Daily Retreat 02/25/07
2007 Feb 25 SUN: FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT
Dt 26: 4-10/ Ps 90(91): 1-2. 10-11. 12-13. 14-15/ Rom 10: 8-13/ Lk 4: 1-13
From today’s readings: “Therefore, I have now brought you the firstfruits of the products of the soil which you, O LORD, have given me.... Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.... The word is near you.... Man does not live on bread alone....”
The Devil is the Craftiest PR Man!
When considering the temptations of Christ, we must remember that the Devil, of course, knew Whom he was dealing with, and for this reason, the climatic three temptations recorded in Luke’s Gospel were, without doubt, the Tempter’s very best attempt, his craftiest, most subtle, audacious, and insolent enticements to evil. Now you and I, weakened by Original Sin and our own sins, struggle daily with the crudest, most primitive tricks and traps of the Devil, so all too often, we acquiesce to Satan’s more sophisticated snares even without realizing that once again, we’ve been led astray and have fallen into temptation.
This is what I mean: Consider that first temptation, when the Devil proposed to Jesus, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” So subtle, it sounds sinless! Jesus is human - He’s hungry - isn’t that a good reason? Why not take care of His basic needs? Who would be hurt or offended? What commandment would be broken? But the Lord’s answer, “Man does not live on bread alone” reveals that the temptation lies not in the proposed action per se, but in the misplaced priorities the action of turning stone into bread would betray. The Devil tempts, “Put yourself and your needs first!” So subtle, it sounds sinless! Jesus retorts, “No! Put God and others first! Even when you’re hungry, tired, cold, confused, poor, scared, frustrated, bored, don’t allow anyone or anything to be an excuse for not putting God first!”
My friends, Christ thwarted that terrible temptation so that you and I, today, would wake up and see how Lucifer lulls us daily with this same seductive sedative! Because of Christ’s victory, you and I can (and must!) examine our own sense of priorities, and recognize the many times we’ve put ourselves first, instead of God; then, we can (and must!) repent for deciding so often, “I’m really hungry, so I’ve got a good reason to skip Grace and the nourishment of God’s bounty; I’m really tired, so... skip prayers tonight and the invigoration of His presence; I’m really cold, so... skip Church and the warmth of His House; I’m really confused, so... skip studying my faith and the illumination of the Magisterium; I’m really poor, so I’ve got a good reason to skip the collection and the reward of heeding His invitation to share; I’m really scared, so... skip Bible study and the encouragement of His Wisdom; I’m really frustrated, so... skip Mass and the comforting assurance of His Real Presence; I’m really bored, so... skip a real commitment to faith and the joyful thrill of living the fullness of the life God created me for!” The Devil tempts, “Put yourself and your needs first!” Jesus teaches us to reply, “No! I put God and others first! Especially when I’m hungry, tired, cold, confused, poor, scared, frustrated, bored, I need to put God first!”
Consider now that second temptation, when the Prince of Darkness promised Jesus prominence and prosperity, “I shall give to you all this power and glory... if you worship me.” So audacious, it’s atrocious! Notice how Satan has shifted his strategy: the first temptation was so subtle, it hardly seemed like a sin. But, for the second temptation, the dare-Devil decides to go for broke - he throws all his chips on the table, figuring that high stakes will intimidate anyone from calling his blatant bluff! The Tempter promises everything if one will just bow to his authority instead of God’s authority. But the Lord’s answer, “You shall worship the Lord, your God, and Him alone shall you serve,” reveals that the temptation lies not in the promised payoff, but in simply giving credence and allegiance to diabolic authority. The Devil tempts, “Believe in me and my minions - do it my way, bow down to me, and you shall have everything you want!” So audacious, it’s atrocious! Jesus retorts, “No! Worship and serve God alone - be loyal only to Him and His divinely delegated authority!”
My friends, Christ foiled that fiendish temptation so that you and I, today, would stand up and denounce how Satan snags us daily in this same sinister snare! Because of Christ’s victory, you and I can (and must!) consider our own cave-ins to Satanic intimidation, and recognize and renounce the many times we’ve appealed to any authority in variance with God’s; then, we can (and must!) repent for these atrocities. Think especially of abortion: Lucifer purrs, “Believe me - abortion is the answer to overpopulation, subjugation of women, unwanted children, genetic impurities - so many of societies ills can be cured with abortion!” Once again, we see the daring Devil has gone for broke, published the biggest, most monstrous lie possible - and yet people believe it - tragically, so many people, from our next door neighbor to a polluted pool of politicians and presidential candidates, believe that lie! And collectively, we’ve been too intimidated to effectively expose and debunk his lie. Just look at the price paid to the Devil for giving him credence: surely, those brutally aborted child sacrifices count as a central ritual of Satanic worship! How is it possible? Only because people are intimidated by the Devil’s bluff, or duped by charlatan authorities allied with the Prince of Darkness. And it’s not just abortion - there are many big lies the Devil has told, promising great things for those who will swallow his baited hooks: euthanasia, contraception, promiscuity, religious indifference, materialism, hedonism. The Devil tempts, “Believe in me and my minions - do it my way, bow down to me, and you shall have everything you want!” Jesus teaches us to reply, “No! I worship and serve God alone - I will be loyal only to Him and His divinely delegated authority!”
Consider finally that third temptation, when the Devil, quoting scripture for his own purposes, preaches to Christ, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written: He will command His angels...to guard you.” So insolent, it’s insidious! But the Lord’s answer, “You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test,” reveals that the temptation lies not in taking the Lord at His Word, but in the perilous presumption that, if need be, God will even circumvent free will in order to save! That, however, is the one thing God will never do, for that would strip one of the heart of human dignity. The Devil tempts, “Don’t worry about your salvation - God cares about you too much to allow you to fall!” So insolent, it’s insidious! Jesus retorts, “No! Such precipitous presumption that puts God to the test must be rejected! God gave man the dignity of free will - one must choose God and heed His guidance to be saved from falling.”
My friends, Christ spoiled that scathing temptation so that you and I, today, would rise up to flee from the insidious illogic of presumption! Because of Christ’s victory, you and I can (and must!) purge presumption from our lives, we can (and must!) repent for each and every insolent instance of arrogantly excusing ourselves from God’s laws. Make no mistake: every blessing God gives us is intended to lead us to Him, but the sin of presumption is a demonic judo by which Satan leads us to turn those very blessings against God! That’s the pernicious peril of presumption - it’s certainly not God’s plan for you and me, but if we ignore the assiduous warnings God gives through our conscience and through His Church, warnings about what will lead to our downfall, and we stubbornly persist in sin, God will not stop us from throwing ourselves down into Hell. Presumption is so prevalent today - pray, pray, pray that God help you and me escape that infernal quicksand! The Devil tempts, “Don’t worry about your salvation - God cares about you too much to allow you to fall!” Jesus teaches us to reply, “No! Such precipitous presumption that puts God to the test must be rejected! God gave me the dignity of free will - I choose God and heed His guidance to be saved from falling!”
Christ thwarted, foiled, and spoiled all temptations so that through His grace, you and I, today and everyday, when faced with our own temptations, would choose to follow His example in putting God first, worshiping and serving God alone, heeding God’s guidance, and thereby, definitively, decisively, defeating the Devil!
Dt 26: 4-10/ Ps 90(91): 1-2. 10-11. 12-13. 14-15/ Rom 10: 8-13/ Lk 4: 1-13
From today’s readings: “Therefore, I have now brought you the firstfruits of the products of the soil which you, O LORD, have given me.... Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.... The word is near you.... Man does not live on bread alone....”
The Devil is the Craftiest PR Man!
When considering the temptations of Christ, we must remember that the Devil, of course, knew Whom he was dealing with, and for this reason, the climatic three temptations recorded in Luke’s Gospel were, without doubt, the Tempter’s very best attempt, his craftiest, most subtle, audacious, and insolent enticements to evil. Now you and I, weakened by Original Sin and our own sins, struggle daily with the crudest, most primitive tricks and traps of the Devil, so all too often, we acquiesce to Satan’s more sophisticated snares even without realizing that once again, we’ve been led astray and have fallen into temptation.
This is what I mean: Consider that first temptation, when the Devil proposed to Jesus, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” So subtle, it sounds sinless! Jesus is human - He’s hungry - isn’t that a good reason? Why not take care of His basic needs? Who would be hurt or offended? What commandment would be broken? But the Lord’s answer, “Man does not live on bread alone” reveals that the temptation lies not in the proposed action per se, but in the misplaced priorities the action of turning stone into bread would betray. The Devil tempts, “Put yourself and your needs first!” So subtle, it sounds sinless! Jesus retorts, “No! Put God and others first! Even when you’re hungry, tired, cold, confused, poor, scared, frustrated, bored, don’t allow anyone or anything to be an excuse for not putting God first!”
My friends, Christ thwarted that terrible temptation so that you and I, today, would wake up and see how Lucifer lulls us daily with this same seductive sedative! Because of Christ’s victory, you and I can (and must!) examine our own sense of priorities, and recognize the many times we’ve put ourselves first, instead of God; then, we can (and must!) repent for deciding so often, “I’m really hungry, so I’ve got a good reason to skip Grace and the nourishment of God’s bounty; I’m really tired, so... skip prayers tonight and the invigoration of His presence; I’m really cold, so... skip Church and the warmth of His House; I’m really confused, so... skip studying my faith and the illumination of the Magisterium; I’m really poor, so I’ve got a good reason to skip the collection and the reward of heeding His invitation to share; I’m really scared, so... skip Bible study and the encouragement of His Wisdom; I’m really frustrated, so... skip Mass and the comforting assurance of His Real Presence; I’m really bored, so... skip a real commitment to faith and the joyful thrill of living the fullness of the life God created me for!” The Devil tempts, “Put yourself and your needs first!” Jesus teaches us to reply, “No! I put God and others first! Especially when I’m hungry, tired, cold, confused, poor, scared, frustrated, bored, I need to put God first!”
Consider now that second temptation, when the Prince of Darkness promised Jesus prominence and prosperity, “I shall give to you all this power and glory... if you worship me.” So audacious, it’s atrocious! Notice how Satan has shifted his strategy: the first temptation was so subtle, it hardly seemed like a sin. But, for the second temptation, the dare-Devil decides to go for broke - he throws all his chips on the table, figuring that high stakes will intimidate anyone from calling his blatant bluff! The Tempter promises everything if one will just bow to his authority instead of God’s authority. But the Lord’s answer, “You shall worship the Lord, your God, and Him alone shall you serve,” reveals that the temptation lies not in the promised payoff, but in simply giving credence and allegiance to diabolic authority. The Devil tempts, “Believe in me and my minions - do it my way, bow down to me, and you shall have everything you want!” So audacious, it’s atrocious! Jesus retorts, “No! Worship and serve God alone - be loyal only to Him and His divinely delegated authority!”
My friends, Christ foiled that fiendish temptation so that you and I, today, would stand up and denounce how Satan snags us daily in this same sinister snare! Because of Christ’s victory, you and I can (and must!) consider our own cave-ins to Satanic intimidation, and recognize and renounce the many times we’ve appealed to any authority in variance with God’s; then, we can (and must!) repent for these atrocities. Think especially of abortion: Lucifer purrs, “Believe me - abortion is the answer to overpopulation, subjugation of women, unwanted children, genetic impurities - so many of societies ills can be cured with abortion!” Once again, we see the daring Devil has gone for broke, published the biggest, most monstrous lie possible - and yet people believe it - tragically, so many people, from our next door neighbor to a polluted pool of politicians and presidential candidates, believe that lie! And collectively, we’ve been too intimidated to effectively expose and debunk his lie. Just look at the price paid to the Devil for giving him credence: surely, those brutally aborted child sacrifices count as a central ritual of Satanic worship! How is it possible? Only because people are intimidated by the Devil’s bluff, or duped by charlatan authorities allied with the Prince of Darkness. And it’s not just abortion - there are many big lies the Devil has told, promising great things for those who will swallow his baited hooks: euthanasia, contraception, promiscuity, religious indifference, materialism, hedonism. The Devil tempts, “Believe in me and my minions - do it my way, bow down to me, and you shall have everything you want!” Jesus teaches us to reply, “No! I worship and serve God alone - I will be loyal only to Him and His divinely delegated authority!”
Consider finally that third temptation, when the Devil, quoting scripture for his own purposes, preaches to Christ, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written: He will command His angels...to guard you.” So insolent, it’s insidious! But the Lord’s answer, “You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test,” reveals that the temptation lies not in taking the Lord at His Word, but in the perilous presumption that, if need be, God will even circumvent free will in order to save! That, however, is the one thing God will never do, for that would strip one of the heart of human dignity. The Devil tempts, “Don’t worry about your salvation - God cares about you too much to allow you to fall!” So insolent, it’s insidious! Jesus retorts, “No! Such precipitous presumption that puts God to the test must be rejected! God gave man the dignity of free will - one must choose God and heed His guidance to be saved from falling.”
My friends, Christ spoiled that scathing temptation so that you and I, today, would rise up to flee from the insidious illogic of presumption! Because of Christ’s victory, you and I can (and must!) purge presumption from our lives, we can (and must!) repent for each and every insolent instance of arrogantly excusing ourselves from God’s laws. Make no mistake: every blessing God gives us is intended to lead us to Him, but the sin of presumption is a demonic judo by which Satan leads us to turn those very blessings against God! That’s the pernicious peril of presumption - it’s certainly not God’s plan for you and me, but if we ignore the assiduous warnings God gives through our conscience and through His Church, warnings about what will lead to our downfall, and we stubbornly persist in sin, God will not stop us from throwing ourselves down into Hell. Presumption is so prevalent today - pray, pray, pray that God help you and me escape that infernal quicksand! The Devil tempts, “Don’t worry about your salvation - God cares about you too much to allow you to fall!” Jesus teaches us to reply, “No! Such precipitous presumption that puts God to the test must be rejected! God gave me the dignity of free will - I choose God and heed His guidance to be saved from falling!”
Christ thwarted, foiled, and spoiled all temptations so that through His grace, you and I, today and everyday, when faced with our own temptations, would choose to follow His example in putting God first, worshiping and serving God alone, heeding God’s guidance, and thereby, definitively, decisively, defeating the Devil!
posted by FrPitstick | 2/22/2007
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