May the Lord
bless you, especially this Lenten season, as you are renewed in your
relationship with GOD.
Lent comes from
a word that means “springtime.” Springtime is when the “deadness” of winter
begins to blossom with new life. It happens each year. We see signs that what
seemed to be gone is brought back. After the trees have their dead branches clipped,
they begin to sprout leaves. Bulbs that have shown no life are buried in the
ground so that flowers can bloom.
Lent is a time
of spiritual re-birth. We are allowed to focus on what is
essential in our relationship with our GOD. That which is dead and
non-productive must be removed and buried so that new life that comes from the
death and resurrection of Jesus can have an effect in our lives. If we make
good use of these 40 days, we will be able to celebrate the paschal mystery of
our salvation during the Triduum (“Three Days”) of Holy Thursday, Good Friday,
and the Easter Vigil.
As we celebrate
the First Sunday in Lent, we are reminded that we need to remember and be
attentive to GOD’s presence. In the First Reading, the words of Moses remind
the Israelites that they must constantly recall and make present the saving
deeds that GOD has done (and is doing) for them. The Responsorial Psalm is the
prayer of one who trusts in GOD, especially during trying times. It is this
psalm that the devil misused to tempt Jesus in the Gospel. Saint Paul reminds
the readers of his Letter to the Romans what is important: to be faithful to
the Word of GOD, confess it with their mouths, and believe it in their hearts.
In the Gospel, as Jesus completes His forty-day fast and retreat in the
desert, the devil tempts Him to succumb to the weakness of other mortals: seeking
personal pleasure, power, and instant fame.
First Reading: Deuteronomy
26:4-10: The Creed of the Chosen People
Commentary: The first readings during Lent each
year are wonderfully arranged to lead us from the very beginnings to the
immediate preparation for Christ, each Sunday working further forward in the
history of God’s promises to his People. This year begins with the profession
of faith about God’s care of his People, which Israelite priests had to make
when presenting their offering. Surprisingly, it begins not with the promises to
Abraham but with the wanderings of the nomadic tribes down to Egypt. It was
first in Egypt that God made them his people, rescuing them from slavery. In
this version of the history of Israel, the decisive moment was not the call of
Abraham but the exodus from Egypt. But in the next Sundays, we will work forward
through the call of Abraham, the call of Moses, the first Passover in Canaan, and the promise of a New Covenant at the return from the Babylonian Exile. It
is a record of God’s constant care as he prepares the People for the coming of
his Son at the incarnation, and the full revelation at the Cross and the
Resurrection of Easter.
Responsorial Psalm 91:1-2,10-15:
Be with me, O Lord, in my distress.
The psalmist
speaks of the personal trust in GOD. It, too, is a remembering – a remembering
of the promises GOD made to the Chosen People. GOD is the refuge and fortress –
the vehicle of protection and safety. In remembering GOD’s promises, the
psalmist is aware of GOD being with him.
Second Reading: Romans 10:8-13: The
Creed of the Christian
Commentary: In these chapters of the Letter to the Romans, Paul is struggling with the problem of the salvation of the Jews: how is it that the People so carefully nurtured for so long should refuse to acknowledge that Jesus is the fulfilment of God’s plan of salvation? To Paul, himself a fervent Jew, it was agonizing that so many of his own people should refuse to acknowledge Jesus. But he saw that their refusal opened the door to the gentiles. The Christian community in Rome was composed of both Jews and Gentiles. It was important for Paul to show that even scripture proclaims that the door is open to all who profess their faith in Christ, not one party to the exclusion of the other: so, no distinction between Jew and Greek. This is, however, a very different profession of faith from the profession in the first reading: that was a belief in a Lord God who rescued them from Egypt. This is a belief that the Lord God raised Jesus from the dead and raised him to the status of LORD. Paul never uses the word ‘God’ of Jesus but does call him by the special personal name that is so sacred that it is never pronounced in Hebrew. The word used then and now is ‘LORD. ’
Gospel; Luke 4:1-13: The
temptation in the wilderness
Commentary: To
remind us that Lent is a time when we are tested, the gospel reading of the
First Sunday of Lent is always about the testing of Jesus. But our fasting or
whatever the extra little offering we make to the Lord during Lent may be, we
enter into solidarity with the hardship undergone by Jesus in his Passion. Of
course, Lent is not a matter of testing out how far we can push ourselves (a
sort of macho self-torture). Rather, it is a period of preparation for the
Passion and Resurrection, like the forty years of Israel in the desert,
preparing for the Promised Land, or the prophet Elijah’s forty-day preparation,
or the forty days during which Christ prepared the apostles between Easter and
the Ascension. The point of Jesus’ forty-day fast is to give some force to the
devil’s first taunt. To each of the devil’s taunts, Jesus replies with a word of
scripture: if you rely on God’s word, you are unshakably safe, for God has
created and arranged everything. Mathew and Luke have a different order for the second and third temptations: Mathew climaxes with Jesus as the Second Moses,
like Moses seeing all the territories from a high mountain. Luke ends the scene
as he begins and ends his gospel, at Jerusalem, the turning-point of the gospel.
Reflection: Are you ready to follow the Lord Jesus
wherever he wishes to lead you? After Jesus' was baptized by John the Baptist
at the River Jordan, he withdrew into the wilderness of Judea - a vast and
mostly uninhabitable wilderness full of danger. Danger from scorching heat by
day and extreme cold at night, danger from wild animals and scorpions, plus the
deprivation of food and the scarcity of water.
Why did the
Holy Spirit lead Jesus into such a lonely place right after Jesus was
anointed and confirmed by the Father for his mission as Messiah and Savior?
Jesus was following the pattern which God had set for Moses and for Elijah -
both were led on a forty day journey of prayer and fasting to meet with God on
his holy mountain (Ex 24:18 and 1 Kings 19:8). God tested Moses and Elijah to
prepare them for a prophetic mission - to speak God's word (Ex 33:11; Deut.
18:15; 34:10) and to lead God's people into the way of holiness and
righteousness, a way marked by love of God and love of neighbor. While Moses
and Elijah each prayed and fasted in the desert wilderness of Sinai, God fed
them with his life-giving word. Their time of solitude with God enabled them to
be renewed in faith, hope, and love for the call God had given them. Jesus
likewise went into the wilderness to prepare himself for the mission entrusted
to him by spending forty days and nights in solitude and prayer to his Father
in heaven.
Jesus tempted by the devil: Luke tells us that at
the end of Jesus' forty days in the wilderness, one visitor came out to tempt
him. Luke describes this tempter as the devil (Luke 4:1), who is also called
the father of lies (John 8:44), Satan (Luke 10:18), and the spiritual ruler and
god of this world (John 12:31; 2 Cor 4:4). He is the same deceiver who tempted
Adam and Eve in the Garden of Paradise (Gen 3). Why did Satan tempt Jesus at
the end of his lengthy period of fasting? Satan knew that Jesus was embarking
on an important spiritual mission for the kingdom of God. Perhaps Satan saw an
opportunity to strike while Jesus appeared more vulnerable in his physically
and emotionally weakened condition due to his prolonged fasting and inner
struggle over his particular call and mission. Satan undoubtedly thought he
could persuade Jesus to choose his own path rather than the path his Father had
chosen - a path that required self-renunciation, humility, and obedience to his
Father's will. Jesus had to struggle with temptation, especially the temptation
to choose his own way and to push aside the way his Father wanted him to go.
This is the fundamental temptation that confronts each one of us as well. My
way or God's way, my will or God's will.
Satan's first temptation appealed
to Jesus' physical desires and hunger. Jesus was very hungry and physically
weak at the same time - he hadn't eaten anything for forty days. Did the Spirit
lead him into the wilderness to die? When the people of Israel were led into
the wilderness for forty years without any natural source of food, they
complained to Moses that he was punishing them with starvation - a very painful
way to suffer and die. Moses took the matter to God in prayer. And God
intervened by sending them manna, " bread from heaven," for their
daily provision. Should not Jesus do the same to revive his weakened condition?
Satan tried to
get Jesus to turn stones into bread, both to prove his supernatural power over
nature and to satisfy his own personal hunger. Jesus knew that he had been
anointed with extraordinary power for performing great signs and wonders, just
as Moses and Elijah had performed great signs and miracles in the name of God.
But Jesus had chosen to fast from food and to pray for a lengthy period in
order to prepare himself for the mission his Father was entrusting to him.
Jesus wanted to do his Father's will, even though it might cost him great
sacrifice, suffering, and even the loss of his own life. He hungered for his
Father's word and made his life dependent on what the Father wanted him to do rather than what he might have preferred for himself. Jesus chose to use his
power and gifts to serve his Father rather than to serve himself. Jesus
defeated Satan's snare with the words of Scripture from the Book of Deuteronomy
in which Moses warned the people of Israel to never forget God nor his word:
"Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from
the mouth of God" (Deut. 8:3; Matthew 4:4).
Jesus' second temptation: Satan tempted Jesus a
second time by presenting him with the best the world could offer - great
riches, privileges, glory and fame, and the power to rule over all the kingdoms
of the world - Jesus could claim title and possession to everything he desired.
Jesus quickly saw through the trap of placing the world's glory, wealth, and
power above the honor, glory, and service that is due to God alone. Jesus saw
how easily one's heart can be swayed and even overpowered by what it most
treasures. The heart cannot serve two masters - only one will prevail. Allowing
fame, glory, and wealth to master one's heart is a form of idolatry - the
worship of false gods. Jesus chose to honor his Father and to serve his
Father's kingdom above all else. He chose to make his Father's will alone as
his personal treasure and delight. Jesus again defeated Satan with the words of
Scripture, which Moses wrote in the Book of Deuteronomy: "It is written,
`You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve'" (Deut.
6:13).
Jesus' third temptation: Satan's last temptation
was to convince Jesus that he should position himself at the pinnacle of the
temple in Jerusalem, the holiest place on earth where God dwelt specially with his people, and there perform a spectacular sign that would prove beyond
a doubt that he was the Messiah, God's anointed Son. Why would this be a real
temptation for Jesus? It might be helpful to note that the devil is a Bible
expert! He accurately quotes from Psalm 91:11-12, "He will give his angels
charge of you, to guard you," and "on their hands they will bear you
up, lest you strike your foot against a stone." This psalm is connected
with the temple, which was regarded as a place of refuge and protection for
those who put their trust in God and his dwelling place. The devil wanted Jesus
to perform a death-defying sign by throwing himself off the tallest point of
the temple to prove that he was who he claimed to be, the divinely appointed
Messiah and Son of God. The temple pinnacle that Satan was referring to was
very likely the highest structural corner in the construction of Herod's great
temple. This high corner of the temple served as the "king's porch"
on the edge of a precipice which dropped some 700 feet into the valley below.
Jesus refused
to perform any sign that might put God to the test. When the people of Israel
almost died of thirst in the wilderness, they rebelled against Moses, and they
put God to the test by saying, "Is the Lord among us or not?" (Ex
17:7). Jesus refused Satan's test to prove his divine claim as the Messiah.
Jesus quoted once again from the words of Scripture in the Book of Deuteronomy:
"It is said, `You shall not put the Lord your God to the test'"(Deut.
6:16). Jesus knew that he would first have to cleanse the temple (John 2:13-22;
Luke 19:45-46) and then offer his body as the atoning sacrifice for the sin of
the world (John 1:29; Heb 10:5-14). Only after he would be lifted up on the
cross and be raised from the tomb on the third day would people recognize that
the Father had sent his Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but to
save it (John 3:17).
Spiritual preparation in the forty days of Lent: What
lesson can we learn from Jesus' temptation in the wilderness? How can we hope
to fight temptation and overcome sin in our own personal lives? When Jesus went
out into the wilderness to fight temptation by the devil, he was led by the
Holy Spirit. Jesus did not rely on his own human strength and willpower to overcome temptation. He relied on the Holy Spirit to give him strength,
wisdom, courage, and self-control. The Lord Jesus knows that we cannot fight
temptation on our own. We need the strength and guidance of the Holy Spirit to
help us. The Lord Jesus gives us his Holy Spirit to help us in our weakness
(Rom 8:26) and to be our guide and strength in times of testing (1 Corinthians
10:13). The Lord gives grace to those who humbly acknowledge their dependence
on him (James 4:6) and he helps us to stand firm against the attacks of Satan
who seeks to destroy us (1 Peter 5:8-10; Eph 6:10-18). The Lord Jesus is ever
ready to pour out his Spirit upon us that we may have the courage we need to
repent of our sins and to turn away from them, and to reject the lies and
deceits of Satan. God wants us to "fight the good fight of the faith"
(1 Tim 6:12) with the strength and help that comes from the Holy Spirit. Do
you seek God's wisdom and guidance for overcoming sin and avoiding the near
occasions of sin?
The forty days
of Lent are the annual retreat of the people of God in imitation of Jesus' forty
days in the wilderness. We are called to journey with the Lord in a special
season of prayer, fasting, almsgiving, repentance, and renewal as we prepare to
celebrate the feast of Easter, the Christian Passover. The Lord gives us
spiritual food and supernatural strength to seek his face and to prepare
ourselves for spiritual combat and testing. We, too, must follow in the way of
the cross in order to share in the victory of Christ's death and resurrection.
As we begin this holy season of preparation and renewal, let's ask the Lord for
a fresh outpouring of his Holy Spirit that we may grow in faith, hope, and
love and embrace his will more fully in our lives.
Lord Jesus,
your word is life and joy for me. Fill me with your Holy Spirit that I may have
the strength and courage to embrace your will in all things and to renounce
whatever is contrary to it.
Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: Jesus
defeats Satan with the word of God, by Ambrose of Milan (339-397 AD)
"So, look
at the arms of Christ with which he conquered for you, not for himself. For he
who showed that stones could, through his majesty, be changed into bread by the
transformation into a different nature teaches that you must do nothing at the
devil's behalf nor for the purpose of manifesting virtue. At the same time,
learn from the temptation itself the ingenious cunning of the devil. The devil
tempts that he may test. He tests that he may tempt. In contrast, the Lord
deceives that he may conquer. He conquers that he may deceive. For if he had
changed nature, he would have betrayed its Creator. Thus he responded
neutrally, saying, 'It is written, 'That man lives not by bread alone, but by
every word of God.' You see what kind of arms he wields to defend humanity,
surrounded and protected against the inducements of appetite, against the
assault of spiritual wickedness (Eph 6:12). For he does not wield power as God
- for what good would that be to me? So, as man, he summons common help for
himself, so that eager for the food of the divine Word, he neglects the body's
hunger and obtains the nourishment of the heavenly Word. Eager for this, Moses
did not desire bread (Exodus 24:18). Eager for this, Elijah did not feel the
hunger of a long fast (1 Kings 19:4) For he who follows the Word cannot desire
earthly bread when he receives the essence of the heavenly Bread (John 6:32,50).
There is no doubt that the divine surpasses the human, as the spiritual the
physical. Therefore, he who desires true life awaits that Bread which through
its intangible substance strengthens human hearts (Psalm 103:17). At the same
time, when he says, 'Man lives not by bread alone,' he shows that the man is
tempted, that is, his acceptance of our flesh, not his divinity." (excerpt
from the EXPOSITION OF THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 4.19-20)
Lenten fast and father-hunger: “If You are the Son
of God...” —Luke 4:3, 9
Why do we fast
ffor orty days during Lent? We fast to imitate Jesus in His forty day fast in the
desert. Why do we want to imitate Jesus? It’s because we love Him and want to
be like Him (see 1 Pt 2:21). What will happen to us as we imitate Jesus? Jesus
will show us the Father (Jn 14:6, 9), and we will be affirmed as sons and
daughters of God the Father.
Before the
Spirit led Jesus into the desert to fast for forty days, Jesus heard the
Father’s voice from heaven say: “You are My beloved Son. On You My favor rests”
(Lk 3:22). In the desert, Satan twice questioned if Jesus was truly the beloved
Son of the Father (Lk 4:3, 9). Jesus overcame these temptations and insisted
that He was the Father’s Son.
The purpose of
Lent is for the Spirit to cry out in our hearts: “Abba,” Father (Gal 4:6; Rm
8:15). In Lent, we imitate Jesus because He is the Image of the Father (Col
1:15). We fast secretly. “In that way no one can see you are fasting but your
Father Who is hidden; and your Father Who sees what is hidden will repay you”
(Mt 6:18).
If we leave
Lent with a deeper faith in our Father, we will be secure, fearless, bold,
affirmed, and free. We will be living the risen life.
Prayer: Father, may
I trust You so deeply that I will not be afraid of death or life. “If you
confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God
raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” —Rm 10:9. Praise You, risen Lord
Jesus! You defeated Satan in the desert and on the cross. Praise You,
victorious Lamb of God! (Rv 17:14)
The personal action for today: How will I make good use of this time “lent” to me so
that I might better be renewed in mind, body, and heart? What spiritual
discipline(s) will I practice to help me “remember” (“re-enact and make real”)
all that GOD has done for me, especially in and through Jesus? In what ways
will I share my faith relationship with others so that they may also have a
time of renewal during this Lenten season?
*Saint Frances of Rome: Frances’
life combines aspects of secular and religious life. A devoted and loving wife,
she longed for a lifestyle of prayer and service, so she organized a group of
women to minister to the needs of Rome’s poor.
Born of wealthy
parents, Frances found herself attracted to the religious life during her
youth. But her parents objected, and a young nobleman was selected to be her
husband.
As she became
acquainted with her new relatives, Frances soon discovered that the wife of her
husband’s brother also wished to live a life of service and prayer. So, the
two, Frances and Vannozza, set out together—with their husbands’ blessings—to
help the poor.
Frances fell
ill for a time, but this apparently only deepened her commitment to the
suffering people she met. The years passed, and Frances gave birth to two sons
and a daughter. With the new responsibilities of family life, the young mother
turned her attention more to the needs of her own household.
The family
flourished under Frances’s care, but within a few years, a great plague began to
sweep across Italy. It struck Rome with devastating cruelty and left France’s
second son dead. To help alleviate some of the suffering, Frances
used all her money and sold her possessions to buy whatever the sick might need. When all the resources were exhausted, Frances and Vannozza went
door to door begging. Later, Frances’ daughter died, and the saint opened a
section of her house as a hospital.
Frances became
more and more convinced that this way of life was so necessary for the world,
and it was not long before she requested and was given permission to found a
society of women bound by no vows. They simply offered themselves to God and to
the service of the poor. Once the society was established, Frances chose not to
live at the community residence but at home with her husband. She did
this for seven years, until her husband passed away, and then came to live the
remainder of her life with the society—serving the poorest of the poor.
Looking at the
exemplary life of fidelity to God and devotion to her fellow human beings which
Frances of Rome was blessed to lead, one cannot help but be reminded of Saint
Teresa of Calcutta, who loved Jesus Christ in prayer and also in the poor. The
life of Frances of Rome calls each of us not only to look deeply for God in
prayer but also to carry our devotion to Jesus living in the suffering of our
world. Frances shows us that this life need not be restricted to those bound by
vows.
