Cardinal Mahony, shortly before his retirement, wrote a terrific article on temptation. He relates the three temptations of Jesus to how satan uses the internet in three significant ways. H/T Michael Barber at The Sacred Page.

He calls it ” a Satan virus:

As we enter upon our Lenten Journey 2011, and as we listen once again to the Gospel of the First Sunday of Lent, we are reminded that as human beings we also are tempted frequently by Satan.

The Gospel for the First Sunday of Lent always focuses upon the temptations which Satan offered to Jesus. We are all familiar with the story and the outcome.

However, if Jesus lived in 2011 and was tempted by Satan, what would be today’s points of temptation? Where would Satan take Jesus today?

Exactly where he tempts us to go: Straight to the internet.

With all of its great advantage as a marvelous font of information, knowledge, and connectivity, sadly the internet has also become infected with a terrible “virus”–the Satan Virus.

Let me propose three internet temptation “sites” where Satan might take Jesus, and let’s reflect ourselves on whether we have been tempted similarly.  Read more here.