Jesus is Triumphant!

There is a lot of talk of the Evil One in the readings this Sunday. In his recent apostolic exortation, Gaudete et Exsultate, Pope Francis warns us about ignoring the reality of the devil: "We should not think of the devil as a myth, a representation, a symbol, a figure of speech or an idea. This mistake would lead us to let down our guard, to grow careless and end up more vulnerable. The devil does not need to possess us. He poisons us with the venom of hatred, desolation, envy and vice. When we let down our guard, he takes advantage of it to destroy our lives, our families and our communities" (Paragraph 161).
For those who still doubt the existence of the devil, I ask the question: "Where does the impulse for human beings to go against their nature come from? Why are we prone to do evil?" Sometimes we can have a fleeting thought that surprises us with horror. The idea of stealing, lying, bullying, or harming another person floats through our mind seemingly out of nowhere. The thought is so alien to our consciousness we wonder: "Where on earth did that thought come from?" Perhaps it did not come from us. Perhaps it came from the evil one.
The Christian life is not one of ease and comfort. It requires the courage to overcome the temptations of the evil one and follow Jesus Christ. However, there is a certain joy to this combat according to Pope Francis: "This battle is sweet, for it allows us to rejoice each time the Lord triumphs in our lives." (GE 158)

 
               God bless,
               Fr. Scott