The spiritual struggle, then, leads us to look closely at those vices that shackle us and to walk, with the grace of God, towards those virtues that can flourish in us, bringing the springtime of the Spirit into our lives (Pope Francis).
For his first General Audience of 2024, in the Paul VI Auditorium, January 3, Pope Francis spoke about the spiritual struggles that all Christians face. We don’t normally think of Christian life as a battle or a wrestling match. It’s more comforting to think of the Church as a “haven” or resting place where we can retreat from the struggles of daily life. And yet, Pope Francis reminds us that “being comfortable” is not the primary goal of Christian discipleship.
As the pope teaches, “life is a succession of trials and temptations.” None of us can escape the confrontation with evil that is built into our hearts and minds as a consequence of sin. “All of us are tempted, and we must strive not to give in to these temptations,” the Holy Father says. “If any of you have no temptations, say so, because that would be an extraordinary thing! We all have temptations, and we all have to learn how to behave in these situations.”
The great story of Jesus’ temptations by Satan in the desert is meant to inspire us, and to show us how to respond when—inevitably—we are tempted.
The Gospels tell us that immediately after his baptism by John in the Jordan River—an action not taken because of Jesus’ sins, but because of his desire to accompany us and show us the way—our Lord was driven into the desert by the Holy Spirit where he was tempted by Satan.
As Pope Francis teaches, “In the desert, Jesus reveals himself to be in solidarity with our frail human nature and becomes our great exemplum: the temptations he faces and overcomes among the arid stones of the desert are the first instruction he gives to our life as disciples. He experienced what we too must prepare ourselves to confront: life is made up of challenges, tests, crossroads, opposing views, hidden seductions, contradictory voices.”
To choose the path that truly leads to happiness, and then strive not to stop along the way, requires discipline and the ability to say “no” to our desire for comfort, security and social status. It means that we must stand firm—always by the help of God’s grace—refusing to give in to the temptations that are offered to us constantly in the daily struggles of our lives.
Reflection on the vices and virtue that are part of our common human experience “helps us to defeat the nihilistic culture in which the boundaries between good and evil become blurred.” At the same time, the pope says, “it reminds us that the human being, unlike any other creature, can always transcend itself, opening up to God and journeying towards holiness.”
Daniel Conway
