Lead Us Not Into Temptation
One
At the Baptism of the Lord in the first Luminous Mystery, we hear the voice of the Father affirm the reality of Jesus as His Divine son while Jesus is anointed by the Holy Spirit. At Jesus’ baptism, then, the Holy Trinity is revealed in the very act of revealing Jesus’ Divine Sonship. So does baptism reveal our own divine sonship, which is why Jesus teaches us to call God “Father.” We have been reflecting on the 7 petitions of this beautiful prayer of the Lord. In this reflection we will examine the petition, “Lead us not into temptation.” The Catechism states, “God wants to set us free from evil. We ask him not to allow us to take the way that leads to sin. We are engaged in the battle between the flesh and the spirit. This petition implores the Spirit of discernment and strength.” (#2846) Asking God not to lead us into temptation doesn’t mean that normally He leads us into temptation; rather, it means we are asking Him to strengthen us as only He can so that we avoid sinful choices in our decision making. Lord, heal and strengthen my will power so that I may consistently choose your goodness over the evil inclinations rooted in my nature.
Two
When our Lord changes the water into wine during the second Luminous Mystery, He reveals the power of the Holy Spirit working within Him. He gives us this same Spirit in the sacraments to help us with the same power. The Holy Spirit makes us discern between trials, which are necessary for the growth of our interior life, and those which are not. When weightlifting and strength training if we stop adding weight, we stop growing in strength. God allows trials to make his children grow in virtue and merit. He allows us to face trials that call for courage so that we grow in courage, trials that call for honesty so that we grow in honesty, trials that call for fidelity so that we grow in fidelity. Fighting against temptation is how the Holy Spirit strengthens us. Oh Holy Spirit, by your strength given in our struggle, may we never fall into discouragement or worse, despair, but may will see that always, with you, all things work to the good for those who love you.
Three
The Proclamation of the Kingdom and the Call to Repentance in the Third Luminous Mystery is our invitation and expectation to turn from sin to enter Jesus’ Eternal Kingdom. The temptations that we successfully fight against strengthen our entrance into this kingdom and are different from temptations which leads to sin and death which bring us into the kingdom of darkness. We must discern between
1. Being tempted
2. And consenting to temptation.
This is the lie of temptation whose object appears to be good but is actually evil. In reality its fruit is death. The Catechism states, “Such a battle and such a victory become possible only through prayer. It is by prayer that Jesus vanquishes the tempter, both at the outset of his public mission and in the ultimate struggle of his agony. (2849.) Lord, let us repent from sin, pray for strength, and grow in charity so that we can enter into your Divine and everlasting kingdom.
Four
The Fourth Luminous mystery ponders the Transfiguration of Our Lord. His Transfiguration fully confirms that He is God, His life is Divine, and He wants us to know this, meditate on this, so that we can possess it and come out victorious, like Him. This is why we base our movement on Our Lady and her marvelous weapon against evil, the Rosary. In the rosary, Mary teaches us in her school to overcome the wiles and seductions of Satan by allowing Jesus to dwell in our souls. This is really what the petition in the Our Father calls for, ‘lead us not into temptation.’ This means to strengthen us with the interior guidance of the Lord, that we may live Jesus’ life and avoid deception and confusion which leads to our destruction. Praying the rosary enables us to make this decision in the depths of our hearts, where the Holy Spirit through Mary wants to place the life and person of Jesus. St. Paul tells us in Galatians that “If we live by the Spirit, let us walk by the Spirit.” How can I use the rosary to live and walk by the Spirit?
Five
Jesus gives us His life in the Holy Eucharist, the Fifth Luminous mystery. We need this life to persevere in love. Pope Benedict XVI says that, ‘every trespass of men in relation to other men is a trespass in relation to God.’ Sinful trespasses injure or kill truth and love and is thus opposed to God, is opposed to the life of Jesus in the Eucharist. By obeying God in all things, we merely follow the way of truth and love. It’s hard to believe, but when we succumb to temptation and sin, we succumb to decisions that actually ruin our lives. Sins may seem fun at the time, but when it’s time to pay the price for them sooner or later, the price is always too high; the loss too great. To be led by the Spirit in a way that avoids the path of sin and temptation is to follow the path that makes us great! The path that makes us happy! The path that makes us free! Greatness, happiness, freedom: are not these the very reasons why we chose to sin? Because we think that God takes away our glory, fun, and liberty? What a lie of the devil, a lie he gets too much mileage out of. This is why the Holy Spirit, whose grace is renewed in the Eucharist, constantly seeks to awaken us to keep watch and prepare for final perseverance. Jesus warns us, “Lo, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is he who is awake!” (Rev 16:5.) Lord, give me your strength and wisdom in the Eucharist, so that I may stay awake and watch and avoid succumbing to the worldly pleasures that destroy my soul. Mary, my mother, help me!