St. Ignatius Martyr Parish

On this first Sunday of Lent we are confronted with temptation. In the reading from Genesis we see the first temptation and the consequence. The devil was able to convince Eve that if she were to eat of the forbidden fruit that she would have her eyes opened and would know what is good and what is evil. Well their eyes were certainly opened and much to their surprise realized that they were naked! Human weakness, greed and the desire to be "gods" caused the fall of humanity and we continue to struggle with those same temptations today.

In the Gospel we have someone who resists temptation. The promised One of God has just been baptized and is now led into the desert where he will fast and pray for 40 days and 40 nights. At the end of that time, Satan appears. He knows Jesus is weak from not eating, so what better time than now to tempt Jesus.

So Jesus, the Son of God who has come to announce God's rule and build God's kingdom is confronted with evil. Jesus must decide whether he will satisfy his own hungers for power, glory and wealth, or be the son whose only concern is to do God's will and to make God known, loved and served. Of course, Jesus uses his free will to resist the devil's temptations rather than to succumb to them and so remains obedient to God's will. He refused to abuse his power and to allow another to replace God in his life. He relied on God's word for in that word he found the strength he needed to stand up to evil and not to be bowed to it.

As his disciples, Jesus expects us to follow his example. He has shown us how to respond to temptations. For us the temptations are the same. We are tempted to satisfy our hunger for material wealth, to have it all. We even work many hours to have that fancy car, a house that's too big, that dream vacation. God becomes an after thought. We are tempted to be famous. We want to be popular so we allow ourselves to be influenced by society. We are tempted to be in control, to have things go our way. We want power and the wealth that comes with it. We dislike giving in and sharing power for we fear losing power if we do, thus losing our source of wealth.

We, too, can resist temptation. First, we place our focus on God. It's all about God and what God wants. Second, we live by the Word of God and serve God alone. Third, we resist temptation by finding out what tempts us. What are our temptations? Fourth, we resist temptation by following Jesus' example. In what way did Jesus resist temptation? Fifth, we resist temptation through prayer, being aware of God's presence in our lives. God is always with us to help us and guard us against evil. God will not allow us to be tested beyond our strength. We can pray this line from Psalm 70:2: "O God, come to my assistance; O Lord, make help haste to help me", from the time we wake up to the time we go to bed. In saying that prayer we stay focused on God, we confess our faith and trust in God, our need for God, our own human frailty, an act of confidence in God's response to our prayer and an assurance of God's ever-present support.

Once we allow ourselves to recognize our need for God, it will be easier to resist temptation. To recognize our need for God comes from knowing that all things come from God and that without God we are nothing. May this time of Lent be for us a time of returning to God, a time of being the son or daughter God wishes us to be, a time to re-center our lives on God. May we admit who we are and who we should be. May we rely on God and on the power of Bread and Word for strength and inspiration. May we welcome grace freely and repent daily. If we place our faith and trust in God, we will reach our goal and have a joyful Lent!

OTHER ITEMS: 1) Remember: our Parish Mission begins this evening at 7:00 p.m. 2) Make it a point to spend more time in prayer to become aware of God present in your life. Come to daily Mass and give to those who struggle, either materially or spiritually. 3) Attend the Psalm classes that begin next Monday, February 18th.

Sincerely in Christ,
Fr. Joe