A Word of Hope for 17 Feb 2026 by Br. Ed Van Merrienboer, OP.
We tackle a common spiritual confusion regarding the reality of temptation. It is easy to fall into the trap of believing that God sends us temptations as a "test" of our faithfulness. However, the Epistle of St. James corrects this misunderstanding.
We explore how temptation actually works—often arising from our own inner desires or the world around us, disguising evil as something "good" and desirable. If we believe God is the source of our struggle, we are less likely to turn to Him for help. Join us as we learn to identify the true nature of sin and look to God as our source of strength and assistance.
**Timeline:**
0:00 Welcome: 6th Week of Ordinary Time
0:18 The Common Confusion: Does temptation come from God?
0:40 The "Test" Misconception
0:55 St. James's Teaching: Inner desires and the world
1:08 How Temptation Works: Evil disguised as good
1:44 Seeking the Proper Source of Help
2:11 Resisting for the Love of God
**Hashtags:**
#AWordOfHope #CatholicFaith #Temptation #StJames #SpiritualGrowth #DominicanFriars #OrdinaryTime #DailyReflection #OvercomingSin #GodsLove