IS THERE A SHORT CUT TO HEAVEN ???

This is today’s ‘way of Life’: I call it, the ‘press button’ culture; instant tea and coffee, press for your choice of drinks, cigarettes, robotic kitchens ... just set the programme and the robot will prepare meals for you, using ATM cards to withdraw money from the Bank, filling your car with petrol, a do-it-yourself business, short cuts, short cuts, short cuts. And taking short cuts means avoiding the hassle and trouble, take life easier.
This is not something typical of our age, only; Desperate Dan, not the dear figure we used to read in comics, I’m referring to the Master Tempter, because he is desperate, knew about short cuts and their effects. Take Christ when He fasted and prayed in the Judean Desert, and He was tempted, tested by the devil. What did he offer Christ? He simply offered, suggested three ‘short cuts’. What Lucifer had in mind was to try and convince Christ of avoiding the Cross. The devil knew well enough about the immensity, and everlasting effect there would be of Christ accepting to carry, be nailed and dying on the cross. The Tempter tried his utmost to convince Christ in avoiding the Cross by taking ‘short cuts’.

In the wilderness there were limestone stones looking like loaves and I suppose Satan suggested to Christ, “Look at it this way, because you are hungry change these stones to bread, that would be easy for you, besides you can feed many with your bread. Use your wonderful powers to give them material things.” In other words he wanted Christ to ‘bribe’ people into following Him. We all know what Christ answered from Deuteronomy 8: “A man does not live by bread alone.” Satan’s first attempt to suggest a ‘short cut’, failed miserably.

“Never say die,” I suppose the devil said. So he suggested to Christ, as He looked down on the whole civilized world from atop a mountain: “Get down and worship me, and you will be master of all you survey.” This policy is, unfortunately, used by many nowadays, even by world leaders, the ‘art’ of compromise. They strike a ‘bargain’ with their belief and the devil. All Mafia members attend church services, BUT, they carry on with their own devilish plans. That is compromise. Again Christ quoted Deuteronomy and threw back in his lap His answer: “God is God, right is right and wrong is wrong.”

We can see the devil’s persistence, he will never give up, and with us most especially. There he goes again offering Christ another choice; atop the pinnacle of the Temple, below, a sharp drop ending in the Kedron Valley. He was offering Christ to be a ‘sensationalist’ to do big things, to be a showman and prove His ability as a wonder-worker, and impress people. But Christ knew that ‘sensationalism’ will wear out, will pass and never last. HIS method, His way was that of giving proof with His sufferings leading to the Cross ... and later to the Crown of Glory.

Christ must have recounted His intimate experience to His Apostles, from His own lips, because he was alone in the wilderness. He was fasting and praying before beginning His mission. The approach, the method Christ chose was to reject all power and glory and embrace the life of sacrifice and the Cross. The Gospel tells us that the tempter left Christ alone ... for a time. A ‘desperate’ spirit keeps on trying; in his last attempt he used the Jews, who were watching Christ dying on the cross. “If you are the Son of God, come down from there.”

Beware dear friends, Desperate Dan, Lucifer, satan call him with whatever name, is always on the go, he works round the clock 24 hours a day. Let not a minute slip without calling the name of Mary, the Guardian Angel or making the sign of the cross. There must be no let-up. Christ has promised us, He will be us till the end of time.