“The Triumph Against Temptation”

Fr. Rowel Jose (Arjay) Abanto

We started the Season of Lent on Ash Wednesday, the imposition of ashes on our forehead. It symbolizes that ‘we are dust, and to dust we shall return’ and we need to ‘repent and believe in the Gospel.’ The gospel for the first Sunday of Lent is always the story of the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. It is intended to make us think not only about Jesus and his struggle but to help us realise that the history of God’s people from Adam and Eve to the present day involves a similar story. The essence of the temptation of Jesus was the idea that he could go it alone, that he could be entirely self-sufficient. Jesus resisted this because he recognised his complete dependence on the Father. He knew that he needed to be nourished by God’s word and that his true destiny lay in his seeking to do his Father’s will. When Satan succeeds in convincing us that we have it in our power to save ourselves then we are on the path to self-destruction. Lent is a time for us to humbly take God’s hand and to walk the path of faith and love that leads to Easter.

In every area of our lives there are periods of mending, renewing, and refocusing. We talk about ‘spring cleaning’, ‘annual reviews, and ‘in-service training’. Now we enter a period to renew our discipleship prior to celebrating the death and resurrection of Jesus at Easter. So now can we spend some moments considering how God our creator made us and has provided for us. Let us recall that God our saviour has called us to live in a new way and to build a world of justice and peace. Let us remember how God our inspiration offers us strength for our discipleship.

Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam! For the Greater Glory of God!

Source: stories4homilies.blogspot.com