Solomon’s wives turn him toward the worship of other gods, so that his heart is no longer entirely for the Lord. May we be reminded how easy it is to let other things take the Lord’s place in our lives.
Mass Readings – Thursday of the 5th Week of the Year
***************
St. Scholastica, pray for us!
St. Paul addresses the ongoing challenge of temptation we all face with the hope we have in Christ. It’s a spiritual battle, but one that we face everyday with the grace and strength of God.
Mass Readings – Friday of the 29th Week of the Year
***************
St. Pope John Paul II…pray for us!
The Book of Judges recounts a pattern as the people follow the Lord, stray, and then return to the Lord through God’s intercession. Throughout this human weakness to sin, God remains faithful…always seeking to bring us back.
Mass Readings – Monday of the 20th Week of the Year
***************
St. Steven of Hungary…pray for us!
Evil enters the world when Adam and Eve are tempted by the serpent. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we practice constant vigilance: aware of daily temptations in our lives, we renew our hearts to the Lord through prayer, sacraments and virtue.
Mass Readings – Friday of the 5th Week of the Year
***************
Isaiah and Jesus describe some of the things that can get in the way with our relationship with God; however, when we put the Lord first we find that everything else is empowered in its proper place.
Mass Readings – Monday of the 15th Week of the Year
St. Paul’s letter to the Romans teaches that we die to sin and rise with Christ, and as we place our hope in the Lord we have a strength to confront the darkness and evil that we uncover lurking in our hearts.
Mass Readings – 13th Sunday of the Year
The readings today remind us of the reality of evil and its blinding presence in our lives. Yet as we confront the darkness of sin we find that our help comes from the light of Christ, who gives us the courage and strength we need.
Mass Readings – Friday of the 4th Week of Lent
***************
The contrast between the temptation of Adam and Eve by the serpent and the three temptations of Jesus by Satan offers us some crucial insights into how we face the temptations in our lives today.
Mass Readings – 1st Sunday of Lent
***************
Study: When in life have you been profoundly tempted? What patterns do you notice in your life?
Pray: The temptations we face provide a special place in our prayers; bring them to the Lord!
Serve: How can you support others who are tempted so that they can face them with grace?
Mass Readings – 1st Sunday of Lent
We enter into the great season of Lent with classic readings about temptation, sin and God’s grace:
First, let me be perfectly clear: Temptation is a part of the landscape of human life. From the time of our first parents at the dawn of creation, humanity has experienced temptation. We can wish all we want, but the fact remains that we are constantly facing great and small temptations throughout the course of our lives.
What’s more, we have all experienced times when temptation has led us to sin. Being tempted is one thing; falling into sin is another. For once sin is a part of our lives, our souls are wounded in a way that requires God’s grace to cleanse and heal.
This awareness of temptation and sin can easily lead us to a state of despair. We can fall into the trap that says “Well, you messed up. What’s the point now? You might as well just give up.” Admittedly, the devil would like nothing better than to let us think that there is no hope…that we are lost and without strength to find our way out of the messes of life.
Yet we start our Lent with hope. Yes, we acknowledge that temptation and sin are real, but we take comfort that this is why Jesus Christ came – to break the bondage of sin, restore our relationships with God and one another, and lead us into eternal life. The Lord knew about temptation first hand, yet not only did he triumph over Satan’s testing, but he freed us through his death and resurrection.
In our moments of temptation and sin may we run to the Cross of Christ! As we encounter our own trials may we trust that the Lord stands ready to offer us help and strength – both to face what comes before us this day, and to heal us in our moments of need.
***************
Podcast Resources for a Powerful Lent
Note: This post was first published on February 27, 2017.
The Letter of James gives crucial insight into the nature of temptation. As we encounter our own temptations, may we never tire of calling upon God for the grace we need to face them.
Mass Readings – Tuesday of the 6th Week of the Year
***************
Catholic Inspiration – Podcast Archives of Homilies & Talks
Three Great Things 