Lesson 9

Resisting Temptation and Relying on God and His Grace

Three specific spiritual practices will strengthen our ability to resist temptation and pursue holiness: prayer and the Sacraments, acts of virtue, and self-denial.

Catechism Connections

Lesson Topics

Marriage

Essential Lessons

Day 1

Lesson Vocabulary

Prayer: Raising one’s mind and heart to God in praise of His glory, asking for some desired good, giving Him thanks, or asking for His blessing on others. Through a life of prayer we experience a relationship with God. (2590, 2591)
Virtue: A habit of doing what is good. We build virtues through our own efforts and with God’s grace. (1833)
Self-denial (ascesis): Intentionally making sacrifices in daily life in order to strengthen the will. It is a powerful way of resisting temptation.