The first two temptations were straightforward enough: sensual pleasure and power. But this third one is more elusive. It is the temptation toward glory. It is the temptation to use God, to manipulate him instead of becoming his servant: “Then the devil led him to Jerusalem, set him on the parapet of the Temple, and said, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here…’”
What does the Temple have to do with glory? There was no place more central in Jewish society than the Temple, no place more revered. To stand therefore at the very pinnacle of the Temple is to stand highest in the eyes of the world. Everyone would be watching you, even God. As the devil says to Jesus, “He will bid his angels watch over you…with their hands they will support you, lest you stumble on a stone.”
This is the temptation to self-deification, one that all of us sinners are susceptible to. It's the temptation to make ourselves the center of the universe. But Jesus replies, “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.” God remains God, and you must become his servant.
Having dealt with these three classic temptations—sensual pleasure, power, and self-deification—Jesus is ready for his mission.
But the Gospel ends on an ominous note: “When the devil had finished every temptation, he departed from him for a time.” Notice the words “for a time.” This is warning to all of us that temptation will return throughout our lives, often at key moments.
Lent is a good time to remember that we must always be ready.
Be A Family
A Meditation by Bl. Mother Teresa of Calcutta You are to be a family, to be that presence of Christ to each other. God has sent the family to be His Love. Love each other tenderly as Jesus loves each one of you. Jesus is always there...
to love
to share
to be the joy of our life.
Jesus' love for us is unconditional
tender
forgiving
complete.
Just allow people to see Jesus in you
to see how you pray
to see how you lead a pure life
to see how you deal with your family
to see how much peace is in your family. Thoughtfulness is the beginning of great sanctity. If you learn this art of being thoughtful, you will become more Christ like, for His Heart was meek, and He always thought of the needs of others. If we also have that kind of thoughtfulness for each other, our homes would really become the abode of God most high. Healing Prayer of St. Faustina "Jesus may Your pure and healthy blood circulate in my poor ailing organism, and may Your Pure and Healthy Body transform my weak unhealthy body, and may a healthy and vigorous life flow once again within me, if it is truly Your holy will". Amen What the Saints Say About the Rosary and the Hail Mary Our Lady speaks about the Rosary and the Hail Mary. . .
"Continue to pray the Rosary every day." Our Lady of Fatima to Lucia
"When you say your Rosary, the angels rejoice, the Blessed Trinity delights in it, my Son find joy in it too, and I myself am happier than you can possibly guess. After the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, there is nothing in the Church that I love as much as the Rosary." Our Lady to Bl. Alan de la Roche
"‘Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee!’ No creature has ever said anything that was more pleasing to me, nor will anyone ever be able to find or say to me anything that pleases me more." Our Lady to St. Mechtilde
What the saints have said about the Rosary and the Hail Mary. . .
"If you persevere in reciting the Rosary, this will be a most probable sign of your eternal salvation." Bl. Alan de la Roche
"The greatest method of praying is to pray the Rosary." St. Francis de Sales.
"When the Holy Rosary is said well, it gives Jesus and Mary more glory and is more meritorious than any other prayer." St. Louis de Montfort
"The Holy Rosary is the storehouse of countless blessing." Bl. Alan de la Roche
"One day, through the Rosary and the Scapular, Our Lady will save the world." St. Dominic
"Never will anyone who says his Rosary every day be led astray. This is a statement that I would gladly sign with my blood." St. Louis de Montfort
"If you say the Rosary faithfully unto death, I do assure you that, in spite of the gravity of your sins, 'you wil receive a never-fading crown of glory' (1 Peter 5:4)." St. Louis de Montfort
"The Rosary is THE weapon." Blessed Padre Pio
"You must know that when you ‘hail’ Mary, she immediately greets you! Don’t think that she is one of those rude women of whom there are so many - on the contrary, she is utterly courteous and pleasant. If you greet her, she will answer you right away and converse with you!" St. Bernardine of Siena
"Recite your Rosary with faith, with humility, with confidence, and with perseverance." St. Louis de Montfort
"The Rosary is my favourite prayer. A marvellous prayer! Marvellous in its simplicity and in its depth. . .the simple prayer of the Rosary beats the rhythm of human life." Pope John Paul II. Think Big Walter D. Wintle If you think you are beaten, you are.
If you think you dare not, you won’t.
If you like to win, but don’t think you can, It’s almost a cinch that you won’t.
If you think you’ll lose, you’ve lost,
For out in the world you’ll find
Success begins with a person’s will;
It’s all in the state of mind.
For many a game is lost
Before even a step is run
And many a coward fails
Before his work is begun.
Think big and your deed will grow;
Think small and you will fall behind.
Think that you can and you will;
It’s all in the state of mind.
If you think that you are out-classed, you are; You’ve got to think high to rise.
You’ve got to be sure of yourself
Before you can win the prize.
Life’s battles don't always go
To the strongest or fastest man
But sooner or later the person who wins
Is the person who thinks they can Christian Blessings: A to Z Realizing that we often fail to appreciate our blessings, I decided to go through the alphabet and identify some blessings available to everyone. A—Adam
God made Adam in His image. Adam was the first human and from him we were all descended.
B—Beauty
There is beauty surrounding us in nature in everything from the tiniest grain of sand to the vast expanse of the sky.
C—Comfort
The Lord is always there with comfort for those who call upon His name.
D—Destiny
Regardless of your situation in life you can partake in God’s manifest destiny for mankind—eternity in His presence.
E—Earth
The planet on which God places us came pre-stocked with everything needed to sustain human life.
F—Faith
We can all have faith in our Father and that faith can sustain us through good times and bad.
G—Genes
Those marvelous building blocks were used by God to create us in His image.
H—Hope
There is never a situation in life that is so dark that a glimmer of hope is not present.
I—Intimacy
All humans can have an intimate personal relationship with God. We need have no intermediary between Him and us.
J—Jesus
God sent his only begotten son to offer salvation and everlasting life to us all.
K—Kindred
By virtue of our humanity, we share a kinship with every other human on earth and through Jesus Christ we can all become Brothers and Sisters in Christ.
L—Love
We are loved by almighty God and each of us has the capacity to love and be loved by others.
M—Memory
Memory is a great gift God built into all humans that allows us to learn and remember and build upon our past every day of our lives.
N—News
The “Good News” of the New Testament is available to all as a guide to living life according to God’s Holy will so that one day we can be with Him for all eternity.
O—One
There is One true God who has made Himself known to us and cares about our well-being.
P—Prayer
Prayer is communication with our Father in heaven—a direct “telephone” line to Him that requires no service contract.
Q—Quench
We are able to come to Jesus who can quench our thirst forever. (John 4-14—But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.)
R—Richness
Whether we are rich and poor in material things, we all have an equal opportunity for Richness of spirit.
S—Salvation.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Salvation is available to all.
T—Trust
We have one blessing upon which we can always depend, our trust in the Lord.
U—Understanding
Though other people may not understand us, God always does.
V—Victory
If we obey His commandments we are all promised victory through Jesus.
W—Wash
No matter what we may have done, we can all be washed spotless in the blood of Christ.
X
An “X” is sometimes used to “mark the spot”. God has an X upon every one of us, knowing even the very hairs on our heads. He knows exactly where we are and He is with us always.
Y—Yield
As we sow, so shall we yield. This gives us a sure and certain knowledge of how the way we live affects our future.
Z
This letter, the last of the alphabet, assures us that God, the alpha and the omega—the beginning and the end—will be there to meet us when earthly life is over. Betty Killebrew As I am Lord By Father Raymond A. Pavlick Because I am obnoxious, forgive me Lord. Because I am dishonest, forgive me Lord. Because I am egotistical, forgive me Lord. Because I am undisciplined, forgive me Lord. Because I am weak, forgive me Lord. Because I am impure, forgive me Lord. Because I am arrogant, forgive me Lord. Because I am self-centered, forgive me Lord. Because I am pompous, forgive me Lord. Because I am insincere, forgive me Lord. Because I am unchaste, forgive me Lord. Because I am grasping, forgive me Lord. Because I am judgmental, forgive me Lord. Because I am impatient, forgive me Lord. Because I am shallow, forgive me Lord. Because I am inconsistent, forgive me Lord. Because I am unfaithful, forgive me Lord. Because I am immoral, forgive me Lord. Because I am ungrateful, forgive me Lord Because I am disobedient, forgive me Lord. Because I am selfish, forgive me Lord. Because I am lukewarn, forgive me Lord. Because I am slothful, forgive me Lord. Because I am unloving, forgive me Lord. Because I am uncommitted, forgive me Lord. Because I am sinful, forgive me Lord. Because I am loved by you, Thank you Lord! February 16 Thank Me for the conditions that are requiring you to be still. Do not spoil these quiet hours by wishing them away, waiting impatiently to be active again. Some of the greatest works in My kingdom have been done from sick beds and prison cells. Instead of resenting the limitations of a weakened body, search for My way in the midst of these very circumstances. Limitations can be liberating when your strongest desire is living close to Me. Quietness and trust enhance your awareness of My Presence with you. Do not despise these simple ways of serving Me. Although you feel cut off from the activity of the world, your quiet trust makes a powerful statement in spiritual realms. My Strength and Power show themselves most effective in weakness. “Be still before the Lord, all mankind, because he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.”
—Zechariah 2:13 This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.”
—Isaiah 30:15 But He said to me, My grace (My favor and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you [sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully]; for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in [your] weakness. Therefore, I will all the more gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah) may rest (yes, may pitch a tent over and dwell) upon me!
—2 Corinthians 12:9 | 
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