As the first Sunday of Lent was celebrated, Pope Francis told the people in faith to avoid temptation, fight it as Jesus did, and always go the right way. The word of God must be followed, not by the voice of temptation.
In his address to pilgrims in St Peter's Square on the first Sunday of Lent, Pope Francis discussed the spiritual struggle and how Jesus was not affected by the temptations of the Devil in the desert. The Pope emphasized that we must respond to temptation by recalling the Word of God and putting our trust in the Lord.
Pope Francis Wants The People to Use the Word of God to Resist Temptation
In the shared article in Independent Catholic News, the Pope spoke about the dangers of attachment to all worldly things, hunger for power, and losing trust, which the devil uses to divide the people in faith from God and each other. These temptations can lead to feelings of solitude and desperation, just as the devil attempted to do to Jesus.
However, Jesus could resist and defeat these temptations by using the Word of God. He did not engage in a dialogue with the devil but instead used scripture to counter his tricks. This is a lesson for the community that the people cannot defeat the devil through negotiation but by contrasting him with the Word of God.
According to Vatican News, the Pope stressed the essence of reflecting on how the Gospel guides our lives and how it can help us in our spiritual and everyday struggles. When we face recurring temptations, we can turn to a specific verse of scripture to help us resist, remember, and pray, trusting in the grace of Christ.
The Pope's primary goal in his message is to resist the devil's attempts to divide people and remain standing their ground on the people's faith, using the Word of God as a powerful tool to overcome temptation and maintain our unity with God one another.
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Jesus Used The Word of God To Resist and Avoid Temptation
Jesus, led by the Holy Spirit, was led into the desert for him to be challenged in fasting for forty days and forty nights. According to Faith at Marquette, after fasting for that specific time, he became hungry, and the devil approached him, tempting him to turn stones into bread to satisfy his hunger. But Jesus replied with scripture, saying that man cannot live on bread only, but on every word that comes from God's wisdom.
The devil then took Jesus to the holy city and challenged him to throw himself down from the temple parapet, quoting scripture that said God would send his angels to protect him. However, Jesus responded with another scripture, saying it was wrong to test the Lord.
Lastly, the devil showed Jesus all the world's kingdoms in their splendor and promised to give them to him if he worshiped them. But Jesus rebuked the devil, telling him to leave and that he would only worship and serve the Lord.
After the temptations, the devil left, and angels came to minister to Jesus. This experience showed that even when facing temptation, Jesus remained faithful to God and relied on his teachings to resist the devil's lure. This story was cited in the Gospel of Matthew 4:1-11 via Bible Gateway.
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