March 10: By remembering we are God's sons and daughters
The temptation of Jesus in the desert encourages us to resist temptation during the 40 days of Lent. Fr. Steve explains the rich significance of the number 40 in the Bible. In the first reading we hear how the Lord saved the Jewish nation. But they wandered 40 years in the desert. Our whole lives are like those 40 days of temptation in the desert. But we are sons and daughters of God through our baptism, and our baptism gives us the power to resist temptation.
Jesus was baptized in the Jordan by John and when he came up out of the water, God the Father confirmed Him as his Son. This identity gave him the power to resist temptation during the 40 days he spent in the desert. Satan tempts Jesus in three ways: through the passions, inviting him to eat; through power, offering him the kingdoms of the world; and through presumption, inviting him to tempt God by throwing himself down from the parapet of the temple.
If we are men and women of the Word, our children will also know the word of God. The second reading explicates the word of God "in our mouths and in our hearts." Do we speak in Scripture, do we know Scripture? Have we invited the Lord to be Lord of every aspect of our lives?
We have the Holy Spirit through our baptism, just as Jesus received the Holy Spirit. We already have the good news and if we remember who we are, our true identity, we will have the power to resist temptation.
Fr. Steve encourages us to pray, fast, and give alms this Lent, and to bear witness to our true identity as sons and daughters of God.
