put the Lord to the test by throwing himself down from the parapet of the temple in Jerusalem. The devil will tempt us to sin through means and things that seem natural and pleasing to us. We must resist him as Jesus did in the desert and decimate him in the spiritual warfare called temptation.
But it is not the end of Jesus' temptation. There will be no end to temptations. The father of lies will continue to tempt us until the end. He will return time after time, waiting for an opportune time to lure us into the darkness and the pit of hell. He returned to tempt Jesus at the Garden of Gethsemane. He returns repeatedly to lure us into sin, to draw us away from the truth to falsehood, especially when we let down our guards. We must be up in arms spiritually. We must watch and pray. We must soak ourselves in the Sacred Scriptures. We must tame our flesh in fasting and abstinence. God has provided all we need in the Church to fight and defeat the devil's temptation. Jesus was victorious. We, too, shall overcome temptations from the devil when we use the weapons that Jesus used. Let's resist the temptation to sin by deepening our love and friendship with Jesus during this Lenten season.
Let me recommend ways to increase your love and strengthen your friendship with Jesus during this holy season:
* Remember the ashes you received on Ash Wednesday. What does it say to you about the human condition? Ponder frequently over the words said to you when you received ashes: Repent, and believe in the Gospel or Remember that you are dust, and unto dust you shall return. It is sobering when you ponder those words.
*Consider attending at least a weekday morning or evening mass. Make the sacrifice of waking up early to attend Eucharistic Adoration before each daily mass.
*Attend the Stations of the Cross and join in the communal recitation of the Rosary before mass.
*Reduce time spent on social media and devote it to reading your Bible or listening to Catholic podcasts. Use the parish's Formed app.
*Fast, abstain from meat, or substitute with other forms of penance. Free yourself from any attachment to material or physical comfort. Give money saved from frugal living to those most in need in our community.
*Make plans to go to confession.
*Volunteer to help the Men's Club with their Lenten fish dinner distribution or any ministry that attends to needy people.
Have a renewing Lent.
Fr. Bernard Alayode, O.P.
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