Temptations are everywhere. They sneak into our thoughts, our choices, and our daily lives because the devil is constantly working to pull us away from God. In the Gospel of Luke, we hear about Jesus being tempted by Satan. Why did this happen? Because Jesus, in His human nature, experienced what we all go through except sin. The devil wanted to challenge His identity as the Son of God.

But here’s the difference: in biblical times, Satan showed himself more obviously possessing people and even animals. Today, he’s more subtle. He works through distractions, ideologies, and desires that lead us away from God. The world normalizes things that, deep down, weaken our faith:

• Individualism makes us think we don’t need God—we can do everything on our own.
• Secularism pushes the idea that faith is outdated and that worldly success matters more.
• Materialism tricks us into believing our worth is based on the things we own.
• Consumerism fuels the never-ending need to have more, even when we don’t actually need it.

Satan uses these to make us feel powerful and independent, but the reality? They leave us empty. That’s why Jesus shows us the way to resist temptation and trust in God’s plan. He proved that no matter how strong the devil’s lies seem, we don’t have to fall for them.

As we approach Lent, we’re reminded of this powerful call: REPENT AND BELIEVE IN THE GOSPEL.

Messed up? Repent. Struggling with temptation? Hold onto the Gospel.

God’s love is bigger than any sin.

St. Joseph, Terror of Demons, pray for us! 🙏🏻