First Sunday of Lent

Having exhausted every way of putting him to the test, the devil left him, until the opportune moment. - Luke 4:13

The Gospel reading for the First Sunday of Lent shows Jesus in the midst of temptation. The devil has brought all he has to offer - food, power, testing the faithfulness of His Father in heaven, yet Jesus resists every one.

Resisting temptation is extremely difficult. The devil knows our weaknesses well and uses them to try to get at us. We all have certain temptations that are especially difficult for us, and sometimes, sadly, unlike Jesus, we give in. You know what those temptations are - they are the ones that lead to the sins that you end up repeating in confession every single time you go. Yet, the important thing is that we keep trying, keep praying,and keep telling the devil "no." For we know the truth, even if the devil did not in this passage. There will be no "opportune moment." The devil isn't the one who wins. Christ died to save us. Our sins can be forgiven. Heaven is once again open for us.