1st Week of Lent (B) : Tuesday 20th February 2024

Cradle Christians would have prayed the ‘Our Father’ hundreds or thousands of times in their life, and the ‘Do not lead us into temptation’ is one that many find hard to comprehend. Why would the Father lead us into the occasion of sin, isn’t that what the evil one does?

The English and a few other translations have made an error in its translation from the original text. The correct translation should be along the lines of “do not let us fall into temptation.” The Lord does not tempt or lead anyone to sin or the occasion of sin, as it is contrary to the nature of God Who is love.

Pope Francis in December 2017 said, as reported in The Washington Post, “It’s not about letting me fall into temptation. It’s I, the one who falls, not Him pushing me toward temptation,” Francis said, miming the gesture of pushing someone, “so as to then see how I fall. No, well, a father won’t do that. A father will immediately help you pick yourself up. Satan’s the one leading you into temptation. That’s Satan’s task.”

In which areas of my life do I want the Lord to especially help me not fall into temptation?

Lord, help me not to be a coward in confronting temptation.