Catholic Caucus: Suunday Mass Readings, 03-05-06, First Sunday of Lent

USCCB.org/New American Bible ^ | 03-05-06 | New American Bible

[Salvation]

March 5, 2006

First Sunday of Lent

Psalm: Sunday 13

Reading I
Gn 9:8-15

God said to Noah and to his sons with him:
“See, I am now establishing my covenant with you
and your descendants after you
and with every living creature that was with you:
all the birds, and the various tame and wild animals
that were with you and came out of the ark.
I will establish my covenant with you,
that never again shall all bodily creatures be destroyed
by the waters of a flood;
there shall not be another flood to devastate the earth.”
God added:
“This is the sign that I am giving for all ages to come,
of the covenant between me and you
and every living creature with you:
I set my bow in the clouds to serve as a sign
of the covenant between me and the earth.
When I bring clouds over the earth,
and the bow appears in the clouds,
I will recall the covenant I have made
between me and you and all living beings,
so that the waters shall never again become a flood
to destroy all mortal beings.”

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9

R. (cf. 10) Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth to those who keep your covenant.
Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
teach me your paths,
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my savior.
R. Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth to those who keep your covenant.
Remember that your compassion, O LORD,
and your love are from of old.
In your kindness remember me,

because of your goodness, O LORD.
R. Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth to those who keep your covenant.
Good and upright is the LORD,
thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice,
and he teaches the humble his way.
R. Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth to those who keep your covenant.

Reading II
1 Pt 3:18-22

Beloved:
Christ suffered for sins once,
the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous,
that he might lead you to God.
Put to death in the flesh,
he was brought to life in the Spirit.
In it he also went to preach to the spirits in prison,
who had once been disobedient
while God patiently waited in the days of Noah
during the building of the ark,
in which a few persons, eight in all,
were saved through water.
This prefigured baptism, which saves you now.
It is not a removal of dirt from the body
but an appeal to God for a clear conscience,
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
who has gone into heaven
and is at the right hand of God,
with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him.

Gospel
Mk 1:12-15

The Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert,
and he remained in the desert for forty days,
tempted by Satan.
He was among wild beasts,
and the angels ministered to him.

After John had been arrested,
Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God:
“This is the time of fulfillment.
The kingdom of God is at hand.
Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

[Salvation]

For your reading, reflection, faith-sharing, comments, questions, discussion.

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King of Endless Glory Ping!

Please notify me via FReepmail if you would like to be added to or taken off the King of Endless Glory Ping List.

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Reflections, Prayers, Actions, Questions and Answers for Lent 2006

Praying Lent -- 2006

[Salvation]

Here are some other links about Lent:

The History of Lent

The Holy Season of Lent -- Fast and Abstinence

The Holy Season of Lent -- The Stations of the Cross

Lent and Fasting

Mardi Gras' Catholic Roots [Shrove Tuesday]

Ash Wednesday

All About Lent

Kids and Holiness: Making Lent Meaningful to Children

Why We Need Lent

MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI FOR LENT 2006

Lent a Time for Renewal, Says Benedict XVI

Why You Should Celebrate Lent

Getting the Most Out of Lent

Lent: A Time to Fast From Media and Criticism Says President of Pontifical Liturgical Institute

[Salvation]

From: Genesis 9:8-15


God's Covenant with Noah (Continuation)

---

[8] Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, [9] "Behold, I
establish my covenant with you and. your descendants after you,
[10] and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the
cattle, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as came out of
the ark. [11] I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall
all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall
there be a flood to destroy the earth.” [12] And God said, “This is
the sign of the covenant which I make between me and you and every
living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I set my
bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me
and the earth. [14] When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is
seen in the clouds, [15] I will remember my covenant which is between
me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters
shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh."

---

Commentary:


9:8-17. To show that he was pleased by Noah’s sacrifice, God promised
that he would never again flood the earth (cf. 8:20-22); now he renews
that promise in the context of a covenant that covers all creation and
which is ratified by a sign--the rainbow.


This marks the start of a series of covenants which God will freely
establish with men. The first covenant (with Noah) takes in all
creation, now purified and renewed by the flood. Later there will be
the covenant with Abraham, which will affect only himself and his
descendants (cf. chap. 17). Finally, under Moses, he will establish
the covenant of Sinai (cf. Ex 19), also confined to the people of
Israel. But because man proved unable to keep these successive
covenants, God promised, through the prophets, to establish a new
covenant in the messianic age: “I will put my law within them and I
will write it upon their hearts; and I will be their God, and they
shall be my people” (Jer 31:33). This promise found its fulfillment in
Christ, as he himself said when he instituted the eucharistic
sacrifice of his body. and blood: “This cup which is poured out for
you is the new covenant in my blood” (Lk 22:20).


The Fathers and ecclesiastical writers saw this rainbow as the first
proclamation of this new covenant. Rupert of Deutz, for example,
writes: “In it God established a covenant with men through his son
Jesus Christ; by the death (of Christ) on the cross God reconciled us
to himself, cleansing us of our sins in his blood, and he gave us
through (Christ) the Holy Spirit of his love, instituting the baptism
of water and the Holy Spirit by which we are reborn. Therefore, that
rainbow which appears in the clouds is a sign of the Son of God. [...]
It is the sign that God will never again destroy all flesh by the
waters of the flood; the Son of God himself, who was taken out of
sight by a cloud, and who is lifted up beyond the clouds, above all
the heavens, is forever a sign which reminds God the Father; he is an eternal
memorial of our peace: now that he in his flesh has destroyed the old
enmity, friendship between God and men is secure: men are no longer
servants but friends and children of God” ("Commentarium in Genesim", 4,36).

---

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.

[Salvation]

From: 1 Peter 3:18-22

Christ's Suffering and Glorification

---

[18] For Christ also died for sins once for all, the righteous for the
unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the
flesh but made alive in the spirit; [19] in which he went and preached
to the spirits in prison, [20] who formerly did not obey, when God's
patience waited in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark,
in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water.
[21] Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a
removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a clear
conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, [22] who has
gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels,
authorities, and powers subject to him.

---

Commentary:


18-22. This passage may include parts of a Creed used in early
Christian baptismal instruction. It very clearly expresses the
essence of faith in Jesus Christ, as preached from the beginning by the
Apostles (cf. Acts 2:14-36; 1 Cor 15:1ff) and as articulated in the
Apostles' Creed: "He was crucified, died and was buried. He descended
into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into
Heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty."


Jesus Christ, who suffers for the sins of mankind--"the righteous for
the unrighteous"--and then is glorified, gives meaning to the
sufferings of Christians. "Oh, how great thanks am I bound to return
to You for having shown me and all the faithful the right and good way
to Your everlasting Kingdom! For Your life is our life; and by holy
patience we walk on to You, who are our crown. If You had not gone
before and taught us, who would care to follow? Alas, how many would
have stayed afar off and a great way behind if they had not had before
their eyes your wonderful example!" ("Imitation of Christ", 3, 18).


18. "Christ has died for sins once for all": our Lord's sacrifice is
unrepeatable (cf. Heb 9:12-28; 10-10) and superabundantly sufficiently
to obtain the remission of all sins. The fruits of the Cross are
applied to man, in a special way, by means of the sacraments,
particularly by taking part in the Mass, the unbloody renewal of the
sacrifice of Calvary.


"Being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit": there
is disagreement among commentators as to what "flesh" and "spirit" mean
here. Some identify them with our concepts of body and soul--"dead as
regards the body, alive as regards the soul". Others see them as
equivalent to the humanity-divinity of our Lord: "dead as far as His
human nature is concerned, alive (continuous to live) as far as His
divinity is concerned". Finally, having regard to the meaning these
terms have in the Old Testament, the phrase may refer to the earthly
consolation of our Lord compared with the glorious condition He had
after His resurrection; in which case it would be an early form of
words used to convey the idea that Jesus Christ, on dying, left His
mortal condition behind for ever in order to move into His glorious,
immortal state through His Resurrection (cf. 1 Cor 15:35-49).


19-20. "In which", that is, in the spirit. The ambiguity of the
original text (referred to in the previous note) continues, so it is
possible to understand the "in which" in the three ways outlined. Some
take it as meaning that Christ went to preach to the spirits in prison
"with his soul", separated from his body; for some he went "in his
glorious condition", which is not incompatible with the resurrection
in the strict sense happening afterwards.


In any event, these verses are one of the clear references in the New
Testament to our Lord descending into hell (cf. also Mt 12:38-41; Acts
2:24-36; Rom 10:6-7; Eph 4:8-9; Rev 1:18). After dying on the cross,
Jesus Christ went to bring his message of salvation "to the spirits in
prison": many Fathers and commentators are inclined to the view that
this is a reference to the just of the Old Testament who, not being
able to enter heaven until the Redemption took place, were kept in the
bosom of Abraham, which is also called the "limbo" of the just (cf.
"St Pius V Catechism", I, 6, 1-6).


The reference to the contemporaries of Noah is probably explained by
the fact that, for the Jews of the time, those people (along with the
people of Sodom and Gomorrah: cf. Mt 24:36-39; Lk 17:26-30) were the
classic inveterate sinners. By bringing in this reference St Peter is
teaching that the Redemption embraces all men: even the contemporaries
of Noah, if they repented, could have attained salvation through the
merits of Christ.


21-22. The waters of the Flood are a figure of Baptism: in the same
way as Noah and his family were saved by being in the Ark, now men are
saved through Baptism, which makes them members of Christ's Church.


"As an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection
of Jesus Christ": the obvious meaning of this is that the Christian
asks for perseverance in the good way of life he entered into at
Baptism. However, the Greek word translated as "appeal", a rarely used
one, contains the idea of "commitment". It is possible that this may be
a reference to a part of the baptismal rite--for example, the
profession of faith the neophyte made, and his promise to stay true to
it. Or it may refer to a permanent effect of Baptism whereby the
Christian is given a share in "the resurrection of Christ": it would
not be surprising if St Peter were referring to what later came to be
known as the baptismal "character". In fact, the context suggests
something permanent and indelible: just as Noah's salvation was a
lasting one and there was never again a flood, so too the condition of
the Christian is something permanent; now that he has risen Jesus can
never die again (cf. Rom 6:3) and neither can the baptized return to
their former sinful condition.


Verse 22, possibly taken from a baptismal hymn, is a very concise
account of the glorification of Christ. After descending into hell, he
arose and ascended into heaven, where he is seated "at the right hand
of God": this phrase, already common in early Christian catechesis
(cf., e.g., Mt 22:41-46; Mk 16:19; Acts 2:33) means that our Lord, who
is equal to the Father in his divinity, also, as man, occupies at his
side the place of honor over all other created beings. This universal
lordship of Christ is further emphasized by the statement that all
heavenly beings are subject to him (cf. Phil 2:10; Eph 1:21); three
degrees of angels are mentioned, that is, all the angels, because the
number three symbolizes totality.

---

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.

[Salvation]

From: Mark 1:12-15


The Tempting of Jesus

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[12] The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. [13] And
he was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with
the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to him.


Jesus Begins to Preach and Calls His First Disciples

---

[14] Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching
the gospel of God, [15] and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the
kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the Gospel."

---

Commentary:


13. St Matthew (4: 1-11) and St Luke (4: 1-13) relate the temptations
of Jesus in more detail. By submitting to temptation, Jesus wanted to
show us that we should not be afraid of temptations: on the contrary,
they give us an opportunity to progress in the interior life.

"Yet the Lord sometimes permits that souls, which are dear to him,
should be tempted with some violence, in order that they may better
understand their own weakness, and the necessity of grace to prevent
them from falling [...]; God permits us to be tempted, that we may be
more detached from the things of earth, and conceive a more ardent
desire to behold him in heaven [...]; God also permits us to be
tempted, in order to increase our merits. [...] When it is disturbed by
temptation, and sees itself in danger of committing sin, the soul has
recourse to the Lord and to his divine Mother; it renews its
determination to die rather than offend God; it humbles itself and
takes refuge in the arms of divine mercy. By this means, as is proved
by experience, it acquires more strength and is united more closely to
God" (St Alphonsus Mary de Liguori, "The Love of our Lord Jesus Christ
Reduced to Practice", chap. 17).

Besides, as in our Lord's own case, we will always have God's help to
overcome temptation: "Jesus has stood up to the test. And it was a real
test [...]. The devil, with twisted intention, quoted the Old
Testament: 'God will send his angels to protect the just man wherever
he goes' (Ps 91:11). But Jesus refuses to tempt his Father; he
restores true meaning to this passage from the Bible. And, as a reward
for his fidelity, when the time comes, ministers of God the Father
appear and wait upon him [...]. We have to fill ourselves with courage,
for the grace of God will not fail us. God will be at our side and will
send his angels to be our traveling companions, our prudent advisers
along the way, our cooperators in all that we take on" ([[St] J. Escriva,
"Christ Is Passing By", 63).


14-15. "The gospel of God": this expression is found in St Paul
(Rom 1:1; 2 Cor 11:7; etc.) where it means the same as "the gospel of
Jesus Christ" (2 Thess 1:8; etc.), thereby implying the divinity of
Jesus Christ. The imminence of the Kingdom requires a genuine
conversion of man to God (Mt 4:17; Mk 6:12; etc.). The prophets had
already spoken of the need for conversion and for Israel to abandon its
evil ways (Jer 3:22; Is 30:15; Os 14:2; etc.).


Both John the Baptist and Jesus and his Apostles insist on the need for
conversion, the need to change one's attitude and conduct as a
prerequisite for receiving the Kingdom of God. John Paul II underlines
the importance of conversion for entry into the Kingdom of God:
"Therefore, the Church professes and proclaims conversion. Conversion
to God always consists in discovering his mercy, that is, in
discovering that love which is patient and kind (cf. 1 Cor 13:4) as
only the Creator and Father can be; the love to which the 'God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ' (2 Cor 1:3) is faithful to the
uttermost consequences in the history of his covenant with man: even to
the Cross and to the death and resurrection of the Son. Conversion to
God is always the fruit of the 'rediscovery' of this Father, who is
rich in mercy.


"Authentic knowledge of the God of mercy, the God of tender love, is a
constant and inexhaustible source of conversion, not only as a
momentary interior act but also as a permanent attitude, as a state of
mind. Those who come to know God in this way, who 'see' him in this
way, can live only in a state of being continually converted to him.
They live, therefore, "in statu conversionis" and it is this state of
conversion which marks out the most profound element of the pilgrimage
of every man and woman on earth "in statu viatoris" (John Paul II,
"Dives In Misericordia", 13).

---

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.

[Salvation]

[Salvation]

The Spirit Drove Jesus to the Desert

by Fr. Jack Peterson

Other Articles by Fr. Jack Peterson

The Spirit Drove Jesus to the Desert

03/04/06

Lent is a 40-day period of preparation for the Church’s celebration of the Paschal Mystery, the Passion, death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. For the un-baptized and those not fully initiated into the Church, Lent is meant to be a 40-day retreat entered into as a final preparation for the sacraments of initiation.

For the rest of the Christian world, it is a time of conversion and renewal as we prepare to celebrate Easter with mind and heart renewed.

Christ’s own 40 days in the desert inspired the season of Lent. What can we learn from Christ for our journey in 2006?

The Evangelist Mark states rather simply, “The Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert.” This journey preceded Jesus’ three years of public ministry. It was clearly a time of preparation for His work establishing the kingdom of God on earth. We should be able to relate to this. As human beings, we need special times of preparation for the important events of our lives. May the Lord bless each and every one of us with the desire to make this Lent a time of honest and dedicated preparation for our celebration of the central event of world history, the Paschal Mystery.

Aside from occasional visits with angels and wild beasts, Jesus spent the 40 days alone with His heavenly Father. It must have been a time of intense prayer and deep communion. It was indeed a retreat in preparation for the start of His public ministry. This context should shape our approach to Lent. This holy season calls us to increased prayer. May Christ inspire us by His example and strengthen us with His grace to enter into a fuller communion with our Heavenly Father through a focused commitment to prayer.

Christ’s sojourn into the desert fortified Him for His mission because it was a time of trial and purification as well. Other Gospel writers make it clear that Jesus fasted during this time. He was tempted by Satan and persevered. Jesus’ love for His Father and His commitment to His mission were put to the test and He came out prepared to establish the kingdom and redeem the world. Lent is a time for us to seek purification. May Christ inspire us through our voluntary fasting in its many forms as well as through a prayer-filled embrace of God’s will in our lives and through a more courageous approach to our own fears, knowing that the Father is there all along, upholding us with His strong right arm.

Finally, we know that Jesus did not embark upon this journey for His own sake. As the eternal Son of God, He spends all of eternity in a communion of perfect love with the Father and the Holy Spirit. The Son of God did not need 40 days of trial and temptation in the desert for His own personal well-being. He entered into the desert and commenced His saving work because of a burning love for you and me. Lent is a time for us to discover anew God’s amazing love for each of us and imitate that love in our daily lives. May Christ’s example spur us on to ever greater acts of personal sacrifice and almsgiving.

Lord Jesus, thank You for Your time in the desert. You not only obeyed Your Father and followed the guidance of the Holy Spirit, but You endured this time of prayer and purification to serve us, Your brothers and sisters, and to help us overcome our pride and selfishness. Inspire us to take Lent seriously, to ask for the gift of conversion and renewal. Teach us anew to pray, fast and live with great charity so that we may do the will of our heavenly Father, celebrate the Easter mysteries with our minds and hearts renewed, and enter more fully into the life of the Holy Trinity.


Fr. Peterson is Campus Minister at Marymount University in Arlington and interim director of the Youth Apostles Institute.

(This article courtesy of the Arlington Catholic Herald.)

[Ciexyz]

Faith-sharing bump.

[Ciexyz]

Am listening to Sunday morning mass (6 AM) on TV. It's always a blessing!

[annalex]

Mk 1:12-20
#	Douay-Rheims	Vulgate
12	And immediately the Spirit drove him out into the desert.	et statim Spiritus expellit eum in desertum
13	And he was in the desert forty days and forty nights, and was tempted by Satan; and he was with beasts, and the angels ministered to him.	et erat in deserto quadraginta diebus et quadraginta noctibus et temptabatur a Satana eratque cum bestiis et angeli ministrabant illi
14	And after that John was delivered up, Jesus came in Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,	postquam autem traditus est Iohannes venit Iesus in Galilaeam praedicans evangelium regni Dei
15	And saying: The time is accomplished and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe the gospel:	et dicens quoniam impletum est tempus et adpropinquavit regnum Dei paenitemini et credite evangelio

[annalex]

Christ in the desert

Moretto da Brescia

ca. 1450
New York (?)

[Salvation]

Work of God

Inspirations of the Holy Spirit 

Year B

 -  First Sunday of Lent

Jesus was tempted by Satan

Mark 1:12-15

12 And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness.
13 He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.
14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God,
15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news."

Inspiration of the Holy Spirit - From the Sacred Heart of Jesus

The spirit is totally different and distant from the flesh, even though it dwells in the body, it only reveals itself to those who accept it and live by its instructions. It was because of the action of the Holy Spirit which descended upon me in a very special way during my Baptism in the Jordan, that I was prepared for my mission of salvation.

Being filled with the Holy Spirit I was tempted by Satan, but defeated him by choosing good instead of evil. Now Satan can only be seen or felt in the spirit, and here comes my teaching to you.

The spiritual world is very real, God is spirit and He is the father of all spirits. Satan was thrown from heaven with all his followers, those who questioned the authority and will of the Most High. His kingdom of darkness is located here in the world, not to be seen physically of course, because it is spiritual. But being here, Satan is allowed to influence human beings in order to put them to the test.

Everyone is tested, and everyone fails, but not all the time thanks to the help of the spirit. As a human being I was also put to the test, but making use of the perfections of my humanity I overcame the evil one, in order to teach you that it is possible to defeat Satan. In fact, it is necessary to be very alert spiritually, so that by living in a state of grace you may keep the enemy away.

When you live by the desires of the flesh, your spirit is annihilated, you surrender to your passions and give yourself to Satan, you become his property.

In the spirit you are tempted, but because you don’t accept that subtle encounter with your spirit, you dismiss it too quickly and do not discern the inner voice that helps you. You are then convinced by the devil to do his will, not the will of God.

Once you get caught up in your sinfulness you only have one option in order to save yourself: renounce Satan, renounce his evil ways, listen to the voice of your spirit, repent and come to the light again.

In Baptism every person is clothed with my light, in that new state the divine influence defends the soul against the attacks of the evil one, but is powerless if the person consents to sin. By prayer and by a life in accordance to the teachings of my gospels every person regains the power that was lost and the soul becomes strong against the evil one.

My little soul, do not listen to the evil one who wants to destroy you. Listen to my voice, listen to the gentle persuasions of the spirit. Do what is good, reject what is evil, follow me and you will share my eternal kingdom.

Author: Joseph of Jesus and Mary

 

[Salvation]

Catholic Culture

Collect:
Father, through our observance of Lent, help us to understand the meaning of your Son's death and resurrection, and teach us to reflect it in our lives. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Recipes:

• » Pease Porridge

Activities:

• » The Kaleidoscope of Lent

Prayers:

• » Prayer for the First Week of Lent

March 05, 2006

First Sunday of Lent

The scene of the temptation, which opens the public life of Jesus, declares in the Gospels in a very forceful manner the great change in our lives that He introduces into the world by His work of redemption. Where Adam fell, Christ, the new Head of humanity, triumphs over the power of Satan: at the time of His passion "the prince of this world" will be cast out. The Gospel of the temptation heralds Christ's victory.

The Station today is at St. John Lateran. The Lateran is comprised of the Basilica, the Pontifical Palace and the Baptistry. The church is dedicated to the Christ the Savior. In the fifth century the titles of St. John Baptist and St. John the Evangelist were added. The Papal altar contains the wooden altar on which St. Peter is said to have celebrated Mass. This basilica is the mother of all churches and is the only church which has the title of Archbasilica.

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Sunday Readings
The first reading is from the Book of Genesis 9:8-15 and is about the covenant between God and Noah not to destroy the world again by water.

The second reading is from the first letter of St. Peter 3:18-22. In this passage St. Peter is exhorting the newly converted Christians to live according to the Christian faith, no matter what trials they may have to endure because of it.

The Gospel is from St. Mark 1:12-15. The very thought of our divine Lord's suffering hunger, loneliness, and humiliation at the hands of his enemy—and that all this was for us—should make us feel ashamed at the little bits of suffering and humiliation we are willing to suffer for our own selves. He had no sin to atone for. He was making atonement for us and for our sins. He was the Son of God and his home was heaven, but he left it for a while to assume human nature, so that he could through his humiliations and sufferings bring us to share his eternal home with him. What is the thanks he gets from us? Ingratitude, forgetfulness, and even worse: insults and disobedience.

While the Church has eased the strict fastings and penances of Lent, we are still expected to do some private fasting and penance. It need not be fasting from food, but we can all do some daily penance which will help to keep our unruly minds and bodies in check while at the same time it will show that we are grateful to our loving Savior for all that he suffered for us. A few extra prayers each day, control of our temper in the home, less talk and especially less uncharitable talk among our neighbors, a little helping hand to a neighbor in need, a fervent prayer and where we can spare it (perhaps by doing without some luxury) a donation toward helping the starving millions in other lands. The sincere Christian will find a hundred such ways in which to thank and honor Christ during this holy season of Lent. We can all keep the last verse of today's reading before our minds with great profit. "Repent and believe in the gospel." This is the essence, the marrow, of Christ's teaching. Turn away from sin and come back to God. Anyone who believes in the gospel, who believes that there is an everlasting life after death prepared by God for all those who do his will while on earth, should not find it hard to give up offending that loving God who thinks so much of him. This life is only a passing shadow, every step we take, every breath we breathe is bringing us nearer to our earthly end and to the grave. But the believing Christian knows the grave is not the end. Rather, is it the beginning of the true life—provided we use this passing shadow, these few years, properly.

Now is the time to take these words of Christ to heart. He is asking each one of us today, to repent and to believe the gospel, that is, to act according to its teaching. Christ, in his mercy, will make this appeal to men again and again, but will we be here to hear it? If we answer his appeal now and start living our Christian faith in all sincerity, we need not care when death calls us. It will find us ready to pass over to the future, happy, unending life.

Excerpted from The Sunday Readings by Fr. Kevin O'Sullivan, O.F.M.

Things to Do:

• Begin praying the prayer for the first week of Lent.

• Make Pease Porridge (Split Pea Soup) for supper, a traditional dish for Sundays during Lent. Add some diced ham for more flavor and substance.

• Today's Gospel speaks of the temptation of Jesus after his forty days' fast in the desert. After you go to Mass, discuss this reading with your children, emphasizing that temptation itself is not a sin, but we must use the Word of God to combat it, as Christ did. Read the Catholic Encyclopedia's explanation of the Temptation of Christ.

[Salvation]

The Baptismal Flood

by Marcellino D'Ambrosio, Ph.D.

Other Articles by Marcellino D'Ambrosio, Ph.D.

The Baptismal Flood

03/06/06

In today’s fuzzy moral landscape, it is quite unpopular to even speak of sin, never mind condemn it. It’s even more politically incorrect to talk about God taking stern action against sin and those who promote it.

But that is exactly what the story of Noah and the flood is all about, as we are reminded by this Sunday’s readings. The great flood is a testament to God’s hatred of sin and determination to wipe it from the face of the earth. He of course offers a way to escape the waters of destruction: He instructs Noah to build an ark which carries eight people and a pair of every animal to safety. With these, He provides the earth and the human race with a new beginning. As a sign of God’s covenant of friendship with the newly recreated world, He places a rainbow in the sky.

From the beginning, Christians have seen in this story a hint of a greater work of God that would come later. The first flood swept away the evil from the surface of the earth, but not from the hearts of the ark’s passengers. The Red Sea closing in upon Pharaoh and his armies had much the same limitation — it did not cleanse the soul of Israel.

So an even greater act of salvation was needed, one that was more radical, that penetrated to the very “root” of evil. God Himself enters into our world in the form of a man, and engages in hand-to-hand combat with the father of lies. First Jesus Himself is immersed in the waters, a sign of the destruction of sin, though He Himself has no sin. Next He goes into the wilderness to strike at sin’s patron.

The wrestling match is won by the Son. This, however, is not the decisive battle. Mark's is a Gospel of few words and does not note what Luke (4:13) tells us: Satan left Him to await another opportunity. That opportunity came later, brokered by Judas, Caiphas, and Pilate. On the Cross, the sign of this New Covenant, Jesus decisively vanquished sin and its patron, letting loose from His own pierced side a stream that was more powerful than the ancient waters of Noah's and Moses’ day. Through faith and immersion in these mighty waters of baptism, sin can finally be scoured not just from the skin, but from the heart, putting to death not men, but the old humanity, separated from God and infected with the disease of disobedience. The first Letter of Peter (3:20) points out something that some might miss — there happened to be eight persons in the ark. Jesus rose from the dead the day after the sabbath, the “eighth day.” God created the old world in six days, rested on the seventh, and performed the new creation on the eighth. Connected to this, in the early Church, baptisms did not usually take place inside the main church sanctuary. Rather, separate smaller buildings called baptistries were erected next door. (It is notable that they were generally octagonal — eight-sided.) For baptism means burying the old man with Christ and emerging from the womb of the Church as a new creation, sharing in Christ’s resurrection.

Lent is a time intimately linked with baptism. In the early Church, it was the season that catechumens prepared themselves through prayer and fasting for their paschal journey to the baptistry. The faithful prayed and fasted with them. It was also the time when those who had soiled the white garments of their baptism through sin prepared for reconciliation during the sacred Triduum.

If we’re honest, all of us fall to some degree into that second category. So let us determine — through prayer, fasting, and giving — to intercede for the catechumens and candidates, and at the same time to scour compromise and lukewarmness from our own hearts. Procrastination and excuses must be put to death. Now is the acceptable time, now the day of salvation.


Dr. D'Ambrosio studied under Avery Cardinal Dulles for his Ph.D. in historical theology and taught for many years at the University of Dallas. He now directs www.crossroadsinitiative.com, which offers Catholic resources for RCIA, adult faith formation, and teens, with a special emphasis on the Year of the Eucharist, the Theology of the Body, the early Church Fathers, and the sacrament of confirmation.

(This article originally appeared in Our Sunday Visitor and is used by permission of the author.)

[Salvation]

Vespers -- Evening Prayer

Vespers (Evening Prayer)

O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
 as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
 world without end.
Amen.

---

A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.

Psalm 109 (110)

The Messiah, king and priest

The Lord has said to my lord: “Sit at my right hand while I make your enemies into your footstool”.

From Sion the Lord will give you a sceptre, and you will rule in the midst of your foes.
Royal power is yours in the day of your strength, glorious and holy; from the time of your birth, before the dawn.

The Lord has sworn, and he will not repent: “You are a priest for ever, a priest of the priesthood of Melchisedech”.
The Lord is at your right hand, and on the day of his anger he will shatter kings.

He will judge the nations, he will pile high their skulls;
he will drink from the stream as he goes – he will hold his head high.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
 as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
 world without end.
Amen.

---

Psalm 113A (114)

Israel set free from Egypt

When Israel came out of Egypt, Jacob’s people from a land of strangers,
Judah became his sanctuary and Israel his domain.

The sea saw it, and fled; the Jordan flowed backwards at the sight;
the mountains leapt like rams; the hills, like yearling sheep.

Sea, what was it, what made you flee? And you, Jordan, why did you flow uphill?
Mountains, why did you leap like rams? Hills, like yearling sheep?

Tremble, Earth, at the presence of the Lord, the presence of the Lord of Jacob,
who has turned the rock into a pool of water and made a fountain out of the flint.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
 as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
 world without end.
Amen.

---

Canticle	1 Peter 2
Christ's passion, freely chosen
Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, to follow in his path. He committed no sin, in his speech there was no deceit; when they cursed him, he did not curse them; when he suffered, he did not threaten retribution, but committed them to the one just judge. He endured our sins in the sufferings of his body on the tree, so that we would die to our sins and live for righteousness – and by his bruises you have been healed. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,  as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,  world without end. Amen.

A short Bible reading and responsory may follow here.

Canticle	Magnificat
My soul rejoices in the Lord
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,  and my spirit rejoices in God, my salvation. For he has shown me such favour –  me, his lowly handmaiden. Now all generations will call me blessed,  because the mighty one has done great things for me. His name is holy,  his mercy lasts for generation after generation  for those who revere him. He has put forth his strength:  he has scattered the proud and conceited,  torn princes from their thrones;  but lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things;  the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel,  he has remembered his mercy as he promised to our fathers,  to Abraham and his children for ever. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,  as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,  world without end. Amen.

---

Prayers and Intercessions

?

Let us give praise to God the Father, who willed that his chosen people should be born once again, of an incorruptible stock, through his eternal Word. We ask him humbly - Look with favour, Lord, upon your people. Merciful God, hear what we ask on behalf of your whole people let them desire your word more than food itself. Teach us to love our own people, and all men, without any distinction teach us to help them grow in peace and prosperity. Look after all who are to be reborn through baptism make them a spiritual gift to you, living stones to build your holy city. Through Jonah you inspired Nineveh to repentance turn round the hearts of sinners, through your Word. Grant that the dying may come with hope before Christ the Judge and let them rejoice in your presence for ever.

Our Father, who art in Heaven,
 hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
 thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
 and forgive us our trespasses
 as we forgive those that trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
 but deliver us from evil.

A concluding prayer may follow here.

---

May the Lord bless us and keep us from all harm; and may he lead us to eternal life.

A M E N

[Salvation]

Some new links here!

Pray for A Voice in the Desert

About Father Altier and the Desert Voice Website

A Statement from the Webmaster at Desert Voice
Is this the reason Father Altier was silenced?
Archdiocesan spokesman confirms Father Altier innocent of any impropriety

email@desertvoice.org

In obedient compliance with the expressed written request of Most Reverend Harry J. Flynn Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA Father Altier’s homilies and spiritual presentations can no longer be published on www.desertvoice.org or broadcast on Relevant Radio. This action of the Archbishop is not related to any scandal or sexual misconduct on the part of Father Robert Altier. We regret any inconvenience and humbly ask for your prayers. All concerns should be directed in a spirit of charity to: Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis  Most Reverend Harry J. Flynn 226 Summit Avenue Saint Paul, MN, USA 55102 (651) 291-4400 communications@archspm.org

[Salvation]

The Word Among Us

Sunday, March 05, 2006 Meditation Mark 1:12-15 Did you ever consider how relentlessly the devil, that “little voice of temptation,” tries to convince us to do the wrong thing? He makes one argument after another, all the time trying to get us to do the very thing that we don’t want to do—the very thing that we know is wrong. Today’s Gospel tells us how Satan initiated an all-out attack on Jesus during his forty-day fast in the wilderness. He used every trick he could think of as he tried to lead Jesus into sin. The Gospel also tells us how the devil failed. Jesus simply would not give in. Unfortunately, we are not always as successful as the Lord in repelling the devil’s attacks. We hear his niggling little voice operating and we try to resist it, but we still fall prey and are consumed by guilt. Thank God for the Penitential Rite and the Sacrament of Reconciliation! Thank God that we can ask forgiveness at any point in our day by simply turning in prayer and repenting to the Lord! Thank God that the blood of Christ can reconcile us with our Father, no matter how severe the sin! Thank God he is so compassionate and merciful! Let’s make it our goal this Lent to try to limit the devil’s inroads in our minds. It may be impossible to destroy his little voice until Jesus comes again, but we can minimize his impact. First, we can ask Jesus for his help each morning. He knows our weakness because he was tempted just as we are (Hebrews 4:15). And we can repent and receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation whenever we fall. Nothing disarms the devil more than reliance on God’s grace and the gift of humble, honest repentance. The more we resist the devil and say “no” to his little voice of temptation, the more we will grow strong in the Lord. And with every battle that we win, our confidence will grow. May we all come to know the sweet taste of victory! “Lord, you know all about temptation. Help me to resist the temptations that the devil sends to me this day.” Genesis 9:8-15; Psalm 25:4-9; 1 Peter 3:18-22

[Salvation]

One Bread, One Body

One Bread, One Body

 

<< Sunday, March 5, 2006 >>

First Sunday of Lent

Genesis 9:8-15
1 Peter 3:18-22

Psalm 25
Mark 1:12-15

View Readings  Similar Reflections

RIVER-WALK

"A few persons, eight in all, escaped in the ark through the water. You are now saved by a baptismal bath which corresponds to this exactly." —1 Peter 3:20-21

After Noah's flood, God promised: "Never again shall all bodily creatures be destroyed by the waters of a flood" (Gn 9:11). In fact, God went a step farther than not destroying us by water. He decided to save us through water. "You are now saved by a baptismal bath" (1 Pt 3:21).

During Lent, thousands of catechumens are preparing for new life in Christ through the waters of baptism. We, who have already been baptized and born again through faith in Jesus, are walking with those soon to be baptized. This Lenten walk to the living waters is an opportunity for all of us to renew our baptismal promises to the Lord Jesus. Millions will take this opportunity on Easter Sunday at every Mass celebrated in the world.

First, however, we must walk through the desert of Lent before coming to the life-giving waters of Easter (Mk 1:12). As we fast and pray, our hardened hearts begin to change. We repent of sin and remove from our lives those things incompatible with our baptismal commitment to Jesus. We are new, fresh, fully alive. Our baptism is clearly "the pledge to God of an irreproachable conscience through the resurrection of Jesus Christ" (1 Pt 3:21).

Prayer: Father, by Lent's end may I feel as if I just came out of the waters of baptism.

Promise: "This is the time of fulfillment. The reign of God is at hand! Reform your lives and believe in the gospel!" —Mk 1:15

Praise: Praise Jesus, Who walked on water, then walked out of His tomb and opened the gates of heaven.