Resisting Temptation

       
             Jesus gives us two great strategies for resisting temptation in today’s Gospel. The first, fasting, is the act of denying ourselves something we want so we will have the willpower to resist sin. Since fasting is widespread and well understood, I would like to focus on the second, scripture memorization. This practice allows us to fill our heads with holy thoughts to take the place of unholy thoughts.

            The Spirit led Jesus into the desert to prepare Him for His mission of salvation because it is a place free of distraction—there is no choice but to be alone with our thoughts, so whatever we have filled our minds with is what will keep us company during “desert times.” We all experience desert times, and we need them to come to know ourselves and see the areas in which we need to grow, but we usually try to avoid them at all costs by playing music, surfing the internet, or any number of other distractions. However, no matter how we try to fight it, there will still be desert times—lying in bed waiting to fall asleep at night, after hearing difficult news, or, at the least, when the radio in the car breaks! Let’s take a lesson from Jesus who teaches us to go into the desert to better hear the voice of God. Be warned, listening to God is risky business—he might ask you to DO something!

            If our thoughts are our only companions when we find ourselves in the desert, and if we can’t avoid the desert forever (and shouldn’t try to), we had better purify our thoughts, right? Jews of Jesus’ day would have memorized most or all of their scriptures (the Old Testament). That’s why He was able to recall the passages He used to refute the devil’s temptations. Scripture memorization is a great and powerful tool to force out unholy thoughts by asking God to replace them with holy ones. Wouldn’t it be great if, the next time you were anxious about the future, Jeremiah 29:11 popped into your head? (“For I know well the plans I have in mind for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope.”) This is what St. Paul is talking about in the second reading today when he says “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart.” We don’t have to memorize the entire Bible, but there are scripture verses in it which deal with every fear, sin, or struggle we’ll ever encounter. A quick internet search will give you a few good ones to help with whatever you struggle with. This strategy is dyn-o-mite for those who struggle with purity!

- Michael LaPointe