Monday, March 7, 2022

The New Opportunity

 Meditation for the First Sunday of Lent
(Deut 26:4-10; Rm 10:8-13; Lk 4:1-13)

Truly, the devil is always looking for opportunity to lure the children of God away. But the opportunities are not far-fetched. In fact, we tend to even multiply them and render ourselves vulnerable to sin. After forty days in the wilderness, the hunger biting Jesus was a fertile opportunity for the devil to tempt him. “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” St James rightly said that it is from our desires that the devil sneaks in to lure us to evil (James 1:13-15). And human desires are insatiable; from desire for food and wellbeing to desire for companionship, power and control. Still, the more we get these things, the more we desire them. Thus, the opportunity for temptation abounds.

The victory we have over every temptation is that we are given a new OPPORTUNITY to submit our desires to Jesus Christ. We do this by ensuring that whatever we desire is in accordance with the righteousness of Jesus and in His name. “Submit yourselves to then to the Lord, resist the devil and he will flee from you. Come near to God and He will come near to you” (James 4:7-8). “And do not give the devil a foothold” (Eph 4:27). So, we put on the full amour of God against the schemes of the devil by ‘desiring Jesus’ and His righteousness and holiness. In other words, we must ensure that all our desires and aspirations are geared towards the glory of God.

Selfish desires and ambitions are fertile grounds for temptations to germinate. But the victory of Jesus over Satan has become our escape route. This victory has given us a new opportunity to overcome the devil. Now there is no temptation we cannot overcome since our human will is sealed in Christ Jesus as we submit our desires to Him.

Fr Jude Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,
Tedi-Muwo, Ojo, Lagos.
Sunday March 6th, 2022.
www.soundofsilence.ng
www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                     

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