杏MAP导航

By Christopher Wells

The Gospel account of the temptation of Jesus was the basis for 杏MAP导航 Francis鈥� reflections at the Angelus on the First Sunday of Lent, 2018.

The Holy Father based his remarks on three main themes: temptation, conversion, and Good News.

Speaking about temptation, the 杏MAP导航 said Jesus went into the desert to prepare Himself for His mission. The Lord had no need of conversion, but was led by the Holy Spirit to be tested, in order to obey the will of the Father, and to give us the grace to overcome temptation. His preparation consisted in fighting 鈥渁gainst the spirit of evil鈥� 鈥� and for us, too, Lent is a time of spiritual combat. 鈥淲e are called to face the Evil One with prayer,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 said, so that, 鈥渨ith God鈥檚 help,鈥� we might be able 鈥渢o overcome him in our daily life.鈥�

After His confrontation with the devil, Jesus immediately began to preach the Good News, proclaiming, 鈥淩epent, and believe the Gospel!鈥� 杏MAP导航 Francis said that in this life, we are always in need of conversion 鈥� and during Lent, the Church has us pray for this conversion. In order to do this, he continued, 鈥渨e need to have the courage to reject all that leads us astray,鈥� and must 鈥渆ntrust ourselves to the Lord, to His goodness, and to His project of Love for each one of us.鈥�

Lent is not a time of sadness, the 杏MAP导航 insisted. It is, instead, 鈥渁 joyful and serious commitment to strip ourselves of selfishness, of our old man, and to renew ourselves according to the grace of our Baptism.鈥�

Only God can give us true happiness, he said. 鈥淚t is useless for us to waste our time seeking it elsewhere.鈥� During this first Sunday of Lent, the 杏MAP导航 concluded, 鈥渨e are invited to listen attentively and to take up this appeal of Christ to be converted and to believe in the Gospel. We are called to begin the journey towards Easter with commitment, to welcome more and more the grace of God, who desires to transform the world into a kingdom of justice, peace, and fraternity.鈥�