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at the Easter Vigil Mass that will take place here next month ok at acumen this
will make their baptismal promises this is a very
important moment in their lives three times
they will renounce Satan is deceitful work
and is empty promises and then they will make a 3-4 profession of faith
God the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit
today's Gospel in fact all of today's readings
help them to be ready for that important moment in their lives
and for all the rest of us to renew our baptismal promises
because today gospel
recalls when Jesus was tempted
three times by Satan in the desert and now he may announce
Satan all three times not only did Jesus redeem us
I dine for us on the cross but he also taught us the resisting temptation
espada following him
notice that we're told that the very beginning in today's Gospel passage
she says was led by the Spirit
into the death to be tempted by the death this dramatic confrontation
between Jesus and Satan took place
by God's plan it was not an accident at all
and it took place immediately after
Jesus baptism in the Jordan that glorious moment
when he was filled with the Holy Spirit in the herd his father's words from
happen
you are my beloved son on you might favor wrath
so what a stunning contrast
one moment we have this clear display of Jesus divinity
that he truly is God one with the Holy Spirit in with the father
and then in the next
is tempted by Satan a display clearly appears humanity
he truly is got any truly is
man what we can learn from that fat
and from his public ministry
is the need for us to see resistance up
satan as part afar following Christ
here on earth the Christian life requires a constant battle
again say recall would say
John writes in his first letter the whole world he says
is in the power of the evil one those words we cannot forget
this is why it's such a great
lassie to come into the church to be baptized
and this is why it's constantly a struggle
to be faithful to this great blessing in vocation
because the Saint John writes the whole world
is in the power the evil one before every human person
their stand then to diametrically opposed options in life
either to seek comfort in this world
what the Bible calls maman that is
food power possessions or
on the other hand to seek the kingdom of God another way to say it is this
either to give in to the temptations of the devil
or to renounce Satan and unite ourselves
gladly and eagerly more closely with God
this is what the Latin journey is all about
it prepares the cat acumen and all the rest of us
to renounce the Prince a doc yes and to believe even more
gratefully in the Prince apiece
to reject the father of lies
and to believe even more in the father lull
the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and our Father to
in the desert Satan and she's a single page in a battle over fundamental
questions about human existence
is food up more important
then the Word of God very important question
when we're going into fasting why do we fast
but does that help us understand and remember everyday
is food more important than the Word of God
his earthly power stronger
than God's love. Are posessions
what truly matter or
is trusting God what really matters
the temptation to Jesus we see are very closely associated with his mission
from the father he came to provide
bread for the hungry he came
to multiply loaves and fishes to feed
thousands and thousands on the countryside
up the hill he change water into wine
he changed wine into his own precious blood
but he used his power always and only
for others not for himself
all power in heaven and earth belongs to him
and he uses it always not to his own advantage
for the salvation of the world we see this in these temptations
they teach us how deep is His love for us
and what can our union with Him makes it possible for us
to live notice how Jesus overcomes the temptations
by relying on the Holy Spirit it's the spirit that leads him into the desert is
with him
there in the desert as he confronts this fallen angel we call say
and notice how he turns to Sacred Scripture
to expose the deceits up the death
and to be puke is La
and so for us the Word of God leads
us and yet throws light
in the darkness of this world on the deceits have the evil one
Jesus wins the battle with say he is tempted but he never sends
as a lawyer else faithful son
he puts all his trust in the father
and more importantly for us he shares his victory over Satan's temptations
with us
were members of the church
of course most of us who follow Christ
would prefer we didn't have to deal with temptation
we may even think that if we tried harder we wouldn't have any
they disheartened us we don't like being constantly tested
some people think that joining the church will make life easier
I wish you were self it will make life much
much much better but it will not make life
easier in this world whoever wishes to be a follower of mine she's assess
must take up his cross every day and follow after me
crosses the glorious to reapply
but it is the cross
we may also feel that temptations would just go away if we tried harder
or if we lived with different people
or if we're in a different place what a different time in history
those are live God knows
why he made us at this point of time in this particular family of which were
apart
in the parish where we are in the country where wheeler
if Jesus fulfilled his mission by resisting Satan's lies
in one particular decir
and so must you 1 I'm who have the blessing
belonging to him through baptism
let us recall to the to say no to temptation
is to say yes to the Lord
to make a very clear choice forgot
when we resist temptation we say that he is
first in our life and we're going to constantly make that
are desire
the more resolutely we resist temptation the free year we've become
this is what real freedom a yes
on the other hand anytime we give in to temptation
we become addicted more and more
until we can become slaves
slaves up the evil one
the church then draws our attention to temptation
because it's such a vital part of our following Christ to resist it
not to discourage us at all but to prepare us for a battle
a battle against spiritual slavery
battle for the freedom to La
our temptations show on earth and will never cease
the greater our resolve to serve the Lord
the more we will be tempted by the father of lies
but every time we say no to Satan
we draw closer and closer to Jesus our Savior
and one other thing we need to remember with gratitude
whenever we resist temptation we're preparing ourselves for the Eucharist
remember the last praise Jesus uses in the gospel today to resist Satan's
the larger got you shall worship
him alone tell you sir
this is what we desire to do and what a blassie
to be able to give him praise and worship
with the free and loving heart