A sermon on Luke 4:1-13

By Fr. Mike Paraniuk
St. Mary Catholic Church
St. Benignus Catholic Church 
St. Mary Queen of Heaven
and Holy Trinity Catholic Church

I received a very unusual phone call last week. A woman asked, "Is this THEE Father Mike?" 

Watch out for the word, "thee." It means either someone likes you – or you're in big trouble. 

I replied haltingly, "Whose asking?" 

She said, "I've been looking for you." 

Now, I'm starting to get nervous. What she said next calmed my fears. 

"I want to thank you. My name is Theresa. You baptized my 3-day old baby, Megan, at Children's Hospital. She was diagnosed with a life-threatening heart condition. We didn't know if she would make it. The nurse told me you baptized her. Though I wasn't there when you baptized her, it gave me great peace knowing if my baby must die, the Holy Spirit was in her soul." 

I asked Theresa, "When did I do this?" 

She replied, "In 1989." 

Theresa told me a beautiful love story about her daughter. 

"Megan lived for another 31 years, passing over to God in 2020. During those years, she suffered through 12 heart surgeries. She used to say, 'Kids my age worry about acne, but that's nothing compared to the huge scar on my chest.' Megan lived life to the fullest knowing every day could be her last. 

"She faced her future without fear, never giving into the temptation to despair. Her positive attitude inspired everyone who knew her. The last five years of her life were truly blessed. She found love with Dan who found Megan on an internet dating site. It became a full-blown romance. They were engaged to be married. Dan promised Theresa, 'I don't know what the future holds for us. But I promise I will never leave Megan. I will walk with her, and be loyal to her, as long as her heart keeps beating.' Dan was holding Megan when her heart beat its last as she crossed over to God." 

Lent is a time to remember that Jesus gave His heart to you. Every beat of His Heart screamed out, "I promise to never leave you. I am loyal to you till my last breath." 

The Bible says, "With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last." (Mark 15:37.) 

What did Jesus cry out? "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit." (Luke 23:46.) 

Jesus died as He had lived. Total loyalty to His Father. Total loyalty to His Father's children, who are you. 

God asks you now, "Will you be loyal to Me? Will you give me your Heart?" 

The devil will do everything he can to prevent you from doing this. He will tempt you just like He tempted Jesus. All temptations come from these three:

1) "Turn these stones into bread." Loyalty to God's will is more important than any physical pleasures. "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be." (Matthew 6:20-21.)

2) "Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, 'If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down.'" In life's difficulties, don't demand that God give you a miraculous proof of His loyalty to you. And if you don't receive that you turn away from God in disbelief. Trust God's Love when you don't see it. It surrounds you like the wind you can't see but know it's there.

3) "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me." The devil tempts you to make a created thing more important than the Creator. The Bible is very blunt about piled up wealth. "And a final word to you arrogant rich: ... You’ll need buckets for your tears when the crash comes upon you." (James 5:1.) 

I didn't know St. James knew about the New York Stock Exchange!

Theresa concluded our phone call by saying that Dan has found new love four years after Megan left for God. She is happy for him and then added, "Dan has not forgotten Megan. The flame of his memories of her still burn in his heart." 

Every day you have to choose either for Jesus or for Satan. May every beat of your heart say, "Jesus, I trust in you." Happy Lent.