This Sunday, Pope Francis reflected on the temptation of Jesus Christ for this Holy season.
Pope Francis is here with a reminder concerning the significance of Lent.
Speaking on Sunday, February 20, 2018, the leader of the Roman Catholic church reflected on temptation, conversion, and Good News.
Vatican News reports that he said these three things are the basis for the entire Lenten season.
What Lent teaches Christians about temptation
On the temptation of Christ told in the Gospel of Mark, the Pope said the time spent in the desert was for him to prepare for His mission.
During this time, He was tempted in order for Him to obey God’s will.
In Pope Francis’ words, he had to fight “against the spirit of evil” which is what we do during Lent, adding that we have been given “the grace to overcome temptation.”
“For us, too, Lent is a time of spiritual ‘training’, of spiritual combat: we are called to face the Evil one through prayer, to be able, with God’s help, to overcome him in our daily life,” he continues.
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What Christians can learn about conversion and the Good News
Pope Francis encourages Christians to pray for conversion as we preach the Good News like Jesus did when he said, “Repent and believe the Gospel!”
Pope Francis said, “We need to have the courage to reject all that leads us astray,” and must “entrust ourselves to the Lord, to His goodness, and to His project of Love for each one of us.”
On Lent
He insists that this period “ is not a sad time,” but “a joyful and serious commitment to strip ourselves of selfishness, of our old man, and to renew ourselves according to the grace of our Baptism.”
Reminding Christians that true happiness comes from only God, he said this is why “It is useless for us to waste our time seeking it elsewhere.”
The homily was concluded with a call to action.
“We are invited to listen attentively and to take up this appeal of Christ to be converted and to believe in the Gospel. We are called to begin the journey towards Easter with commitment, to welcome more and more the grace of God, who desires to transform the world into a kingdom of justice, peace, and fraternity,” Pope Francis said.