WEDNESDAY HOMILY: 2ND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME – YEAR B
THEME: Saint Anthony’s Victory over Lust and Temptation
BY: Fr. Anthony O. Ezeaputa
Today we celebrate the memorial of Saint Anthony, Abbot, a pioneer of Christian monasticism. Saint Anthony is famous for his heroic struggles against temptation, particularly against a seductive woman and against lust.
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In his journey to devote himself fully to God, Saint Anthony faced many challenges. The devil sent a seductive woman to tempt him, but he resisted her charms through prayer and fasting.
One day, while he was alone in the desert, a beautiful woman appeared to him, trying to seduce him. But Saint Anthony was resolute in his faith and resisted her advances, even going so far as to physically assault the devil in disguise.
He also struggled with lustful thoughts and desires, but he overcame them through mortification and devotion to God. He would often say, “Wherever you go, my dear soul, do not let your heart be troubled. Trust in God, and He will give you peace.”
Saint Anthony’s struggles against temptation teach us the importance of vigilance and self-discipline in our spiritual lives. We are all tempted in various ways, but we can learn from Saint Anthony’s example to resist temptation through prayer, fasting, and devotion to God.
Let us ask for Saint Anthony’s intercession to help us in our own struggles against temptation. May his example inspire us to persevere in our faith and to seek God with all our hearts.
Let us pray: Lord Jesus, give us the grace to resist temptation and to follow you with all our hearts. Through the intercession of Saint Anthony, help us to overcome our struggles and to live a life of devotion to you. Amen.
May Saint Anthony’s heroic struggles against temptation inspire us to be vigilant and disciplined in our own spiritual journeys, and may we always seek God’s grace to overcome our struggles.
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