Gen. 2:7-9; 3:1-7, Psalm 51, Rom. 5:12-19, Matt. 4:1-11

    The Jesuit axiom of Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam, is a presupposition that we are made to love and serve God. So, all of our "means" only lead to one end; our love and service for the "Greater Glory of God".  As creatures created in the likeness of God, this all-encompassing state of being, for us, should be quite simple. Temptation can be seen as the prerequisite in the imbalance in our state of harmony with God.

     Where is temptation present in my life and how do I confront it?  This Lenten season is a purposeful occasion to take inventory into the strengths and weaknesses of my thoughts. For me, the occasion of sin only happens when my own busy thoughts are not aligned with God's will in my life.  My thoughts govern my actions; so, where do I acquiesce to ungodliness, or are all of my thoughts disciplined to cultivate Godliness?  Proverbs 23:7 reveals the nature of my own human conflict, for "As a man thinketh in his heart, so he is". The harder reality check for me, is not manifested in the Examination of Conscience prior to the Sacrament of Reconciliation, where I can list, and name the moments of "what I have done"; those obvious sins where I have fallen short.  I find more difficulty in exploring "what I have failed to do".

     We pray the words of the Penitential Act every Sunday in Mass, but do we ever pause and contemplate the gravity of what we are professing in prayer before our Church community, and more importantly standing before God? Do we give of ourselves to God all the time, or do we conveniently close the shutter of our eyes to personal situations of others in need, assuming the Church will tend to those who are forgotten? St. John Chrysostom noted that, "If you cannot find Christ in the beggar at the church door, you will not find him in the chalice".  The sin of "omission" is the toughest sin to contemplate in my personal examination of conscience.  My personal temptation is to stay on the high road, as it is far easier to list occasions where I have fallen short of being my best self. So where am I too blinded by the busyness of my days, to actually stop and see the face of God in my everyday life?  For years, I have seen the face of God in the offenders within the walls of state prisons that I have visited.  What a paradox that is for me! However, does that ministry alone exclude my availability to visit the sick in hospital, the elderly in nursing homes, deliver a meal to the homebound, or visit the local jail a little more often?  How often do I yield to the temptation to not take that road less traveled, to reason away that the Church likely has folks already covering that ministry?  My daily prayers such as Lauds, Vespers, and a Rosary succinctly enable me to keep my heart on what God is asking of me. Prayerful meditation reveals God's will and strength within me, which greatly exceeds my own capabilities.

     The author C. S. Lewis espouses that the devil is less inclined to covertly guide our actions; the primacy of the devil's efforts, Lewis purports, is to "distract" us in our thinking about his enemy (God), so we can busily, and rationally move further from God.  When we live in prayer our entire thought process and our busyness, remains only for the Greater Glory of God.  Temptation truly abates with prayer. May God guide us in peace during our discerning Lenten journey that we are taking together. May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil, and bring us everlasting life. Amen.

Barry Triche and his wife Jean have recently relocated back to Abilene from New Orleans, Louisiana. They have five grown children and six grandchildren. They are active in several ministries at Holy Family.