Editing Fast Fridays: 30 Minutes for God (section)

== Friday, February 28: The Temptation of Jesus ==
Opening prayer: [[Prayers#Deus Propicius Esto ("God be favorable to me")|''Deus Propicius Esto'']] (God be favorable to me)

The Synoptic Gospels all bring us the story of Satan’s attempt to corrupt Jesus. These are found in:

* [https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/4 Matthew 3:1-11]
* [https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/1?12 Mark 1:12-13] (no details about the temptations)
* [https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/4?1 Luke 4:1-13]

We'll start with the concept of sin itself, as sin is the destination of temptation, so we need to consider where temptation leads us:

* See [[Sin|Sin - Rejoice in the Catholic Faith]]

A couple things to consider here, which we will discuss:

* '''The mystery of the hypostatic union:''' 
** Christ is 100% God and 100% man. Can he, then, suffer temptation? 
*** (hint: think of the Agony in the Garden)

*Saint Gregory says ([https://www.ecatholic2000.com/catena/untitled-11.shtml Catena Aurea by St. Thomas Aquinas]),
<blockquote>'''GREGORY.''' In these things is shewn the twofold nature in one person; it is the man whom the Devil tempts; the same is God to whom Angels minister.\ </blockquote>
* '''Did Satan really think he could get away with it?'''
** from [https://www.ecatholic2000.com/catena/untitled-11.shtml Catena Aurea by St. Thomas Aquinas]

<blockquote>'''PSEUDO-CHRYSOSTOM'''. The Lord knew the thoughts of the Devil, that he sought to tempt Him; he had heard that Christ had been born into this world with the preaching of Angels, the witness of shepherds, the inquiry of the Magi, and the testimony of John. Thus the Lord proceeded against him, not as God, but as man, or rather both as God and man. For in forty days of fasting not to have been an hungred was not as man; to be ever an hungred was not as God. He was an hungred then that the God might not be certainly manifested, and so the hopes of the Devil in tempting Him be extinguished, and His own victory hindered.</blockquote>

* Saint Jerome notes

<blockquote>'''JEROME'''. But thou art caught, O Enemy, in a dilemma. If these stones can be made bread at His word, your temptation is vain against one so mighty. If He cannot make them bread, your suspicions that this is the Son of God must be vain</blockquote>
* '''Both Jesus and Satan quote OT Scripture — kinda cool:'''

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:small;"
|+Scripture Quoted
!Satan
!Jesus
!Threefold Sins
!Notes
|-
|If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread.”
|‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.’” ([https://bible.usccb.org/bible/deuteronomy/8?3 Dt 8:30]: "He therefore let you be afflicted with hunger, and then fed you with manna,c a food unknown to you and your ancestors, so you might know that it is not by bread alone* that people live, but by all that comes forth from the mouth of the L<small>ORD</small>."
|
* appetite ("the belly")
* lust of the flesh
|
* stones as sin or error ("dash your foot"
* stones = the tablets of the Ten Commandment s (?)

* bread is the gratification of desire
|-
|and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written ‘He will command his angels concerning you’ and ‘with their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone.’”  (The source is [https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/91?11 Ps 91:11-12]: "For he commands his angels with regard to you, to guard you wherever you go. With their hands they shall support you, lest you strike your foot against a stone.")
|[https://bible.usccb.org/bible/deuteronomy/6:16 Dt 6:16]: "You shall not put the L<small>ORD</small>, your God, to the test, as you did at Massah" (see [https://bible.usccb.org/bible/exodus/17?2 Ex 17:2]: "and so they quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” Moses replied to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the L<small>ORD</small> to a test?”)
|
* pride of life 
* ambition
|
* from atop the Temple = above God
* Jesus respects the Temple for worship of God and not for temporal power
|-
|Then the devil took him up to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their magnificence, and he said to him, “All these I shall give to you, if you will prostrate yourself and worship me.”
|At this, Jesus said to him, “Get away, Satan! It is written: ‘The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve.’” (From Dt [https://bible.usccb.org/bible/deuteronomy/6?13 6:13] "The L<small>ORD</small>, your God, shall you fear; him shall you serve,* and by his name shall you swear.")
|
* lust of the eyes
* pride of life
* idolatry
|
* Gn 11:4: "make a name for ourselves"
* Israel's worship of false gods
|-
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|}

* '''Jesus teaches us something very important about bread.'''
** in Luke 11:1, the disciples ask

<blockquote>He was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.”</blockquote>

* see "Lord's Prayer" [https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/6?11 Mt 6:11] "Give us today our daily bread"

I’m hoping that the discussion will help us to better prepare for Lent.