On the next “Following The Truth” radio program (Wed, Feb 24 at 2 PM Eastern with a repeat broadcast on Saturday, Feb 27 at 10 AM), I’ll be interviewing long time Philadelphia news anchor Pat Ciarrocchi about her Catholic faith. Pat couldn’t have been nicer when we taped the show and I encourage everyone to listen to what she has to say about being a Catholic in the media. You can listen live on WFJS 1260 AM in Trenton or on the Internet at http://www.domesticchurchmedia.com/

Today?s Gospel (Luke 4:1-13) on the temptation of Jesus is jam-packed with information, but I?d like to concentrate on a few key points. While it may not be pleasant, let?s spend a few minutes looking at the devil and some of the methods that he uses to trick you into committing sinful actions. When you?re at war, it?s always important to know your enemy and, make no mistake about it, we are at war every day with the forces of evil! Let?s look at some key points about our enemy, Satan:

The Devil Is Real ? The biggest mistake that many of us make is to downplay the role of the devil. The Church teaches that Satan is real, is a liar and always tries to trick us into committing sin. Nothing makes him happier then when people deny his existence. Doing so allows him to work more freely. If people don?t believe that he exists, they are less likely to fear him and his deceitful ways. That?s just what he wants!

The Devil Will Tempt You Where You?re Weak ? In this encounter, we see that the devil initially tempts Jesus when He is hungry. And how does he tempt Him? With food. While the devil is not all powerful, he is very smart and tempts each of us in different ways. A person who struggles with pornography is going to be tempted differently than one who is prone to gluttony. Each of us has our own moral weaknesses and don?t think for a minute that Satan is unaware of them.

The Devil Will Try To Prevent You From Doing Good ? In this Gospel reading, Jesus is tempted just before He began His public ministry. In Satan?s mind, stopping Jesus before He began His mission could put an end to the salvation of mankind. Have you ever been ready to begin some good work (teaching religious education, attending Bible study, doing some kind of charitable work) and had doubts or second thoughts? Maybe you felt unqualified or just didn?t feel like going. While it?s not always the case, often times it?s ?you know who? trying to prevent you from advancing God?s Kingdom.

If The Devil Would Tempt Jesus, He Will Tempt You ? If the devil has the audacity to tempt Jesus, do you think he will avoid you? He will try everything in his power to get us to commit a sin and then he will rejoice. He will lie and tell us that our sinful action ?isn?t that bad?. He will tell us that the action will feel good. He will say that it won?t hurt anybody. Don?t listen to him, as he?s nothing more than a liar.

While it?s important to fear the devil, it?s equally important to remember that he can?t make us do anything. He can suggest things and try to fool us, but unless we go along with him, we can?t fall into sin. Also, don?t forget that God is more powerful than the devil. Pray each day for the grace to be able to resist the devil?s attack. In addition, pray the rosary daily to ask for Our Lady?s intercession. St. Padre Pio stated, ?Love the Madonna and pray the rosary, for her Rosary is the weapon against the evils of the world today.? Above all, don?t panic. If we remain close to the Lord, especially during times of temptation, we will be victorious!

On the next episode of “Following The Truth” (Wednesday Feb. 17 at 2 PM Eastern, with a rebroadcast on Saturday Feb. 20 at 10 AM), I’ll be discussing some topics that we don’t hear too much about anymore: sin, repentance, hell, conscience and the sacrament of confession. Start your Lent off right by listening to what the Church REALLY teaches about these subjects, straight from the Catechism! Listen in the Trenton, New Jersey area on WFJS (1260 AM) or live on the Internet at http://www.domesticchurchmedia.org/

When I listened to the readings proclaimed at Mass today, one word kept jumping out at me ? Hope! The Random House Dictionary defines ?hope? as ?the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best.? In a Christian sense, there is an even deeper meaning to the word. The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines ?hope? as ?the theological virtue by which we desire and expect from God both eternal life and the grace we need to attain it.? (CCC 1817)

For anyone who is struggling with problems and suffering in this life, I suggest that you take a look at the following excerpts from today?s readings. In the First Reading:

In the Responsorial Psalm:

In the Second Reading:

In the Gospel:

?Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours.
Blessed are you who are now hungry, for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who are now weeping, for you will laugh.
Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude and insult you, and denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man.
Rejoice and leap for joy on that day! Behold, your reward will be great in heaven. For their ancestors treated the prophets in the same way.? (Lk 6:20-23)

No matter what you?re going through in this life: financial problems, sickness, death, loneliness, boredom, frustration, sadness?always remember that this life ?isn?t all there is?. By virtue of the fact that Jesus Christ died on the cross in atonement for the sins of all mankind, you have the ability to live in the perfect happiness of heaven FOREVER. Every bit of suffering in this world will come to an end one day. For the time being, ask the Lord for the grace to carry your cross until you reach the finish line. When you begin to doubt, hold onto the hope of eternal life promised by Our Lord. That should be enough to get you through anything!

I don?t know about you, but for many years I thought that it was up to the ?holy? people to proclaim God?s message in the world. After all, isn?t it the job of priests and nuns? I remember hearing on a Catholic television show that we should talk about Jesus in the office and shuddered, thinking ?I can?t do that?. First of all, nobody would listen and second of all, people would think that I was a nut. Even though I prayed and went to Mass every week, I felt that ?normal? people didn?t talk about God in public. While I?m not proud of the way I used to think, I suspect that many people feel the same way. There are also those who would like to proclaim the ?Good News?, but don?t feel that they are worthy. There may be some sins in their past or in their present that supposedly render them unworthy to spread God?s message.

In the readings from today?s Mass, the Lord speaks directly to those who feel unqualified or unworthy to proclaim His word. In the First Reading, the prophet Isaiah refers to himself as ?a man of unclean lips, living among a people of unclean lips? (Is 6:4). He then experiences a vision where an angel purifies his lips and removes his sin. When God asks who He should send to proclaim His message, Isaiah replies ?Here I am; Send me? (Is 6:8).

In the Second Reading, St. Paul states, ?For I am the least of the apostles, not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me has not been ineffective. Indeed, I have toiled harder than all of them; not I, however, but the grace of God (that is) with me.? (1 Cor 15:9-10). Despite the fact that he persecuted Christians, God chose St. Paul to preach His message to the Gentiles.

In the Gospel, despite fishing all night and catching nothing, Simon Peter obeys the command of the Lord to ?lower his net for a catch?. When he obeys, he and the other fishermen caught a great number of fish. Recognizing that he doubted the Lord, Simon exclaimed, ?Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man? (Lk 5:8). Instead of chastising Simon, the Lord reassures him with the words, ?Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.? (Lk 5:10). We are then told that upon returning to the shore, ?they left everything and followed Him.? (Lk 5:11)

What we have here are three examples of ?unworthy? people who went on to do great things to advance God?s kingdom on earth. In each of these cases, the individuals didn?t do it alone. God intervened and helped them to be successful. All He asked is that they say, ?Yes? to His call. The same applies to you and me. The ?Good News? desperately needs to be proclaimed today ? in the workplace, in our homes, in the streets. Are you worried that you?re not ?qualified?? Neither was Isaiah, Paul, Simon Peter, but they trusted that God would help them and provide what they needed. God is calling you to help Him spread the message of the gospel. It can be as simple as offering to pray for someone or speaking about a good sermon that you heard on Sunday. It could involve joining a Christian group on Facebook and showing your friends that your Faith is important to you. Such seemingly ?small? actions could go a long way in spreading the kingdom of God, especially when He multiplies your efforts.

Are you ready to say ?Yes? and help God spread His message?

One of the biggest problems faced by almost everyone who attempts to share their faith is remembering the importance of charity. All you need to do is take a look at some of the Christian posts on Facebook and Twitter and you?ll see what I mean. There are a number of well meaning folks who get so carried away with their evangelization efforts that they think nothing of demeaning those who do not agree with their position.

Anyone who knows me or who has visited my website is aware that, as a Catholic, I am deeply opposed to the murderous act of abortion. I have devoted an entire page of my site to pro-life material and I write about it often. However, if I were to personally ridicule and demean those Catholic politicians who support abortion, I would be committing a sin. While I am in no way saying that we shouldn?t speak out, I am saying that we need to take Saint Paul?s advice and do it without making fun of people?s physical appearance, intelligence or personal integrity.

The same applies to our efforts to share our Catholic Faith with our brothers and sisters. As a Catholic, I believe that the Catholic Church is the one true, Church founded by Jesus Christ. While our Church teaches that I need to share the truth with others, I need to remember that not everyone believes the same thing. Should I back down and not speak the truth because I may offend someone? Absolutely not! The Catholic Church contains the fullness of truth and I am morally obligated to share that truth with others. However, I must always remember to do it in an honest, but loving way. Evangelization isn?t about winning arguments, it?s about winning souls!

Unfortunately, I fail at this more often than I?d like to admit. My zeal for the Catholic Faith often causes me to say things that I regret, but I?ll keep trying to improve. I?ll ask the Lord for guidance and continue to listen to His advice in Sacred Scripture. I?ll keep praying for an increase in wisdom, knowledge, prudence and the other gifts of the Holy Spirit. And each day, I?ll pray for an increase in charity in order that I?ll have a greater love for my brothers and sisters. In the words of Saint Peter:

Who among us hasn?t experienced the frustration of an ?unanswered? prayer? You know the situation ? we pray for a loved one to return to the Church, for a new job, for a physical healing, for any number of intentions, and God appears to be silent. He doesn?t say ?yes?, He doesn?t say ?no?, He doesn?t seem to answer at all.

In these instances, it?s important to remember that we shouldn?t put time limits on God. While we often make Him wait for years to respond to His call, we expect an immediate answer to our prayers. Although Jesus assured us that we will ?receive? when we ask, He doesn?t promise that our prayers will be answered instantly. We need to trust in God?s perfect timing and know that the best answer (not necessarily the one we want) will be received when the time is right.

The Bible illustrates the importance of persevering in prayer. In the parable of the widow and the unrighteous judge (Lk 18: 1-8), Our Lord teaches the importance of praying without losing heart. He also delivers the same message in the story of the individual who looks to borrow three loaves of bread from a friend (Lk 11: 5-13). When Jesus heals a blind man at Bethsaida (Mk 8:22-25), the healing doesn?t take place immediately, but occurs in stages. After Jesus lays hands on the man, his sight is only partially restored. Our Lord responds by repeating the gesture which results in a total healing. In the Gospel of Matthew, we read the story of the Canaanite woman who asks Jesus to heal her daughter (Mt 25:21-28) and is seemingly rejected with Jesus? words, ?It is not fair to take the children?s bread and throw it to the dogs.? However, when the woman humbly replies, ?Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters? table?, Jesus praises her faith and heals her daughter.

The message of these scriptural passages is clear ? don?t ever stop praying. God is listening and will answer our prayers in His time. He knows what is best for us and for those for whom we pray. If you have an intention, He wants you to keep asking. Of course, we need to remember that the best answer isn?t always the one that we want. Do you struggle with this? Don?t feel bad because you?re not alone. On the night before He died, Our Lord provides us with a great example how we should pray:

Throughout the history of the world, it?s very interesting to see who God chooses to accomplish His work. Looking at the Bible, we see many unlikely people chosen to do the Lord?s work. If we had to choose for the Lord, would we have ever picked Moses (with his speech impediment) to lead the Israelites out of slavery, the cowardly and hot-headed Simon Peter to be the first Pope or the Christian hating Saul/Paul to spread the gospel to the Gentiles?

As mentioned in the First Reading from today?s Mass, the Lord gives Samuel some insight into His decision to reject the obvious candidates and choose David as King:

Many times, we will be asked to serve the Lord in some way and decline for various reasons. Maybe we don?t think we?re worthy, maybe we don?t feel we could do a good job or maybe we even feel that the work is beneath us. It?s important to take such opportunities to prayer, remembering that the Lord often ?draws straight with crooked lines?. If He asks us to accomplish something, He will equip us with the necessary tools.

I encourage you to pay attention to the call of the Lord in your life and look for ways that you can serve Him. God knows us better than we know ourselves and will often call on talents that are unknown to us. Take comfort in these Biblical stories and always remember the words of St. Paul:

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” (Martin Luther King, Jr.)