I Flunked Stage # 3!
The woman saw that the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eyes, and the tree was desirable for gaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves. (Genesis 3: 6-7)
A man went to the doctor complaining that he had broken his arm in two places.
The Doctor’s reply: “Well then, stay out of those places.”
Genesis 3 presents to us the origin of sin in this world. The serpent is the symbol of all temptations. The woman and the man, in a sense, stand for the entire human race. In the garden, the man and the woman were tempted to become like God, they wanted to put themselves in the place of God. Ultimately, they fell into temptation by abandoning God and His will. They couldn’t stay out of that tree and disobeyed God. Temptation comes to us in different forms and shapes. It’s an opportunity for us to draw nearer to God or to the Devil. We have to pray hard for wisdom and clarity to see the different between the good and evil. In his writings, Father Joseph Kentenich (1885-1968), the founder of The Apostolic Movement of Schoenstatt, an international Catholic lay movement, lists (3) three stages of temptation. The (1) first stage, he writes, is exterior enticement, or when we’re first invited to sin. At this point, we may not even be aware we’re being tempted. That leads to the (2) second step, which is becoming aware of the enticement. The (3) third stage is the response of the will, in which we make a concrete decision whether and how to react to the temptation. These three stages help us to know when the temptation moves into something sinful. We need to pay special attention to stage 3 which is “the response of the will,” our concrete decision for good or bad.
What are the most 5 shameful events of your life?
Have you truly forgiven yourself for each of these?
Lord Jesus, heal the guilt and shame that remain from the painful events of my life. Set me free so that I can love myself and love others as You are calling me to do.
St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly host, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen. (Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel)
Hail Mary full of grace…
Peace in Christ,
Father Vincent-Vuong Nguyen