SPIRITUALITY 101
SPIRITUAL REFLECTION- 106
Deacon Jim Breazile o.c.d.s.

Saint Anthony tells the following story; "One day someone knocked very loudly at the gate of the monastery. I myself went to see who was there. When I opened the gate I was very much frightened, for I saw standing before me a man of great stature. I asked him who he was. "I am Satan," he answered. "I want to know why it is that you Christians are always cursing me. For at the first misfortune that comes to you, you always say: "Cursed be the devil?" I answered: "We have great reason to curse you, for you are always tempting us, and laying snares to drag us into sin." Satan answered: "I am often not so much to blame as you think, for people are often the cause of their own ruin, by seeking the occasions of sin, hoping that they will not fall, although they know how frail they are. I never could overcome them if they only used the weapons God has put into their hands. So they need not blame me, nor curse me so much, since it is entirely their own fault that they are lost.'"

DEVOTION - Growth in love- 3rd stage 
DEVOTIONALS- MEDITATION-SACRAMENTALS-THE ROSARY-33 
OUR FATHER-9

The dialogue between Saint Anthony and Satan is very much related to the sixth petition in Our Lord's prayer. In our previous reflection we reflected on the fifth petition where we asked to be delivered from our past evil, which is sin already committed: "Forgive us our trespasses." In the sixth petition we ask God's assistance against future evils, which is temptation. We pray, "lead us not into temptation."

It is clear that God does not lead us to sin. We are led to temptation by our own desires. In the letter of James 1:13-14, we read, "No one experiencing temptation should say, "I am being tempted by God'" for God is not subject to temptation to evil and he himself tempts no one. Rather each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire." With this understanding, when we think about our petition, we understand that the word temptation must have more than one meaning. In one sense, temptation may be a permission that evil exists; in another that temptation may lead us to evil. In other words, God may permit temptations to try or test us and our dispositions, but God never leads us to sin through temptations.

God does not allow temptations to try or test us in order that He learn of our weakness and dispositions, He already knows them. He allows testing in order that we come to know our weaknesses and dispositions to sin, or to manifest them to others. He does this for His own greater glory, for the good or our neighbor and for the greater merit and advantage of the person tempted. It was in this reference that He allowed the testing of Abraham by the command to sacrifice his son.

Although many temptations come to us from the world we live in, and from Satan, but the most dangerous are those that arise from within our selves. The three lusts that we acquire from the world are referred to by John (2 John 2:16) as "sensual lust, enticement of the eyes and a pretentious life." Because of our concupiscence, or weakness of our will, repeated response to these allurements allows them to take root in our heart. In this way, they direct our thoughts, words and actions toward sin and away from God. In our petition, we beg God to provide us the grace to overcome these inner urgings in order that we may be His children. In the same text (2 John 2:17) John assures us that "whoever does the will of God," will overcome these temptations.

We should emphasize that temptations are not sin, but they render us more vulnerable to sin. St. Gregory distinguished three stages or degrees in every temptation, namely, the suggestion, the delight and the consent. When sin suggests itself as for example as a spirit of vengeance in our mind, or a simple proposal or representation of something evil as a solicitation to our cooperation if we do not give consent or reinforcement to the suggestion, there is no sin. Anticipation of the delight or pleasure that might follow may be voluntary or involuntary If we do not will it, there is no sin. On the other hand, we may meditate on the pleasure, hold it in our mind and amplify it, in which case we are implicit in its presence. In this case the pleasure is no longer a surprise, but is being engendered by our will. The degree of culpability in sin in this case depends upon the degree to which we willed the pleasure. If we recognize temptations to sin and overcome them, we will be brought closer to the Lord and strengthened for future trials. James (1:2-4) tells us "Consider it all joy, my brothers when you encounter various trials, for you now that the testing of your faith produces perseverance and let perseverance be perfect, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing."

NEW CATHOLIC CATECHISM 
ARTICLE NO. 1080 

From the very beginning God blessed all living beings, especially man and women. The covenant with Noah and with all living things renewed this blessing of fruitfulness despite man's sin which had brought a curse on the ground. But with Abraham, the divine blessing entered into human history which was moving toward death, to redirect it toward life, toward its source. By the faith of "the father of all believers," who embraced the blessing, the history of salvation is inaugurated.

ARTICLE NO. 1081 
The divine blessings were made manifest in astonishing and saving events: the birth of Isaac, the escape from Egypt (Passover and Exodus), the gift of the promised land, the election of David, the presence of God in the Temple, the purifying exile, and return of a "small remnant." The Law, the Prophets and the Psalms, interwoven in the liturgy of the Chosen People, recall these divine blessings and at the same time respond to them with blessings of praise and thanksgiving.

GODS ENDURING GRACE 
Deacon Jim Breazile o.c.d.s.

The sin of Adam did not revoke 
The blessing of God above 
He continued His favor and with Noah He spoke 
Of His eternal love

Covenant with Abraham made a new start 
Sealed with circumcisional blood 
Even as concupiscence affected man's heart 
Prefigured grace filled flood

God chose His people shared their habitation 
Manifesting his blessing to man 
The birth of Isaac, Egypt emancipation 
And gift of the promised land

David's kingdom, temple of Solomon 
Babylon's purifying exile 
Are celebrated in liturgy, Psalm and song 
Blessings all the while

Ó2001 DR. JAMES E. BREAZILE, deacon 
JOHN PAUL EVANGELIST OCDS