First Sunday of Lent year C

[Music] today as a beginning of Lent the Church invites us into the temptations or the great combat the struggle against sin which will bring us to the Easter resurrection our model is Jesus who willed and allowed himself to be tempted to have compassion on our firm infirmities which comes from the book of Hebrews to have compassion on our infirmities it's quite a mystery just to think for a moment that Jesus would allow himself to be treated this way by the devil to undergo these things but it was for our benefit this is a great battle now for us we should have a humble boldness and a filial trust in God for us is it's 40 days and 40 nights - our Sundays in the Bible this always with the number 40 was a period of testing purification and preparation you look at the wandering in the desert God did not free the Israelites from Egypt just to put them in the desert it was all for a purpose it was to end up at the promised land so for us - the purpose of land is not just for Lent it's it's for Easter it's a preparation attesting the time to fight our sins primarily it's not about giving certain things up and focusing on those things those things we must though follow through on but it's really sin we're really aiming at our major sins especially the one we usually have one that we really struggle with whether it's gossip or lust these other things we want to really push back on those push back on them and be victorious in Christ Saint Agustin said these great words I'm glad I found them she said these words in this way he said do not dodge the fight if you want the prize do not dodge the fight if you want the prize he also said don't flinch from the fight we do flinch and we delay and if we are prompt in fighting sin and being decisive about it in fact it flees from us very quickly that temptation because we are decisive Pope emeritus Benedict the 16th said that evil draws its power from indecision and from worrying about what other people think I got to repeat that because I need that reminder evil draws its power from indecision and from worrying about what other people think powerful lines if we look at this scene with our Lord and the devil Christ overcomes the three temptations that in fact Adam fell to looking at Adam from Genesis Adam and Eve if you look at their temptations at the very beginning that first sin they saw the apple they saw that it was first good for food which correlates to this turn these stones to bread from the devil to Jesus it's good for food Jesus is tempted by the devil saying turn these stones to turn it into bread now the devil of course too is like a Salesman he only tempts us with him with what he knows we can do and he doesn't tempt us in the same way Jesus but in a similar way but in the same way no because you and I cannot turn stones into bread we just can be nice to be a cool trick but no we can't do that and all the kingdoms of the world he doesn't tempt us with that so it's good for food Adam was tempted the second temptation that he has is that it was a delight to the eyes Adam was tempted Adam and Eve saw that this food was also not just good for food but secondly a delight to the eyes this corresponds to then the devil saying all the kingdoms of the world could be yours this lust of the eye look at all the kingdoms they could be yours these possessions thirdly it will make one wise that's what Adam and Eve saw in this temptation this third part this third temptation they saw that it was they make make them like God they would be wise like God to have his wisdom this corresponds then to the third temptation if you are the son of God this pride of life throw yourself down from this parapets you and I cannot get that of course but then we've got in Christ an example and a model to live by when we are tempted in these ways you just think for a moment these three temptations that Jesus is assailed with correspond to the triple lust of the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life these are real temptations the lust of the eyes first of all is pleasure food drink sex etc those categories pleasure that's a real temptation if you and I can say to ourselves I've never been tempted in that area we are fooling ourselves we're fooling ourselves this is a real temptation now we have a great remedy in our Catholic tradition of the three fold practices of Lent the practices of Lent actually give us this victory prayer fasting and almsgiving what will help us then with this lust of the flesh or pleasure food drinking sex fasting fasting and we've kind of weakened our fasting but I highly encourage to fast to have you fast even once a week pick a day were you fast we're it's one meal and two little tiny snacks and watch what happens you begin to pray in a more vivid manner if you do the Stations of the Cross that day you'll find a new intimacy with Jesus but you didn't have before it's a beautiful thing and then when it comes to the lust of the eyes that temptation to possessions Oh all the kingdoms of the world you and I have a contempt ation to possess what someone else has or something that we don't have yet to just acquire those possessions they will make me happy right and the devil really does tempt us in that fashion if you get this you will be happy if you get this you will then have happiness and the devil is in no position to give out happiness he cannot deliver what he promises in his temptations he cannot by his very nature it's usually a great lie and it ends us with a disillusionment and a disappointment so what can help us in this area this lust of the eyes giving on us our possessions giving them away giving arms especially our money which often is our treasure to give that away to worthy causes especially to the homeless especially to food shelves especially to Habitat for Humanity things of that nature but even more so st. Vincent de Paul Society that's a great society and the third one the pride of life if you are the son of God throw yourself down from the parapet of the temple this is a disordered love of self to be wise like God and breaking his Commandments and thinking I know better this one is a hard one this one takes a whole lifetime to pull this one out of our sores to draw the poison out since it has such a powerful and intoxicating effect because it makes us God and then we show what is good and evil in our lives we are the dictator of what they are and that is a scary place to be when it comes to God before us God is always before us one day we'll meet him face to face and if we've lived like that or were the litmus test of good and evil and we'll go before him and we'll say to him to him that I think I'm God we'll have to say that that's what we've been living will we be able to to say that you are God and I am NOT thy will be done and not mine that's a big one and so the real remedy for us is prayer prayer will be the big remedy for that one the pride of life because prayer shows humility to God prayer combats that pride his prayer is a humble acknowledgment that we need God's help and that we cannot do it on our own I think this is kind of a time to look at a strange word because I like strange words in its gumption we need gumption in this Lent I'm convinced of it gumption is such a weird word but and we don't use it that much but I want to use it because I like it gumption and what gumption there's Lent what is gumption and you can look it up on your phones too later it is the ability to do something in a particular situation and then to do it with energy and determination to have courage in moving forward to push back event against the temptations with the power of Christ behind us because we're not alone in that fight he wants us to turn to him that he might bring about the victory in us in those moments because those moments are real we are really tempted to turn away from God and God will help us if we but turn to him in those moments we need that gumption that holy gumption the ability to do something in a particular situation and then to do it with energy and determination the ability to do something in a particular situation and then to do it with energy and determination we need gumption especially to pray in those moments lord save me from this temptation helped me to decide rightly help me to make the right decision he will help you in that moment there's also temptations that I didn't mention that are related but it's some things like don't go to confession you know that's a temptation that is truly from the devil that is from the devil he tempts us in this way and he wants us to stay away from that sacrament to get the baggage on our hearts off of us he knows that that will be good for us he knows that then we'll be more like the children of God that he cannot be he knows this we must have confidence in God that humble boldness and a filial trust with great gumption behind us to go in there and be decisive about it I'm gonna give these sins to Jesus and move on and having learned from them in fact there's no shame in admitting our sins there's no shame in that reality because we're now wiser than we once were by admitting them by taking ownership for them saying Jesus these are my sins I need you and your help and with every temptation afterwards we'll know that there is actual grace sufficient to overcome it within our reach calling upon Jesus even his name using his name Jesus will be a powerful help to us let us never be too disturbed by the violent way sometimes that temptations come at us turn to him and speak plainly to him speak plainly to the Lord and ask for that grace and I say also use Aero prayers aero prayers are a great help to us and we've lost them I I to forget them from time to time I but I find them so powerful in moments because we're all busy and full with life and its activities but these are arrows that fire at the devil in the moments of temptation we loose these arrows at him and they can be several things we have our choices to use them find one you like like the Saint Michael the Archangel prayer or scripture use one little scripture verse the Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear that's one of them that's a nice little arrow prayer the Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear or how about another one I can do all things in him who strengthens me st. Paul I can do all things in him who strengthens me because Jesus also as our example uses scripture to fight the devil to bring the truth before him this is the truth and the psalm that we had today also with Psalm 91 is actually a prayer of deliverance from evil memorize any one of those lines and use it and like that we will call upon the Lord for strength in those times of temptation like our psalm said he shall call upon me and I will answer him I will be with him in distress I will deliver him and glorify Him

Channel: St. Joseph Catholic Church

Views: 964

Keywords:

Id: 0xgSsvTHfls

Length: 14min 12sec (852 seconds)

Published: Mon Mar 11 2019