"The Lord your God shall you worship and him alone shall you serve"
Gen 2: 7-9;3: 1-7
Rm 5: 12, 17-19
Mt 4: 1-11
Why is it something becomes more attractive when we know we cannot have it? For example,
this past Ash Wednesday is one of those days of Lent we are required to abstain from eating meat. All the Fridays of Lent are the same of course. It is frankly the least we can do as a Church community to share a common penance. Hopefully, each of us has adopted some additional way to prepare spiritually for Easter.
So, after the later morning Mass on Wednesday I was hungry. It was now lunchtime and I had refrained for the day so far so I thought I would go down the street for a tuna fish sandwich. I dutifully stood patiently in line where you usually don’t give much thought to what people around you are eating.
However, in my pang of hunger, I could not help notice that everyone in front of me and seated at the tables was eating meat! Then my snooping nature took over: I didn’t want to question whether they were Catholic or not, I saw no smudges of ashes on their forehead, but I did notice the guy in front of me was having extra turkey put on his sandwich. The fella in front of him had ordered roast beef. One side of me said, “I like tuna fish so why do I care?” so the other side answered, “Because you can’t have what they are having.” It was a bit of a wake up call and just standing in line, observing what I saw, and the odor of beef in the air, suddenly made my tuna fish sandwich seem like more of a sacrifice.
Now, that brings us to our Gospel this first Sunday of Lent and the first reading from Genesis which relates the fall of Adam and Eve. On a far more significant scale than my tuna sandwich we hear the story of both a garden and a desert. Yet, present in both is temptation and the source of that temptation is identified as the Devil or Satan. In the scene of the garden, a place of beauty and abundance, Adam and Eve represent God’s original intent for humanity. They are friends with God; they walk with him around the garden. In our creation, God blew into us the “breath of life.” We had been given all we need. But, Adam and Eve also sadly represent what we now find in ourselves. Why do I want what I know I should not have?
The power to choose freely, our free will, provides us the power to choose God rather than sin. So, it is an attraction to that which God said they were forbidden to eat; the fruit on the tree of life of good and evil, our own way over God’s desire for us. While they are surrounded by more than they will ever need and can share in all that God created, the most attractive pull was to the one and only tree they could not touch. My sudden attraction for what I could not have became far more than a meat sandwich!
So, at the lie of the serpent, the evil one, they decide that God’s prohibition could be challenged and they took matters into their own hands in disobedience of God’s will. It was tempting enough to recognize that the tree seemed “pleasing to the eyes, good for food, and desirable for gaining wisdom.” As the tempter told them they would know what God knows, so why not? In other words, God was hiding something from them and the lie was that God was being deceptive rather than the father of lies himself. After all, it’s only one tree among hundreds. And so they took matters into their own hands a forever choice we call that original sin that of pride and a desire to be equal to God in knowledge and wisdom.
That brings us to a desert. A far less attractive destination where Jesus, after fasting forty days and nights, is hungry, weak, and vulnerable. Soon, the same deceiver comes along not as a snake but as himself. While scholars have debated just how much did the Devil knew about the mission of Jesus or fully who he was, the evil one certainly is determined to pull Jesus away from his purpose. The temptations begin at the base level of hunger but quickly go to the deeper level of pride and power. It lies in the question of Lent – how can any of us be a faithful son or daughter of God? It’s the same question that we Christians should ask ourselves about the meaning of following the Lord as loyal disciples. What choices have I made that have blocked the grace of God in me? How have I been prideful and independent? Prejudiced and self-centered?
Jesus is tempted to choose that which seemed secure and definite. I’m hungry so I should eat something. It’s only bread after all and I can have it now. This was followed by the opportunity to gain praise from those around him as he would throw himself down and angels would fly to his rescue. Then, even more, now to establish his earthly kingdom all over the globe and be the Lord of the earth!
But the point of all this is that if Jesus had abandoned his mission in favor of one that was clearly not determined by his own Father in heaven, he would have aligned himself with disobedience (sin) and not with obedience and redemption, our salvation. He would have agreed with the rebellion of the evil one in defiance of God and lived out a life of pride and selfishness rather than the power of God’s word and the will of God that all may have life.
So, Jesus gets into a scriptural debate with the Devil. He counters one quote with another: “One does not live on bread alone but on every word that come forth from the mouth of God,” Jesus retorts to the evil one who challenges our Lord to act in defiance rather than obedience. The Devil quotes, “He will command his angels concerning you.” To which Jesus rebuts, “You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.” This is not a war of words but a test between deception and truth; between all the other trees and just this one; a test of wills. Maybe even between my tuna fish and roast beef? I well know that other temptations are far more significant but the reality of our inherent weakness is true.
The point as we begin this season of renewal and purification, is our journey with the Lord in the desert of Lent. We know that like Adam and Eve we find ourselves tempted by the world, our own fallen human nature, and the demons themselves, to act contrary to our own good intentions and take matters into our own hands in defiance of God’s sacred will for us – we sin. But, because of Jesus’ own resistance, his obedience to his full mission, the doors of forgiveness and mercy have been opened. Jesus affirmed that love for God, his will for us, is the only way to follow the truth we hear in the Scriptures and we celebrate in the Sacraments.
While our lives may at times hardly feel like a Garden of Eden, God has provided an abundance for us of opportunities for grace and renewal: prayer, sacrifice, facing the truth of our life choices and knowing that as creatures of a loving God we have been given all that we need to find ourselves in right relationship with him.
Indeed, the world offers us many enticing things. While much can draw us more deeply to God such as truth and beauty, creation, goodness, love and humility, others find us at odds with God himself such as pride, greed, power, revenge and a defiant independent attitude. If we take our lives seriously before God we will find that we must do battle, we must resist and make a choice for the One who remained obedient to God and made us all “righteous” before God, as St. Paul reminds us in the second reading from Romans today.
In the holy Eucharist, this bread made for us by Christ not in a desert but on a cross, we know that the price our Lord paid remains the model of our living. He gave his life that we may have life and he feeds us with his very presence in order to provide us all that we need.
So don’t worry about what others around you are eating – enjoy the tuna fish!
Renewed now with heavenly bread,
by which faith is nourished, hope increased,
and charity strengthened,
we pray, O Lord,
that we may learn to hunger for Christ,
the true and living Bread,
and strive to live by every word
which proceeds from your mouth.
Through Christ our Lord.
(Prayer after Communion)
Regnum Christi
First Sunday of Lent
Father José LaBoy, LC
Matthew 4: 1-11
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'” Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.'” Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! for it is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.'” Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.
Introductory Prayer: I believe, Lord, that with your example and help I can overcome temptation in my life. I hope in you, Lord, because you know that I am weak, and therefore you give me your grace which is stronger than sin. I love you, Lord, and I know that love for you and for souls will give me the strength to overcome sin in my life and help others to overcome it as well.
Petition: Lord, may prayer and vigilance keep me from falling into temptation.
1. The Spiritual Is More Important than the Material: Jesus teaches us to give more importance to the spiritual than to the material. However, man is weak, and he easily considers that satisfying his material needs justifies his not doing Gods will. If we dont follow Christs advice, then being tired will be a good enough reason not to pray, being in a bad mood will be a good enough reason not to live charity, and having a great idea will be a good enough reason to act as we want, not as we are taught. The devils strategy is to make us look more at ourselves and our needs, than to look at God, his will, and the needs of the Church and of others.
2. The Problem with Overconfidence: Jesus teaches us that our actions have to correspond with what God wants, not with what we think he wants. There is always the danger of supposing that God thinks like we do, instead of seeking with all our strength to think as he does. Remember what Christ told Peter when Peter dared tell Jesus what he had to do (to stop talking about his future suffering and death): Get behind me Satan. Lent is a golden opportunity for us to turn to the Lord, the only source of true happiness. We put out trust in God when we make him the reference point of both our troubles and our joys, and when we turn to him in prayer, including moments set aside specifically for that purpose, as well as by invocations and brief, warm, spontaneous prayers throughout the day. Do I put my trust in the Lord through these ways of prayer?
3. Only God Deserves Our Worship: Obviously, we dont consciously deny God and worship idols. But we shouldnt forget that our heart will be where our treasure is. If Christ is not our treasure, then we will worship ourselves, others, things, money, honors, fame
While we wouldnt genuflect in front of our new computer or that stylish outfit we just bought, we may give these objects more importance than they deserve. That only God deserves our worship is a very demanding reality. This means that God has to be the center of our thoughts, words, desires, actions and plans. Vigilance involves constantly purifying our intentions and desires so that Our Lord continues to reign supreme in our heart, as the One from whom we came and to whom we are heading as the goal and reward of our entire life. Is Christ the King of my heart?
Conversation with Christ: Dear Lord, help me understand that prayer and detachment from material things are necessary means for overcoming temptation. Help me remember that you overcame temptation in order to teach us all how we can overcome it, too. Help me to stay vigilant and united to you through prayer.
Resolution: In a moment of temptation, I will try to remember what God wants and ask him for his help.
Whats So Great about Being Poor in Spirit?
Marcellino D'Ambrosio, Ph.D.
Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount” is probably the most famous sermon of all time. And the opening lines of that sermon are equally famous — for 2,000 years they’ve been known as “the Beatitudes.”
In nine short verses, Jesus lays out the character sketch of the spiritually successful person who is truly blest, fortunate, positioned to experience perfect happiness and the fullness of joy. This is what “beatitude” means.
Now the very first qualification takes us back a bit. “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” Is Jesus endorsing indigence? Is he a Marxist who champions the proletariat and vilifies the bourgeoisie?
Not at all. Note that he is talking about the “poor in spirit” here. In other words, those who are aware of their own smallness and emptiness. The poor in spirit are not those who beat themselves up, but those who frankly recognize how puny they are before the mysteries of the Universe and the Creator of that Universe. They don’t let their own accomplishments and abilities blind them to their mortality and vulnerability. They don’t fool themselves.
Jesus mentions elsewhere how hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom because it is very easy for the successful to lose touch with their neediness and to actually believe the flattery of their fan clubs. Those who are not influential, educated or wealthy have an easier time recognizing their need since it stares them in the face every place they turn. For this reason, the Church was full of such people in the New Testament era (1 Cor 1:26-31) just as it is today.
The poor of spirit are empty and so long to be filled. They hunger and thirst for the wholeness that is called holiness, for the food that truly satisfies.
The rich in spirit don’t hunger for anything. They are “full of themselves,” self-satisfied. When offered an opportunity to grow spiritually, they protest “But I’m a good person and worship God in my own way” or “I go to Church every Sunday, isn’t that enough?” They are too busy for prayer and yawn when exposed to a spiritual discussion. They are too absorbed with themselves to be interested in God. They may get excited about the Superbowl, but never about heaven.
This lack of spiritual hunger, this utter apathy in the face of the things of God, is actually one of the Seven Deadly Sins. It is called Sloth or spiritual laziness, and it is one of the most striking characteristics of American society. It is a sneaky sin that quietly creeps into the lives of even religious people and gradually chokes out true spirituality. It diverts our attention from the things of heaven to a myriad of other things until we find ourselves bored with God, making only routine and mechanical efforts to “fulfill our Sunday obligation.” There is no passion, no zeal, no desire — just lots of excuses.
“Blessed are the single-hearted, for they shall see God.” The hearts of the blessed, the truly happy, are not divided among God and football and career and money. Those truly happy have only one God, and look to Him alone to be filled. If they play sports, they do it for His honor and glory, not theirs. If they marry, they love Christ and are loved by Christ through their spouses. If they pursue a career or build a business, they do it according to His will to advance His kingdom.
Reading the Sermon on the Mount, and especially the Beatitudes, is a gut check for us all. It’s one of the best examination of consciences that there is, perfect to read before every confession and every Lent. Incidentally, that’s what the penitential season of Lent is about. The fasting is meant to re-stimulate our spiritual appetite. The spiritual exercises are designed to shrug off the laziness of sloth. Christianity is not just a matter of believing in God, but avidly pursuing Him.
Scripture Speaks: Christ in the Desert
Gayle Somers
Jesus faces Gods enemy and ours, the one who has hated us from the beginning
Gospel (Read Mt 4:1-11)
The Gospel reading begins with the phrase, At that time, to describe this scene of Jesus temptation by the devil. At what time? In the previous chapter, Jesus had just been baptized in the Jordan River, even though John protested. Jesus insisted that He be treated like all the others there seeking a renewal in their relationships with God. When He came up out of the water, a Voice from heaven spoke, saying, This is My beloved Son, with Whom I am well-pleased (Mt. 3:17). It was on the heels of His public solidarity with sinners and His Fathers expressed pleasure in Him that Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
This would be a strange order of events if we didnt understand that just as Jesus identified Himself with His brothers in baptism, He was also identifying with them in facing the test of His love for the Father.
Our First Reading (Read Gen 2:7-9; 3:1-7) recounts the original test of man in the Garden of Eden. There a cunning serpent questioned the authority of Gods Word. Did God really tell you not to eat from any of the trees of the Garden? We are surprised that God allowed His enemy into the Garden in the first place. Clearly the serpent wanted the humans dead. Through lies (You will certainly not die) and distortions of the truth, he seduced them into sin. Why would God give His enemy this opportunity?
We cant fully answer that question, but we do know that God made man in His own image and likeness, so man would be free and would have to choose to love and obey His Creator or not. The serpents temptation forced that choice, but the need for the choice was always Gods plan. Making a free decision to love God is part of what it means to be fully human.
The man and woman chose badly, but the serpents choice to tempt them ended even more badly for him. In the next few verses of Genesis (not in todays reading), we find that Gods punishment of His enemy would come from the very kind of flesh and blood upon whom he had preyed. A woman and her seed would someday appear on the horizon of human history. He will bruise your head [a fatal wound for a serpent], and you shall bruise his heel [painful but not mortal for a man]. There would be another time of testing of man by Gods enemy, but this time, the enemy would be defeated.
Thus, our Gospel passage begins, At this time. The time for the showdown has arrived. This was Gods timing, not the devils. It was the Spirit who led Jesus out for this battle. See how the devil is unable to lie and distort Gods Word in this temptation, although not for lack of trying. Jesus faced every attack by reciting Scripture, cleaving wholeheartedly to Gods precise words (as Adam and Eve had not done). The forty days of fasting prepared Jesus to be entirely focused on being Gods Son in Gods way, through the appearance of human weakness and complete dependence on His Father. In the end, He was able to say to the devil, Get away, Satan! All the bluff and cunning of the tempter fell to dust as Jesus resolutely refused to turn away from serving God, no matter what the cost. He had taken His first, irreversible step towards the Cross.
Possible response: Jesus, lead me in the way of obedience, which always disrupts and defeats the devil.
Psalm (Read Ps. 51:3-6, 12-14, 17)
The psalm is a plaintive cry for Gods mercya recognition of the devastating effect of the fall in the Garden. King David wrote this psalm after his sins of murder and adultery. David was Israels brightest star, a man after Gods own heart (1 Sam. 13:13-14), yet even he fell victim to the rebellion that lurks in our hearts and makes us so vulnerable to the Tempter. Jesus, the new and eternal King of Israel, makes Gods mercy abundantly available to us. He is the answer to Davids prayer and ours: Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Possible response: The psalm is, itself, a response to our other readings. Read it again prayerfully to make it your own.
Second Reading (Read Rom 5:12-19)
St. Paul explains what the two accounts of temptation mean for us. Adams transgression meant death for us all. The choice he made was for himself and all his children. Are we tempted to think that isnt fair? If so, we need to read on, because St. Paul shows us that just as Adams disobedience, in which we had no personal part, was counted for us, so Jesus obedience, in which we likewise had no personal part, also counts for us. Sometimes were tempted to think we should each be given our own shot at obedience, that we could perhaps have done a better job than Adam. That could be dangerous, however. If we refuse to let anothers behavior count for us, what happens if, in our one moment of glory, when we must choose for or against God, we botch it like Adam did? If he could fail, so could we. If we refuse to let anothers behavior count for us, then Jesus obedience wont help us at all. We are left with our own choices and no chance for redemption. Gods way is much better!
Possible response: Thank You, Lord, that Jesus undid for me the damage done by Adam. Help me remember that Your grace is more abundant than sin.