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
