Focus & Fidelity
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July 3, 2026Over the past few weeks, we have been reflecting on an overlooked aspect of discipleship: Christ gives His followers “power over unclean spirits.” We began by noting that the devil of reality is not always the devil of the movies. He is usually far more subtle. His power is limited because he is a creature, not God’s equal. In the end, much of the power he has over us is the power we surrender to him.
We have already reflected on deception and division. Deception makes the path toward evil appear attractive, reasonable, harmless, or necessary. Division separates us from God, divides us within ourselves, and turns us against one another. This week, we turn to the third tactic: diversion.
Diversion is especially subtle because it does not always tempt us toward something obviously evil. Instead, it moves us away from the path God has given us by absorbing us in something secondary. The diversion may even look productive, respectable, religious, or necessary. The devil does not always need to make us reject God directly. Sometimes he simply encourages us to become so busy, distracted, anxious, or preoccupied that we no longer ask what God is actually asking of us.
Diversion can take many forms: endless busyness, anxiety over things outside our control, comparison with other people, chasing recognition instead of faithfulness, focusing on another person’s faults instead of our own conversion, replacing prayerful discernment with frantic problem-solving, or becoming more concerned with visible results than obedience.
Dr. Peter Kreeft has observed that, of all the seven deadly sins, sloth may be the most distinctively modern. That may surprise us. We might expect him to say lust, greed, or pride. And when we hear “sloth,” we usually think of laziness. But Kreeft points out that sloth is not simply inactivity. In fact, many modern people are extremely busy. The problem is that we can be busy with everything except the will of God. We can fill our lives with activity and still avoid the one thing necessary. We can be exhausted, productive, connected, and entertained, while our souls remain unfed. That is diversion.
This Sunday’s readings speak directly to this temptation. In the first reading, the prophet Zechariah tells Jerusalem to rejoice because her king comes humbly, riding on a donkey. This is not the dramatic, powerful, worldly king people might expect. God’s way is humble, peaceful, and patient. Diversion often tempts us toward the opposite: toward what seems impressive, urgent, controllable, and successful. But Christ comes gently. He does not force Himself upon us. He invites us to recognize the quiet arrival of grace.
Saint Paul tells us in the second reading that we are not “in the flesh,” but “in the spirit,” if the Spirit of God dwells in us. To live according to the flesh is not only to commit obvious sins. It is also to live by surface impulses, restless desires, and constant distraction. Life in the Spirit requires attention. It requires us to notice what is motivating us. Are we being led by God, or merely pulled along by urgency, fear, appetite, or habit?
In the Gospel, Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” Notice that He does not say, “Come to me after you have solved every problem, answered every message, fixed every relationship, and completed every task.” He simply says, “Come to me.” This is the remedy for diversion: focus and fidelity. We return to Jesus and take His yoke upon us. A yoke gives direction and joins us to another. The yoke of Christ does not remove every burden, but it teaches us to carry the right burdens in the right way, with Him.
St. Michael Parish is a big parish with a lot going on: six church communities, a school, many ministries, many needs, and many responsibilities. It is easy to become busy with many good things and still lose sight of the central thing: communion with Christ and mission in His name. The Church does not ask us to withdraw from the world, but to remain in the world with hearts fixed on God. To be faithful to our job, we must avoid distraction. This week, let us ask: What is distracting me from what God is actually asking of me? Through the intercession of St. Michael the Archangel, may Christ free us from needless diversion and teach us to walk with focus, peace, and fidelity.