Daily reflection _ inner voices

INNER VOICES
We all hunger to grow spiritually, which means coming to hear clearly and being able to tell the difference between those two voices.  
Deacon John Ruscheinsky
On this First Sunday of Lent, the Catholic Church reads the story of Jesus' temptation in the desert. His forty days of fasting, of course, mirror both the forty days of Lent and the forty years the Israelites spent in the desert before reaching the Promised Land. The desert is a place of both trials - in this case, temptations - and revelations of God. The Gospel for this Sunday also fits together with the other two readings. Jesus' obedience to His Father contrasts the disobedience of Adam and Eve. In addition, the passage from St. Paul to the Romans bridges Genesis and Matthew. Adam sins and Jesus saves.
The Scripture readings begin and end with people paying attention to inner voices. Eve listens to the serpent who exploits her human desire to rationalize a way to get what she wants. Jesus hears that voice as well, but it is overridden by the Voice of the Father saying, "You are My beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased" (Mt 3:17). We all hunger to grow spiritually, which means coming to hear clearly and being able to tell the difference between those two voices.
We need to remember that Jesus Christ was tempted just like us and He overcame sin, not by His Own human effort, but by the grace and strength God gave Him. He had to renounce His own will for the Will of the Father. He succeeded because He wanted to please His Father and He trusted Him as well. He relied on the loving Spirit of God! His obedience to do God's Will and to embrace the Cross reversed Adam's disobedience. Jesus didn't need to convince Himself that God was with Him; nor did He want power. What Jesus treasured the most was His Father's faithfulness!
How can you and I overcome sin and oppression in our lives? Who do we rely on for strength and help?
Pay attention to the inner voices!