Last weekend, we encountered our Lord in the desert. There, we also saw the presence of evil. In that desert, the devil revealed two fundamental identifying qualities. The first is that he is a failure ~ he had no idea who he was up against. He tried to assault Jesus’ identity but failed to do so. The second fact we need to realize is that the devil is a liar. He promised the world ~ a promise he knew he could neither make nor keep. In our lives, the devil will try to assault our identity as children of God; remain strong and he will fail. Secondly, the devil will promise us the world, resist him for he lies. How do we remain strong and resist the devil? Today’s Gospel gives us the best way. Remain with Christ! Peter, James, and John climbed to the mountain top with Jesus. While there, they had the privilege of seeing Moses and Elijah. In their enthusiasm they made it known, “it is good for us to be here.” The closer we come to Christ the stronger we become. It is good to be with the Lord today, on the mountain top which is for us in this moment, St. Mary’s.
