Adult Confirmation Schedule W-24

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Temptation - Kingdoms of the Worls

Temptation in the Wilderness, “Kingdoms”                                   19 March 2023                                                                       Young Adult/Early Career Bible Study                

  8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them; 9 and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Begone, Satan! for it is written,

‘You shall worship the Lord your God

and him only shall you serve.’”

1. What is going on in this reading?

2. St Luke’s final temptation is Matthew’s third, (tempting the Lord to throw himself off the pinnacle of the temple). Why would St. Matthew make this trial his final temptation in the wilderness?

3. What exactly is this temptation? To what do you equate this temptation in our “world”? How is it manifested in people? In what way is it different for Jesus? 

4. What sort of mountain would allow one to see all the kingdoms of the world (I can’t even see to Sacramento from Vacaville!)? Is the devil omnipresent or omniscient?

Look at Luke 4:5-7:

And the devil took him up, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, 6 and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory; for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. 7 If you, then, will worship me, it shall all be yours.”

5. See Daniel 10:12-14 (p. 772), Rev. 2:12, 13 (p. 1079). Does Satan “own” these nations? If this is so, how did he get ownership of them? How does this relate to temptations in the present day? See 1 John 3:8-10 (p. 1066).

6. How did the devil gain control of these kingdoms? How does this “ownership” relate to the Fall of Adam and Eve? See Romans 8;19-24 ((p. 983). Does the devil own America?

Look again at the top reading from Matthew

7. What would have happened had Jesus given in to this temptation (which, of course, the Lord never would do, but the devil foolishly thought he had a chance of winning out)?

8. Would Jesus truly rule over these kingdoms if he did not die on the cross? See Hebrews 2:14, 15(p. 1045), Revelation 1:17-18 (p. 1072).

9. How is a house blessing the opposite of the devil’s temptation? Luke 10:5 (p. 901). How about an exorcism? See Matthew 12:23-28 (p. 846). What about house blessings?  

10. Read Colossians 1:13-14. When will all this occur, or has it already occurred? See 1 Corinthians 15:25-28 (p. 1001-1002).

11. How does Jesus’ response to the devil instruct you in fighting temptation? 

12. How does the Lord’s response identify with your appropriate life decisions and responses to temptation? When we give in to temptation, what are we saying about the power of God? 

 

 

 

 (Pub. Friday, March 10, 2023)

Temptation in the Wilderness, “Pinnacle,” 12 Mar 2023

 Young Adult/Early Career Bible Study  

 

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written,

‘He will command his angels concerning you,’
    and ‘On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’” 

7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

QUESTIONS

1. What ploy does the devil use in this temptation of Jesus in v. 5?

 

2. Have you ever thought that a change of “venue” would solve your problems? What does this teach us about the devil’s tactics in tempting us (or in us tempting ourselves)?

What was the outcome if you acted on such a “temptation”? 

 

3. Since Jesus refused to turn rocks into bread, what does the devil’s marvel of whisking Jesus to Jerusalem in the blink of an eye seem to communicate to Jesus about the tempter’s abilities and willingness to use his power? (“If you refuse to perform marvels, I shall have to oblige!’ )

 

4. Exactly what are the devil’s temptations for Jesus found in v. 6? How do the devil’s words deny the very mission of Jesus?

 

5. What would Jesus “accomplish” by throwing himself down? What is the rationale for his doing so? 

 

6. How is this temptation to perform a miracle different from, say, Jesus walking on water or turning water into wine? (None of which saved Jesus from the Cross.)

 

7. What do you think about the devil quoting Scripture against God? What is wrong with the devil’s interpretation of this passage of Scripture? See Psalm 91:9-12 (p. 516) for a complete rendering of the passage in question. What is the lesson for us here? Do we ever run into misuse of Scripture to justify falsely our actions?

 

8. This temptation bears a striking resemblance to an incident with the Israelites while they were in the desert 40 years. Discuss Exodus 17:1-7 (p. 60) and compare it to the temptation we are considering today. 

 

9. How does Jesus’ response expose the devil’s ploy? See Deuteronomy 6:16 (p. 158), Psalm 95:8, 9 (p. 518). How is the devil tempting God?

 

10. What are examples where groups have put God to the test by their religious practices? 

 

11. What is the difference between a leap of faith and a step of faith? How do we know we are doing one and not the other? How does the term “forcing God’s hand” relate to this temptation?

 

12. Could one ever use not putting God to the test as an excuse for serving the Lord?

 

13. What takes more faith, taking a drastic step to bring about an intended result or continuing along the steady, harder path? How does this relate to your faith in instances such as miraculous healings or trials of life?

Temptation in the Wilderness #2 “Bread,” 5 Mar 2023

 Young Adult/Early Career Bible Study #2 - The Temptation 

5 Mar 23

³ And the tempter came and said to him,

“If you are the Son of God, command these

stones to become loaves of bread.”

⁴ But he answered, “It is written,

‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word

that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”

Matthew 4:3, 4

Questions

1. Who is the devil? [See. 4:3, 4:10, 12:24 (p. 846), 13:19 (p. 847)]
2. What is the significance of the devil saying “If”? Relate to Mt. 27.39-44 (p. 864)
3. What is the devil’s goal in this temptation? 
1. Of all things possible with which to tempt Jesus, why did the devil select bread? See Exodus 16.13-16 (p. 60)
4. Of what is Satan trying to convince Jesus by this temptation? (Hint: consider why is the Lord is fasting in the first place?).
5. Have you ever felt God wanted you to do something, but you ran across some sort of resistance in doing it? Explain.
1. How does the devil test/tempt us with “If”? What is his endgame? See Gen 3.1ff. (p. 2) and James 1.5-8 (p. 1054)
6. How does Jesus stop the devil in his tracks? How can you do so? What is required in order for us to resist his temptations? 
7. What does “Man shall not live by bread alone” mean?
1. See Deuteronomy 8:3 (p. 159) , which Jesus quotes. What is missing from the quote? 
8. How do you live by every word from God’s mouth? How has this influenced your life? Why do Catholics appear to be deficient in their knowledge of Scripture as compared to some Protestants? Is this really so?
9. How does “not by bread alone” point out some truths regarding our teachings on the Eucharist? Also see John 6:48-51 (p.929) and John 15:5-7 (p.939)

 TEMPTATION IN THE WILDERNESS, Matthew 4.1-11

Meeting 1 - 26 Feb

 

Isaac of Syria 7th century

 

Regarding Temptations

 

Pray lest you enter into temptations of the soul. But for those of the body, make ready with all your strength and swim in them with every limb and muscle. Indeed apart from them it is not possible for you to draw near to God, for within them lies divine rest.

 

Whoever flees from temptation – not from temptation of desires but from tribulations – flees from virtue….

 

What virtue is accomplished without temptations? Or what temptation is more serious than the loss which He commands us to undergo for his sake? “He who does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me (Mt. 10.38)),” and “Lead us not into temptation”; but throughout his teaching is scattered the entrance into temptations. For he has said: “Without temptations the kingdom of heaven will not be found (Luke 22.28; Acts 14.22). 

 

About which Temptations Must We Pray Not To Enter?

 

Pray that you do not enter temptation about your faith.

Pray that through your mind’s self-confidence you do not enter into 

    temptation with the demon of blasphemy and pride.

Pray that you do not enter into the manifest temptations of the senses which Satan knows how to bring upon you, when God permits him, on 

    account of the foolish opinions you have devised.

Pray that the [Angel] witness of chastity not withdraw from you and you be 

    tempted into the flams of sin and be separated from him. 

Pray that you do not enter into the temptation of being contemptuous of 

    anything. 

 

Pray therefore, that you do not enter into the temptations of the soul; 

namely, those which place the soul in struggle, in doubt and in 

provocations. But for those of the body, be ready with your whole body and with all your members, and swim with your eyes full of tears so that you may be found to b with your guardian [angel] amidst them. For without temptations God’s providence is not perceived, and familiarity with Him is not acquired, and wisdom of spirit is not learned and the love of God is not rooted in the soul.

 

Before being tempted one prays to God as a stranger. But when one has entered tribulations because of his love and has not undergone change, then, one who has laid obligations on God, he is considered God’s housemate and friend, who has contended for the sake of [God’s] will against the army of his enemies. This is the meaning of: “Lead us not into temptation.”

 

And again: Pray that you do not enter into temptations on account of your pride but rather because you love God, that his power may shine out in you. Pray that you not enter into these temptations because of the folly of your thoughts and our deeds, but that you may be proved a friend of God, and that his power may be glorified in your patience….

 

Furthermore, He uses this opportunity mercifully. If you consider the things of the body, you see that God gives heed to the weakness of nature, lest perhaps on account of the wretchedness of the body, we would not find strength before the violence of the temptations when they occur, and because of this also fall from truth when we are overcome by afflictions. Therefore He commands us insofar as possible one should not willfully let oneself fall into temptation. And not only this, but also, you should pray earnestly that you not be found intemptation by chance, if it is possible to please God without temptation.

 

But if it is necessary on account of great virtue that temptations assail, even the most terrible, and if only when one accepts them is it possible to achieve virtue, in this case it is not right for us to be partial to ourselves or to anyone. Not even because of fear may you abandon that great event upon which haggs the life of your soul, taking to disguise weakness…

 

Spring Bible Study - 12 May 2020

Spring Bible Study - 12 May 2020

Spring Bible Study - The Gospel Lesson for 17 May - 6th Sunday of Easter

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READINGS AND QUESTIONS FOR 10 MAY 20

John 14:15-21: The Upper Room Discourse

The Gospel reading for 17 May is a continuation of Jesus’ “Upper Room Discourse.” It is from the Gospel of John. It contains our Lord’s final words of instruction to his disciples before his impending arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane and his death on Golgotha. We have been reading this discourse for a lot this Easter season in daily and Sunday Mass readings. It can be challenging to preach from the Upper Room Discourse because Jesus Christ says the same things in varied ways. Often it sounds like the same homily for every Mass! But that is not a bad thing. They are the last things our Lord wishes to impart to the disciples before his death and subsequent resurrection. Thus, they are very critical to our faith.

The reading:

Gospel  John 14:15-21

Jesus said to his disciples:
And I will ask the Father,
and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always,
the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept,
because it neither sees nor knows him.
But you know him, because he remains with you,
and will be in you.
I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
In a little while the world will no longer see me,
but you will see me, because I live and you will live.
On that day you will realize that I am in my Father
and you are in me and I in you.
Whoever has my commandments and observes them
is the one who loves me.
And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father,
and I will love him and reveal myself to him.”

A.    [Jesus said to his disciples:] “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”

1.      The Bible was written in Ancient Greek. The Greek word for disciple is “matheetes” from which we get the word mathematician. Matheetes means “learner.” How are you a “learner” of Jesus Christ? How does failure and making mistakes fit into the idea of a disciple, a learner?

2.      What sorts of activities were the followers of Jesus involved in as his disciples? How did he teach them about the faith? (Remember there were more than twelve disciples who followed him.) What activities demonstrate you are a disciple?

3.      What exactly are Jesus’ commandments? What is the goal of them? What is the greatest commandment and how do you obey it?

4.      Why is obeying Jesus Christ evidence of our love for him? How does obedience relate to family and Church life?

5.      Does it mean we don’t love the Lord when we fail to keep his commandments, his words of instruction?

B.     “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always,
the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows him.”

1. An “advocate” is a defense attorney for somebody on trial. The term for it in NT Greek is “paraclete,” which is another title for the Holy Spirit. Jesus said he would give us “another paraclete.” Who then was our first advocate?

2. How is the Holy Spirit with us always?

3. How have you encountered the Holy Spirit in your life? This can be both in terms of sacraments of the Church as well as a personal experience.

4. How does the Spirit of truth relate the truth to us? Exactly what truth is Jesus talking about?

5. Jesus said to his disciples in last Sunday’s Gospel lesson, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” How does/did the Spirit express this truth to the world? What does this say about the words of Scripture in relation to the Spirit?

6. We live in a society that increasingly has no set understanding about truth, be it in overall truths concerning God and humanity, truths regarding morality, acceptance of scientific fact or the idea that truth does not change. How do we navigate these waters and respond to this “spirit of untruth”? How do you personally share this truth?

7. Has the Spirit of Christ ever corrected something you understood wrongly about God, yourself, the world? How did the Spirit reveal this to you?

8. Why doesn’t the world see and know the Spirit of truth?

9. What happens when one begins to see and know this Spirit? When did this happen to you? How ongoing is this revelation?

10. How does this Spirit of Truth lead you into all truth?

C.     “But you know him, because he remains with you, and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.”

1. What is the Lord talking about when he says you and I know him “because he remains with you, and will be in you”? How was the Spirit of truth with but not in them, and in what way was this experienced?

2. When did the Spirit come to be in them? Was this Spirit in Jesus as well? When did he receive this Spirit as a human being?

3. To what is Jesus referring when he said he wouldn’t abandon them (in death) but would come to them? Is he referring to his Resurrection or something else? After his Ascension into heaven, does he still come to us?

4. How does Jesus come to you personally? Also why would he do so, considering the billions of people in the world over the millennia? How can our personal relationship with him be so central to Jesus Christ?

5. The Lord is also speaking not just to individuals but to the Church over time. What confidence do Jesus’ words give us in relation to the truths the Church holds to (they are called “dogmas”)? [Hint: in 1 Timothy 3:15 St Paul writes, “But if I should be delayed, you should know how to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of truth.”]

6. How does faith work in seeing and knowing the truths the Holy Spirit brings the Church?

D.    Closing Thoughts

Look over the underlined portion of the Gospel from which the above questions are based. Given all we have talked about today, what is one thing you can take with you from this reading? What truth is the Spirit of truth showing you today?

Spring Bible Study - 5 May 2020

Spring Bible Study - The Gospel Lesson for 10 May - 5th Sunday of Easter

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READINGS AND QUESTIONS FOR 10 MAY 20

John 14:1-12: The Upper Room Discourse

[Jesus said to his disciples:]

1 Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me.

a. In what circumstances do Jesus and the disciples find themselves?

b. What exactly is Jesus trying to convey to his disciples? Why is it so exceptional? Have you ever shared in an 'upper room discourse' with an acquaintance or family member?

c. Humanly speaking, what options are open to Jesus and his disciples at this point?

d. Look at Matthew 16:23 and relate it to next Sunday's Gospel passage:

21 From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised. 22 Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, “God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you.” 23 He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”

e. For what reasons is it so hard for the disciples to understand and accept what Jesus has always maintained about the result of his ministry? Can you relate this experience to that of your own? 

2 In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 

3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be. 

f. What is 'my Father's house' and what are these 'dwelling places?' What do you know (or think you know) about these dwelling places? Look at 1 Cor. 2:9 and 1 John 3:2

g. What assurance does the Lord offer the disciples? What assurance does this bring you? 

h. Jesus always maintained a 'holy resignation' to the will of God. What does this mean for you and me and at what point can it be wrongly applied as a sense of 'fatalism' about life?

4 [Jesus said:] Where I am going you know the way.”

5 Thomas said to him, “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” 

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 

i. In v. 4, Jesus Christ again perplexes them when he says ,'...you know the way.' Does his response in v. 6 help explain what he means? These

j. These words are very similar to last Sunday's Gospel where Jesus said he was the gate for the sheep. Can you relate these two statements and apply them to yourself?

k. Notice Jesus speaks to us individually. How do we live through him? 

l. 'The Way,' was a name for believers who followed Jesus as the Messiah (see Acts 19:23). How do you encounter the Lord Jesus as 'the Way and the Truth and the Life?' For example, how does the Lord correct you with the truth when you are mistaken, how does he show you the way? how do you experience the life that he offers you daily?

7 If you know me, then you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” 

8 Philip said to him, “Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.” 

9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 

m. What is Jesus telling his disciples in v. 7? What does he mean when he says 'From now on'? How is 'now' different from 'previously'? 

n. Can you 'flesh out' (literally) what Jesus is telling his disciples in v. 9? (Bear in mind John 1:18 tells us No one has ever seen God. The only Son, God, who is at the Father’s side, has revealed him.)

o. Do these words give you the comfort Jesus was offering his disciples? Explain.

10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who dwells in me is doing his works. 

11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else, believe because of the works themselves. 

p. How do these verses further explain what Jesus means when he says to see him is to see the Father?

q. What exactly does it mean to be saved in the context of our relationship with the Father and the Son? How do they relate to Jesus assuring them of their dwelling in his Father's house in v. 2?

12 Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father.

r. Perhaps immediately we think of the great works of the apostles in Book of Acts after reading v. 12. But is this what the Lord is referring to? What works are they that we are to do?
s. How does Jesus 'going to the Father' influence the greatness of the works of The Way? What event is he perhaps referring to?