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On Overcoming Temptations

Homily

Sunday, March 5, 2006, 1st Sunday of Lent

The great season of Lent is here, and it is time for us all to convert, to convert more than before, to live a life of grace better than we have up until now in our lives. It is the time to shout “enough!” to sin, and to finally take God as seriously as the saints did, as the martyrs did, as the apostles did, as Mary and Joseph did.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus went out into the desert and was tempted. Elsewhere (Luke 4) in the scriptures we find more detailed narrations of what exactly happened during these temptations, and how the Lord fended them off. Satan and all the demons in hell probably had a good idea that this was the Messiah, but their intellects were darkened by sin, and they did not enjoy the gifts of revelation, so they could not understand that the Messiah was in fact God himself. Yes, Satan really tempted him and longed for him to sin.

To get Lent off on the right foot, let’s just remind ourselves of some of the work we need to do in order to conquer temptations. For more important than our penances of Lent – which we should all be doing – we need to really purify ourselves first and foremost of our sins.

If you suffer from pride, strive to stop thinking about yourself deep inside your mind. Think of others instead, and wish good things for them, and do and give good things to others.

If you suffer from gluttony, including drinking, then fast. Never have a meal without a small sacrifice.

If lust assails you, don’t confront it directly like you must with other sins. This temptation you overcome by fleeing. Once a match is put to gasoline, it explodes; similar are the passions of the flesh. After fleeing, then habitually deny yourself the small comforts of every day; this self-denial is called mortification.

If anger attracts you, act meek so as to become meek. You will help move and attract your interior to what is good by your good actions on the exterior. Direct your anger against sin, hell, and the fallen angels.

Does greed lure you? Have a great interior life of prayer, which will help money become more tasteless to you. Be generous and give until it hurts, and then give some more.

If envy troubles you, that sadness one feels at another’s good or gain, a good tactic is to always speak well of others, never to speak badly of others, and to count God’s blessings over your life.

If you suffer from sloth, then persevere in whatever you do, never give up until it’s done. Put the TV in the room of the house you least like, to help yourself watch it less and overcome laziness and the wasting of precious time.

Be honest with your self. Flee from those things that tempt you, don’t be foolish. Help one another, not just by feeding the poor, but by saving your neighbor from sin. Pray together, have hobbies together, encourage and congratulate one another when someone does what is good and upright.

Of course, go frequently to sacramental confession. There you will find the supernatural grace to overcome what you can’t overcome by nature alone.

But to really overcome your temptations, to truly put an end to the life of sin, to live with the happiness of the saints both in this life and the rest, it all depends on one thing. The grace of God? Well, yes, but God always offers you that; so by your sins you know that something else needs to be in play. To overcome your sins, and to put an end to the life of sin, here’s the secret: you have to really want to.