EPISODE OVERVIEW

In this first installment of our Lenten series on The Seven Deadly Sins, Deacon Chris explores the spiritual roots of gluttony and greed. Through the lens of Genesis and the Temptation of Jesus in the desert, we discover that the real battle is not about food or money — it is about trust.

Temptation begins when we believe God is small. From there, we grasp for substitutes.

This episode challenges us to examine:

How we use comfort to numb deeper hunger

How we cling to control instead of trusting the Father

How Lent can enlarge our desire for God

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Hunger is not sinful — it can be holy.

Gluttony is the refusal to be empty.

Greed is the fear of dependence.

The devil tempts us to live as orphans.

Jesus overcomes temptation by remaining the Son.

Freedom begins with a pause and a simple prayer.

PRACTICAL CHALLENGE

Before reaching for your default comfort, pray:

“Jesus, what am I really hungry for?”

Wait five minutes.

Reclaim your freedom.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES

Genesis 3:1–7
Romans 5:12–19
Matthew 4:1–11

Ash Wednesday always contains a striking tension.

Jesus tells us in the Gospel:
“Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them.”

And yet, today, we receive ashes on our foreheads — visible to everyone.

So what is happening?

In this homily, Fr. Will explains that ashes are not a display of righteousness. They are a confession of weakness. Ashes are what remains after something has been burned. They remind us of our mortality, our dependence upon God, and our need for repentance.

“Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

Ash Wednesday confronts us with reality: death is coming. Pride is real. Sin wounds us. And we need a Savior.

Lent is not about self-improvement or spiritual performance. It is about reconciliation. As St. Paul pleads: “Be reconciled to God.”

Through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, we take up battle against pride — the root of all sin — and learn again how to receive grace rather than trying to control everything ourselves.

Now is the acceptable time.
Now is the day of salvation.

In Part 3 of our Sermon on the Mount series, Fr. Will uses a ninth grade geometry story—an exam covered in red ink—to unpack what Jesus is doing in today’s Gospel.

Christ, the Master Teacher, tells the truth about the human heart. He fulfills the law and then presses deeper, revealing that God desires more than outward compliance—he desires interior conversion.

When we face the “reality check” of our weakness and sin, we usually fall into one of two traps: denial (“I’ll decide what’s right for me”) or despair (“I can’t do this, so why try?”). Jesus offers a third way: humility—admitting we need to change and asking him for help.

The good news is that God doesn’t demand holiness from a distance. The Lord comes close, teaches us, and gives grace to live what he commands. As Jesus promises later in the Sermon on the Mount: Ask and you will receive. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened.

Readings: Sirach 15:15–20; 1 Corinthians 2:6–10; Matthew 5:17–37