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At that time Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be
tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights,
and afterwards he was hungry. The tempter approached and said to
him, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become
loaves of bread.” Matthew 4:1–3
In His great humility and compassion for us, Jesus, the Incarnate
Son of God, allowed Himself to endure something that we sinful
human beings encounter every day—temptation. God’s glorious plan
from the beginning included the creation of both humans and pure
spirits—angels—to form one glorious Kingdom of God. Original Sin,
the fall of the angels, and our struggle against temptation were
not part of God’s original intention, but they became realities due
to the misuse of free will, both by angels and by humans. Free will
was necessary for both angels and humans to love God freely, which
led to a third of the angels and many humans turning away from
Him.
Theologians such as Saint Thomas Aquinas and Saint Augustine offer
profound insights into God’s original plan for His Kingdom. In that
plan, angels were believed to have been tasked with assisting
humans in their journey toward perfection through enlightenment and
contemplation. Some choirs of angels were tasked with the
governance of the cosmos, guiding the physical world in harmony
with God’s will.
Tragically, the fall of a third of the angels, along with the sin
of our first parents, Adam and Eve, has resulted in a world filled
with struggle and sin. The fallen angels—now demons—use their
natural gifts to deceive, confuse, and tempt. Those who were once
responsible for guiding the cosmos now seek to sow chaos,
contributing to the existence of natural disasters, disease, and
death. While Catholic angelology is speculative, based on a limited
amount of biblical revelation, it is important to recognize the
role of angels and demons as we enter this sacred season of
Lent.
Today’s Gospel focuses on the activity of the most powerful fallen
angel—satan, originally named Lucifer, meaning “Light-Bearer.”
Tradition holds that he was among the highest of the angels,
possibly a Seraphim. According to Saint Thomas Aquinas, Lucifer’s
fall resulted from pride: He desired to be a god unto himself, to
create and govern according to his own will, refusing to serve God.
This cosmic reality, of which both Jesus and satan were fully
aware, sets the stage for and adds profound significance to their
encounter in the desert.
In this dramatic confrontation, Jesus, by allowing Himself to be
tempted, begins the ultimate defeat of satan, a victory that will
culminate in Jesus’ Passion, Death, and Resurrection. This is the
only recorded instance in which Jesus permits satan to tempt Him
directly. While satan remained active throughout Jesus’ ministry,
seeking to disrupt His mission, this moment in the desert addresses
temptation specifically. By rejecting each temptation, Jesus not
only demonstrates how to overcome the devil but also empowers
humanity with the grace needed to resist temptation through His
triumph on the Cross.
As we enter into the first full week of Lent, reflect today on the
temptations you face in your own life. Though satan is powerful and
highly intelligent, he is no match for the grace of God. By uniting
ourselves to Christ, we are strengthened to resist all that satan
and his demons throw at us. Victory over temptation is not achieved
by our own strength but through Christ’s grace, which He freely
offers to all who turn to Him.
My victorious Lord, You faced satan with courage, the
once-beautiful angel who fell from grace through pride and envy.
Now he seeks to destroy those whom You love. Give me Your strength
and courage this Lent as I confront my own temptations, so that
united with You, I may share in Your victory. Jesus, I trust in
You.
Image - Carl Heinrich Bloch - Jesus Tempted
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