Resisting Temptation Not!

No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone.

cf. 1 Cor 10:13; NRSV

NEWS FLASH …

BULL SWAMP USA (CR News) — A local resident learned a sweet lesson about himself and his family recently. It happened right there in the kitchen of his home near the banks of the North Edisto River.

Let’s talk.

BACKGROUND …

Earl and Deni have lived near the Bull Swamp for several decades. They raised their six children in Greywood, the family home. And the home has been a beacon for seemingly countless grandchildren and great grandchildren. To Deni and Earl, the generations with their accompanying memories, are the true treasure from a life of faith, love, and devotion.

A lot has changed since these folks moved to Greywood, but some things never seem to change. Deni still enjoys baking, and Earl still enjoys eating. The only thing Earl likes more than Deni’s home-baked sour dough bread is her double-delight, toll house, chocolate chip cookies (try to imagine “chocolate chip cookies on steroids” at Christmas time).

And that’s what was behind the special holy moment Earl recently experienced as he stumbled onto yet another life-changing realization this Christmas season.

NITTY GRITTY …

“I had been asking God to let me have a holy moment,” Earl told his fellow Knights in the parish recently. “That’s when I smelled the chocolate chip cookies in the kitchen.”

And now, they were all there in the kitchen, cooling on a platter unguarded — except for the yellow sign warning Earl to stay away from them!

Deni knew Earl very well!

But ah! Deni had gone to the grocery story, and Earl was home alone with those sweet delights. Surely Deni did not count all those cookies. She wouldn’t possibly know if one was missing. And what would it hurt if old Earl just sampled one!

And that’s what Earl did — almost.

Yes, he sampled one. But then, he sampled another one and another one. Before long, old Earl was experiencing what the younger folks call “a sugar high.”

It was almost certainly the holy moment he had been asking for.

Earl was a strong man who could resist almost anything. Anything, that is, except temptation. Temptation always seemed to get the better of Earl. And it was never quite so true as it was when Deni baked her Christmas goodies.

Earl was hopelessly hooked on temptation. He could not resist it!

NEXT STEPS …

The Bible tells us that we don’t face any temptations or trials that are not common to other people too. As Jesus has built the Kingdom of God over the past 2000 years, He has given us countless aids through the Church He established. They include everything from the Bible to the sacraments and saints, including our family and friends. They’re all strategically available to assist us individually and collectively in our struggles and to help us on our journey to heaven.

Earl understood that he could not overcome temptation by himself. He also understood that the One whose divine flesh he consumed in the Daily Bread of the Holy Eucharist was, in fact, greater than the one who tempts him and others around us (1 Jn 4:4).

So what about you?

Are you struggling with something in your life? Is there something that always seems to get the best of you? You can overcome it with the help of Jesus and His many friends (saints and angels) that make up the Kingdom of God.

• What do you need to start doing that you haven’t started yet?
• What should you stop doing that you are still doing now?
• What should you keep doing but change the way you’ve been doing it?

Pray. Talk to your parish priest or a trusted deacon. Ask God for a “holy moment” that gives you strength to continue the struggle.

And don’t forget Our Lady. She is the trusted Mother of our Lord. She knows her way around heaven. She never asks Jesus for anything inappropriate, and Our Lord always grants her wishes, especially if they are for the children of God (Jn 2:3-5).

OUR STORY …

That’s our story, and we’re sticking to it!

Vivat Jesus!