February 22, 2026

Dear Parishioners,

Jesus experiencing temptations in the desert would appear to be a theological conundrum. How could Jesus Christ, the sinless, incarnate Word of God, experience a temptation–something evil?

We have to refine our understanding of temptation. A temptation, in actuality, does involve some good for you. Let me give a simple example: eating meat on a Friday in Lent. Meat in itself is a good and it is pleasing to the body. However, the particular good (eating meat) is an evil for you because it would mean renouncing your true, ultimate good. The temptation isn’t to do something purely evil. It is to do a lesser good that is incompatible with the greater good to which we are called.

So, to experience the temptation of this object as a lesser good is not in itself an evil. It is not wrong to be tempted to eat meat on a Friday in Lent. This is natural, and God doesn’t condemn our natural inclinations.

Let me pause there. This is an important distinction. A lot of Catholics will feel guilt and think they have sinned by being naturally attracted to something that isn’t meant for you–meat on a Friday in Lent, an attractive person walking down the street, sleeping in, etc. Feeling those feelings is not sinful. But some strict Catholics think they are. And they get themselves tied up because they cannot control themselves in feeling these feelings, and so think they are constantly sinning and falling short of God’s will for them. Let me repeat: it is not holy to constantly condemn yourself for natural feelings; it is not humility and is actually sinful to accuse yourself of sinning when you feel this way. Sin will be a factor, but not yet at this stage (I’ll get to the sin in a second).

I make this point not just because I’m a nice guy who wants you all to feel good by adopting an easier morality. Why this false humility or erroneous morality is so detrimental is because it truly prevents us from praying. If we’re stuck in this rut of thinking our feelings are evil, then we won’t be able to embrace our feelings and lift our struggling hearts to God in prayer. We’ll remain at this superficial level of temptation, self-accusation, shame, confession, reprieve: rinse and repeat. God is far from us and, without realizing it, we’ve become a Pharisee.

Back to the temptation. We’ve established it isn’t evil or sinful to feel an attraction toward a good that isn’t meant for you, toward a lesser good that would be opposed to the higher good to which you are called. The evil/sin comes in when you begin to desire this lesser good, and the desire advances such that it moves your will to choose this lesser good.

So, there are three parts: 1. Feeling the attraction to the lesser good. 2. Desiring the lesser good and letting your will be moved. 3. Acting and possessing the lesser good.

Jesus in the desert experienced number 1. He did not experience number 2 or number 3. He saw the desirable goods that Satan was proposing to him. But he did not allow that external desire to creep into his soul (2) and move his will to actually desire it and claim it (3)

Jesus was tempted because he was fully man, and all humans experience temptation. And the fullness of his humanity was demonstrated even further in that he experienced number 1 and did not choose numbers 2 and 3. Again, this is what it means to be fully human: to feel all the goods of the world around us and choose our highest good–whatever God’s will is for us.

So, when you are tempted by something that you know is not meant for you, consider this a blessing. You are given the opportunity to make a choice, and love is contingent upon choice. You have a choice to not desire that lesser good and instead choose to depend on God and love him instead. It is hard, but with God’s grace you can do it.

It is important for us to be intentional about our desires. We have to be like a hockey goalie, only letting the “highest good desires” enter into the back of the net (our soul and will).

Hopefully you can take comfort in the fact that you’re not crazy for being tempted. We all are. You are part of a team. Or, better yet, you are part of a rock band. We could call ourselves The Temptations (oh wait, I think that name has already been taken). When you rely on God’s grace and succeed in choosing the greater good, you help the other members of the band succeed. I ain’t too proud to beg for God’s grace to help me. May it the same for you. God, give me freedom and peace in seeing the beauty around me, and then give me the grace to choose you above all else.

May we be sources of grace for each other this Lent.

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There will be a Family Mass this Sunday, February 22nd at 10:30am in the HFC. The next Family Mass will be next Sunday, March 1st.

And a reminder we have Stations of the Cross every Friday during Lent at 7pm. Also this upcoming Friday, February 27th is the parish Lenten Fish Fry in the SPC gym.

Thank you again for your support of the Annual Catholic Appeal. If you missed the chance last week to fill out a pledge card, you can still make a pledge–see inside the bulletin or online for instructions. This year, our assessment is $154,129. With your help we can reach our goal. This is an important collection for the Archdiocese, as it allows the church to provide the necessary ministries and services to keep parishes and programs operating.

As I mentioned in the bulletin last week, the Archdiocese is offering every parish the opportunity to fill out the Disciple Maker Index. Please go online to this link to fill out a survey about our parish:

https://portal.catholicleaders.org/dmi/survey/pb833p. Your feedback will help our Evangelization Team discern if there is anything we can add to our programs here at St. Paul of the Cross.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. James Wallace