Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. The month of February has been primarily asociated with the holy Family, probably due to the feast of Our Lord's presentation at the temple, celebrated on February 2. At the very outset of Christ's work on earth, God showed the world a family in which, as Pope Leo XIII teaches, "all men might behold a perfect model of domestic life, and of all virtue and holiness." The harmony, unity, and holiness which characterized this holy Family make it the model for all Christian families.

INVOCATION
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph most kind, Bless us now and in death's agony.

FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE HOLY FAMILY
Grant unto us, Lord Jesus, ever to follow the example of Thy holy Family, that in the hour of our death Thy glorious Virgin Mother together with blessed Joseph may come to meet us and we may be worthily received by Thee into everlasting dwellings: who livest and reignest world without end. Amen.
Roman Missal

CONSECRATION TO THE HOLY FAMILY
O Jesus, our most loving Redeemer, who having come to enlighten the world with Thy teaching and example, didst will to pass the greater part of Thy life in humility and subjection to Mary and Joseph in the poor home of Nazareth, thus sanctifying the Family that was to be an example for all Christian families, graciously receive our family as it dedicates and consecrates itself to Thee this day. Do Thou defend us, guard us and establish amongst us Thy holy fear, true peace, and concord in Christian love: in order that, by conforming ourselves to the divine pattern of Thy family, we may be able, all of us without exception, to attain to eternal happiness.

Mary, dear Mother of Jesus and Mother of us, by thy kindly intercession make this our humble offering acceptable in the sight of Jesus, and obtain for us His graces and blessings.

O Saint Joseph, most holy guardian of Jesus and Mary, assist us by thy prayers in all our spiritual and temporal necessities; that so we may be enabled to praise our divine Savior Jesus, together with Mary and thee, for all eternity.

Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be, three times.

IN HONOR OF THE HOLY FAMILY
O God, heavenly Father, it was part of Thine eternal decree that Thine only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, should form a holy family with Mary, His blessed mother, and His foster father, Saint Joseph. In Nazareth home life was sanctified, and a perfect example was given to every Christian family. Grant, we beseech Thee, that we may fully comprehend and faithfully imitate the virtues of the Holy Family so that we may be united with them one day in their heavenly glory. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954

Imitating the Holy Family; Four Traits that Make It Possible

Lots of Graphics: Post your favorite image of the St. Mary and Child, the Holy Family...

LITURGICAL SCRIPTURE STUDY
For Sunday, February 25, 2007
First Sunday of Lent – Cycle C

Opening prayer

Deuteronomy 26:4-10 (Ps 91:1-2,10-15) Romans 10:8-13 Luke 4:1-13

Overview of the Gospel:
· In this Sunday’s reading, Jesus has just come from being baptized by John the Baptist. It was here that the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove descended upon him, and God’s voice from heaven identified him as his beloved Son (Luke 3:21ff).
· Immediately after this he was led by the Spirit (Mark 1:12 says he was driven) into the desert to be tempted by Satan. His fasting for 40 days calls to mind many significant Old Testament events that also involved 40 days—Noah in the ark (Genesis 7:12), Moses on Mt. Sinai (Exodus 24:18), and Jonah in Nineveh (Jonah 3:4).
· Jesus’ temptation mirrors that of notable Old Testament figures (Adam, Moses, the Israelites in the wilderness) who were also tempted. The difference is that Jesus is successful in resisting, atoning for the failure of those who came before.
· Jesus shows that he can empathize with us in that he was subject to temptation just as we are (see Hebrews 2:18; 4:15). He also shows us how to resist the devil.

Questions:
· Why were the temptations directed at Jesus immediately after he was affirmed by God at his baptism (Luke 3:22)?
· In each temptation, what was its appeal? Its price? How does Jesus resist them? How are the three temptations similar? Different?
· What does it mean to you that all the power and glory of the kingdoms of the world have been given to Satan (vv 5-6. See also John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11)?
· If the devil had three shots at you, what temptations would he use? What resources does God give to help us resist?
· In verse 12, Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6:16. What does it mean to “tempt the Lord, your God”? How is that different from “taking a step out in faith”? What is your own experience in this regard?

Catechism of the Catholic Church: §§ 538-540; 2096; 2119

Closing prayer

A man who governs his passions is master of the world. We must either command them, or be enslaved by them. It is better to be a hammer than an anvil. -St. Dominic

Remember to read and meditate on the daily Mass readings found in the bulletin!

http://members.cox.net/fidelis927/index.htm

Faith-sharing bump.

FYI, here's another excerpt from "Triumph: The Power and the Glory of the Catholic Church - A 2,000 Year History" by H. W. Crocker III, publ. 2001 by a division of Random House. Page 258, concerning Henry VIII.

The lever that separated England from the Catholic Church was a woman. She was popularly known as the "goggle-eyed whore", but her given name was Anne Boleyn.

King Henry VIII had been married to Catherine of Aragon - the daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella, the aunt of Charles V - for sixteen years before he became obsessed with the slim, long-haired, manipulative femme fatale who would cleave England from the Church. She insisted on being his wife, despite the complication that he was already married to a woman from the most powerful family in Europe, who had borne him six children (only one of whom survived), and who was piously Catholic and therefore unable to contemplate divorce. It was Anne who provided the remedy: Simply change England's religion.

To understand just how ferocious a spell Anne had cast upon the king, one needs to recall that Henry VIII was a deeply religious man. He was...known to hear Masses three times a day, and the hope of such Catholic reformers as Sir Thomas More and Erasmus. He had also written a book condemning the heresies of Luther, which had won him the title of "Defender of the Faith" from Pope Leo X.

So breaking with Rome was no small thing. But there was another aspect to Henry - he was willful and tempestuous. As a young man, his grand physique and shining vitality had made him a renowned athlete: wrestler, horseman, soldier, hunter and dancer. But with age, his volcanic termperament slid ever further into the exercise of sheer appetite. It can be seen in his portraits, as he degenerates from being "handsomer than any other sovereign in Christendom..." into a gourmandizing behemoth who could not get up on his own strength. It is seen in his six wives (there were also mistresses). It is seen in the absence, sometimes through execution, of any but yes-men beside him. It is seen...in there being no check on kingly power by the old nobility - the nobles having been shattered in the Wars of the Roses that brought Harry's family, the Tudors, to the throne. It is seen, finally, in a man who could deny himself nothing and so made himself head of his own national church.

Thanks, fidelis!

Great stuff, there. Thanks.

From: Deuteronomy 26:4-10

First Fruits

(Moses spoke to the people saying,) [4] "Then the priest shall take the basket
from your hand, and set it down before the altar of the Lord your God.

[5] "And you shall make response before the Lord your God, 'A wandering Ara-
mean was my father; and he went down into Egypt and sojourned there, few in
number; and there he became a nation, great, mighty, and populous. [6] And
the Egyptians treated us harshly, and afflicted, us, and laid upon us hard bon-
dage. [7] Then we cried to the Lord the God of our fathers, and the Lord heard
our voice, and saw our affliction, our toil, and. our oppression; [8] and the Lord
brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with
great terror, with signs and wonders; [9] and he brought us into this place and
gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. [10] And behold, now I
bring the first of the fruit of the ground, which thou, 0 Lord, hast given me.' And
you shall set it down before the Lord your God, and worship before the Lord
your God.

Commentary:

26:1-11. The Deuteronomic Code, which began by specifying that there should
be only one sanctuary (cf. chap. 12), concludes by giving the prayers that were
to be said in that sanctuary in connection with the offering of the first fruits.

The offering of the first fruits was an appropriate way for Israel to express gra-
titude for the great deeds done by God, the "magnalia Dei", the wonders he
worked in liberating the people from bondage and establishing them in the
promised land.

The prayer that is said on this occasion (vv. 5-9) is a kind of historical-religious
Creed, a very important one, which takes in all the main features of Old Testa-
ment faith. It is a summary of the history of Israel, centered on its deliverance
from Egypt and settlement in the promised land. These two saving actions
form a paradigm: they are the hinges on which this "creed" (vv. 8-9) turns.
Other Old Testament passages containing similar "professions of faith" are to
be found in Deut 6:20-23; Josh 24:1-13; Neh 9:4ff; Jer 32:16-25 and Ps 136.

Jacob is portrayed as a key figure in the early history of the people of Israel; he
personifies the patriarchal era. The reference to him not by name but as a "wan-
dering Aramaean" (v. 5) underlines the contrast between the miserable circum-
stances of Israel earlier and settlement in the promised land. Jacob could be
called an Aramaean because Abraham may have been connected with the
migrations of Aramaean tribes. Moreover, one must bear in mind the long years
Jacob spent in north-eastern Mesopotamia, and his Aramaean wives (Gen 29-30).
The prayer at the first-fruits offering heightens the contrast between the poverty
of the homeless, landless Aramaean and the prosperity of the rich landowner
enjoying his freedom in a land flowing with milk and honey.

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

From: Romans 10:8-13

Israel's Infidelity (Continuation)

[8] But what does it [Moses' writing] say? The word is near you, on your lips and
in your heart (that is, the word of faith which we preach); [9] because, if you con-
fess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised
him from the dead, you will be saved. [10] For man believes with his heart and
so is justified, and he confesses with his lips and so is saved. [11] The scripture
says, "No one who believes in him will be put to shame." [12] For there is no
distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and bestows his
riches upon all who call upon him. [13] For, "every one who calls upon the name
of the Lord will be saved."

Commentary:

6-8. St Paul here quotes and applies some words from Deuteronomy: "This com-
mandment," Moses tells the people of Israel, "which I command you this day is
not too hard for you, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say,
'Who will go up for us to heaven, and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do
it? [...] Who will go over the sea for us, and bring it to us, that we may hear it
and do it?' But the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,
so that you can do it" (Deut 30:11-14). The law which God handed to Moses,
then, clearly revealed his will and made it much easier to fulfill. By the Incarna-
tion, the Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us and showed us the way
to God. For the Christian the life and teaching of the Word made flesh are divine
precepts and commandments. Through his Incarnation Jesus Christ brought us
grace and truth; by rising from the dead he conquered death; and by ascending
into heaven and, with the Father, sending the Holy Spirit, he perfected his work
of redemption.

9. At least from the third century B.C. we have documentary evidence that, out
of respect, the Jews did not utter the name "Yahweh" but generally referred to
God instead as "Lord". The first Christians, by giving Christ the title of "Lord",
were making a profession of faith in the divinity of Jesus.

10. To make the act of faith, human free will must necessarily be involved as St
Thomas explains when commenting on this passage: "He very rightly says that
man believes with his heart. Because everything else to do with external worship
of God, man can do it against his will, but he cannot believe if he does not want
to believe. So, the mind of a believer is not obliged to adhere to the truth by ratio-
nal necessity, as is the case with human knowledge: it is moved by the will"
("Commentary on Rom, ad loc.")

However, in order to live by faith, in addition to internal assent external profession
of faith is required; man is made up of body and soul and therefore he tends by
nature to express his inner convictions externally; when the honor of God or the
good of one's neighbor requires it, one even has an obligation to profess one's
faith externally. For example, in the case of persecution we are obliged to profess
our faith, even at the risk of life, if, on being interrogated about our beliefs, our si-
lence would lead people to suppose that we did not believe or that we did not hold
our faith to be the true faith and our bad example would cause others to fall away
from the faith. However, external profession is an obligation not only in extreme
situations of that kind. In all situations--be they ordinary or exceptional--God will
always help us to confess our faith boldly (cf. Mt 10:32-33; Lk 12:8).

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

From: Luke 4:1-13

Jesus Fasts and Is Tempted in the Wilderness

[1] And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by
the Spirit [2] for forty days in the wilderness, tempted by the devil. And He ate
nothing in those days; and when they were ended, He was hungry. [3] The
devil said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become
bread." [4] And Jesus answered him, "It is written, `Man shall not live by bread
alone.'" [5] And the devil took Him up, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the
world in a moment of time, [6] and said to Him, "To You I will give all this autho-
rity and glory; for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. [7] If
you, then, will worship me, it shall all be yours." [8] And Jesus answered, "It
is written, `You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve.'"

[9] And he took Him to Jerusalem, and set Him on the pinnacle of the temple,
and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here; [10]
for it is written, `He will give His angels charge of you, to guard you,' [11] and
`On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.'"

[12] And Jesus answered him, "It is said, `You shall not tempt the Lord your
God.'" [13] And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from
Him until an opportune time.

Commentary:

1-13. Here we see the devil interfere with Jesus' life for the first time. He does
so very brazenly. Our Lord is about to begin His public ministry, so it is a parti-
cularly important point in His work of salvation.

"The whole episode is a mystery which man cannot hope to understand--God
submitting to temptation, letting the Evil One have his way. But we can medi-
tate upon it, asking our Lord to help us understand the teaching it contains"
([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 61).

Christ, true God and true man, made Himself like us in everything except sin
(cf. Philippians 2:7; Hebrews 2:7; 4:15) and voluntarily underwent temptation.
"How fortunate we are," exclaims the Cure of Ars, "how lucky to have a God
as a model. Are we poor? We have a God who is born in a stable, who lies
in a manger. Are we despised? We have a God who led the way, who was
crowned with thorns, dressed in a filthy red cloak and treated as a madman.
Are we tormented by pain and suffering? Before our eyes we have a God co-
vered with wounds, dying in unimaginable pain. Are we being persecuted?
How can we dare complain when we have a God who is being put to death by
executioners? Finally, are we being tempted by the demon? We have our
lovable Redeemer; He was also tempted by the demon and was twice taken
up by that hellish spirit: therefore, no matter what sufferings, pains or tempta-
tions we are experiencing, we always have, everywhere, our God leading the
way for us and assuring us of victory as long as we genuinely desire it" ("Se-
lected Sermons", First Sunday of Lent).

Jesus teaches us therefore that no one should regard himself as incorruptible
and proof against temptation; He shows us how we should deal with temptation
and exhorts us to have confidence in His mercy, since He Himself experienced
temptation (cf. Hebrews 2:18).

For further explanation of this passage, see the notes on Matthew 4:3-11.

13. Our Lord's temptations sum up every kind of temptation man can experience:
"Scripture would not have said", St. Thomas comments, "that once all the temp-
tation ended the devil departed from Him, unless the matter of all sins were inclu-
ded in the three temptations already related. For the causes of temptation are
the causes of desires--namely, lust of the flesh, desire for glory, eagerness for
power" ("Summa Theologiae", III, q. 41, a. 4 ad 4).

By conquering every kind of temptation, Jesus shows us how to deal with the
snares of the devil. It was as a man that He was tempted and as a man that He
resisted: "He did not act as God, bringing His power into play; if He had done so,
how could we have availed of His example? Rather, as a man He made use of
the resources which He has in common with us" (St. Ambrose, "Expositio
Evangelii Sec. Lucam, in loc.").

He wanted to show us the methods to use to defeat the devil--prayer, fasting,
watchfulness, not dialoguing with temptation, having the words of God's Scripture
on our lips and putting our trust in the Lord.

"Until an opportune time", that is, until it is time for Jesus to undergo His
passion. The devil often appears in the course of our Lord's public life (cf., for
example, Mark 12:28), but it will be at the Passion--"this is your hour, and the
power of darkness" (Luke 22:53)--that he will be most clearly seen in his role
as tempter. Jesus will forewarn His disciples about this and once more assure
them of victory (cf. John 12:31; 14:30). Through the passion, death and resur-
rection of Christ, thedevil will be overpowered once and for all. And by virtue of
Christ's victory we are enabled to overcome all temptations.

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

The Work of God

Year C

- 1st Sunday of Lent

You shalt not tempt the Lord your God.

Luke 4:1-13

1 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness,
2 where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished.
3 The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread."
4 Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'One does not live by bread alone.' "
5 Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world.
6 And the devil said to him, "To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please.
7 If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours."
8 Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.' "
9 Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here,
10 for it is written, 'He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you,'
11 and 'On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.' "
12 Jesus answered him, "It is said, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.' "
13 When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time. (NRSV)

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

1st Sunday of Lent - You shalt not tempt the Lord your God.

I am the Eternal Word, the Son of God. In my spiritual nature I am pure Spirit. I am also the Son of Mary, conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit in the womb of my Virgin Mother, therefore I have shared human nature and for the sake of your salvation I became a man.

As a man I shared all the weaknesses and temptations of human beings. After my baptism, I was filled with the Holy Spirit and decided to prepare myself for the work I was going to do. I went to the desert to fast and to pray for my mission. Right at the end when I was at my weakest human point the devil appeared to me trying to seduce me with his temptations.

I represented the whole human race in my spiritual struggle with the powerful enemy of souls so that you all would learn a lesson and always draw your wisdom and strength from me. The three enemies of the soul are the flesh, the world and the devil. He tempted me as he tempts everyone but I overcame his temptations. You can also overcome the same way I did.

To the weakness of the flesh, the devil tempted me with bread in order to interrupt my self-denial, my reply to him was “Human beings live not on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” I have taught you everything you need to know, my word will be your wisdom and your strength. Deny yourselves and you will have total self-control against temptation.

The devil tempted me to worship him in exchange for power, glory and riches, I said to Him “You must do homage to the Lord, Him alone must you serve” The first commandment calls to worship God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength, but many people neglect God and worship the false gods of the world, therefore becoming victims of the devil.

The devil tempted me to throw myself from a pinnacle of the temple, to which, I replied, “You shall not tempt the Lord your God”. Every time you sin, you are doing just that. You are forgetting the damage you are doing to your soul, you are putting the Lord to the test. Therefore don’t put me to the test, avoid sin, do what is good and you will conquer temptations when they come.

Author: Joseph of Jesus and Mary

Catholic homilies - gospel inspirations - list

A Season to Fight Temptation

Fr. Paul Grankauskas

Other Articles by Fr. Paul Grankauskas
Printer Friendly Version

A Season to Fight Temptation

February 23, 2007

On this first Sunday of Lent, we hear about the temptations of Our Lord. At the beginning of his public ministry, Satan tries to sway him from the way to Calvary, from the way to the cross and the work of redemption.

If Jesus is the Son of God, says Satan, he could commend that the stones be turned into bread. He could satisfy his own hunger, which must have been considerable after so much time in the desert. What is more, he could win the masses, too, if he just kept their bellies full. Our Lord replies that man does not live by bread alone. He did not come to be a bread king. He came to bring us forgiveness of sins. He came to fulfill the role of Isaiah's Suffering Servant.

Next, Satan offers Jesus all the kingdoms of the world. All Our Lord has to do is worship him. Jesus replies that, "You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve." He did not come to be a slave to the Devil.

He came to free us from our enslavement to him.

Finally, if Jesus is really the Son of God, Satan says, he can throw himself off the parapet of the Temple. Surely the angels will protect him, as it is written in the Scriptures. Our Lord says it is not good to put God to the test. He did not come to win souls with cheap tricks.

Again, it seems to be Satan's plan to sway Jesus from the way of the cross, from doing the will of the Father who sent him into the world. When we meditate on this particular Gospel passage, there are some important lessons we can take away regarding the spiritual life.

First, if we are serious about doing the will of God, we will have to face an adversary who wants to trip us up and distract us: the Devil. If Our Lord did battle with him, so will we. Peter tells us in one of his letters to be on guard against him. He is like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. He has a way of making what is sinful look mighty attractive and desirable. I could not help but feel a little guilty while watching the Super Bowl. The ads for Budweiser beer are usually cleverly done. Unfortunately, they do little do help promote the virtue of temperance. There are many who can testify to the destructiveness of alcoholism.

Second, temptations come to all of us. Sometimes they come without our willing them. For example, it is tempting to want to get back at someone who has hurt me. I am dependent on God to give me the strength to fight it, and I might be a little more successful in fighting because I do not want it.

But, we can also place ourselves in harm's way. We are more likely to fall in this case because we are opening ourselves up to disaster. We need to remember the closing lines of the "Act of Contrition": "I firmly intend with the help of your grace to sin no more and to avoid the near occasion of sin."

During the season of Lent, we practice penance, fasting and almsgiving.

These can be powerful spiritual weapons in fighting temptations, focused as they are on mortification, self-denial and self-discipline. We have to realize that if Our Lord was tempted, we can expect no less. The Devil will try his hardest to keep us from doing God's will. Fortunately, with the grace and strength that comes from God and through our Lenten practices, we can begin to fight back.

(HT)You're welcome, Ciexyz!

ping

Mass Readings

First reading	Deuteronomy 26:4 - 10 ©
The priest shall then take the pannier from your hand and lay it before the altar of the Lord your God. Then, in the sight of the Lord your God, you must make this pronouncement: “My father was a wandering Aramaean. He went down into Egypt to find refuge there, few in numbers; but there he became a nation, great, mighty, and strong. The Egyptians ill-treated us, they gave us no peace and inflicted harsh slavery on us. But we called on the Lord, the God of our fathers. The Lord heard our voice and saw our misery, our toil and our oppression; and the Lord brought us out of Egypt with mighty hand and outstretched arm, with great terror, and with signs and wonders. He brought us here and gave us this land, a land where milk and honey flow. Here then I bring the first-fruits of the produce of the soil that you, the Lord, have given me”. You must then lay them before the Lord your God, and bow down in the sight of the Lord your God.

First reading

The priest shall then take the pannier from your hand and lay it before the altar of the Lord your God. Then, in the sight of the Lord your God, you must make this pronouncement: “My father was a wandering Aramaean. He went down into Egypt to find refuge there, few in numbers; but there he became a nation, great, mighty, and strong. The Egyptians ill-treated us, they gave us no peace and inflicted harsh slavery on us. But we called on the Lord, the God of our fathers. The Lord heard our voice and saw our misery, our toil and our oppression; and the Lord brought us out of Egypt with mighty hand and outstretched arm, with great terror, and with signs and wonders. He brought us here and gave us this land, a land where milk and honey flow. Here then I bring the first-fruits of the produce of the soil that you, the Lord, have given me”.
You must then lay them before the Lord your God, and bow down in the sight of the Lord your God.

Psalm or canticle: Psalm 90

Second reading	©
On the positive side Scripture says: The word (that is the faith we proclaim) is very near to you, it is on your lips and in your heart. If your lips confess that Jesus is Lord and if you believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, then you will be saved. By believing from the heart you are made righteous; by confessing with your lips you are saved. When scripture says: those who believe in him will have no cause for shame, it makes no distinction between Jew and Greek: all belong to the same Lord who is rich enough, however many ask his help, for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Second reading

©

On the positive side Scripture says: The word (that is the faith we proclaim) is very near to you, it is on your lips and in your heart. If your lips confess that Jesus is Lord and if you believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, then you will be saved. By believing from the heart you are made righteous; by confessing with your lips you are saved. When scripture says: those who believe in him will have no cause for shame, it makes no distinction between Jew and Greek: all belong to the same Lord who is rich enough, however many ask his help, for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Gospel	Luke 4:1 - 13 ©
Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit through the wilderness, being tempted there by the devil for forty days. During that time he ate nothing and at the end he was hungry. Then the devil said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to turn into a loaf’. But Jesus replied, ‘Scripture says: Man does not live on bread alone’. Then leading him to a height, the devil showed him in a moment of time all the kingdoms of the world and said to him, ‘I will give you all this power and the glory of these kingdoms, for it has been committed to me and I give it to anyone I choose. Worship me, then, and it shall all be yours.’ But Jesus answered him, ‘Scripture says: You must worship the Lord your God, and serve him alone’. Then he led him to Jerusalem and made him stand on the parapet of the Temple. ‘If you are the Son of God,’ he said to him ‘throw yourself down from here, for scripture says: He will put his angels in charge of you to guard you, and again: They will hold you up on their hands in case you hurt your foot against a stone’. But Jesus answered him, ‘It has been said: You must not put the Lord your God to the test’. Having exhausted all these ways of tempting him, the devil left him, to return at the appointed time.

Gospel

Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit through the wilderness, being tempted there by the devil for forty days. During that time he ate nothing and at the end he was hungry. Then the devil said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to turn into a loaf’. But Jesus replied, ‘Scripture says: Man does not live on bread alone’.
Then leading him to a height, the devil showed him in a moment of time all the kingdoms of the world and said to him, ‘I will give you all this power and the glory of these kingdoms, for it has been committed to me and I give it to anyone I choose. Worship me, then, and it shall all be yours.’ But Jesus answered him, ‘Scripture says:
You must worship the Lord your God,
and serve him alone’.

Then he led him to Jerusalem and made him stand on the parapet of the Temple. ‘If you are the Son of God,’ he said to him ‘throw yourself down from here, for scripture says:
He will put his angels in charge of you
to guard you,

and again:
They will hold you up on their hands
in case you hurt your foot against a stone’.

But Jesus answered him, ‘It has been said:
You must not put the Lord your God to the test’.

Having exhausted all these ways of tempting him, the devil left him, to return at the appointed time.

Office of Readings -- Awakening Prayer

Office of Readings

If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, you should precede it with the Invitatory Psalm.

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 1
The two paths
Blessed the one who does not follow the counsels of the wicked, or stand in the paths that sinners use, or sit in the gatherings of those who mock: his delight is the law of the Lord, he ponders his law day and night. He is like a tree planted by flowing waters, that will give its fruit in due time, whose leaves will not fade. All that he does will prosper. Not thus are the wicked, not thus. They are like the dust blown by the wind. At the time of judgement the wicked will not stand, nor sinners in the council of the just. For the Lord knows the path of the just; but the way of the wicked leads to destruction. 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 1

The two paths

Blessed the one who does not follow the counsels of the wicked,
or stand in the paths that sinners use,
or sit in the gatherings of those who mock:
his delight is the law of the Lord,
he ponders his law day and night.

He is like a tree planted by flowing waters,
that will give its fruit in due time,
whose leaves will not fade.
All that he does will prosper.

Not thus are the wicked, not thus.
They are like the dust blown by the wind.
At the time of judgement the wicked will not stand,
nor sinners in the council of the just.

For the Lord knows the path of the just;
but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.

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 2
The Messiah, king and victor
Why are the nations in a ferment? Why do the people make their vain plans? The kings of the earth have risen up; the leaders have united against the Lord, against his anointed. “Let us break their chains, that bind us; let us throw off their yoke from our shoulders!” The Lord laughs at them, he who lives in the heavens derides them. Then he speaks to them in his anger; in his fury he throws them into confusion: “But I – I have set up my king on Sion, my holy mountain”. I will proclaim the Lord’s decrees. The Lord has said to me: “You are my son: today I have begotten you. Ask me, and I will give you the nations for your inheritance, the ends of the earth for you to possess. You will rule them with a rod of iron, break them in pieces like an earthen pot”. So now, kings, listen: understand, you who rule the land. Serve the Lord in fear, tremble even as you praise him. Learn his teaching, lest he take anger, lest you perish when his anger bursts into flame. Blessed are all who put their trust in the Lord. 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 2

The Messiah, king and victor

Why are the nations in a ferment? Why do the people make their vain plans?

The kings of the earth have risen up; the leaders have united against the Lord, against his anointed.
“Let us break their chains, that bind us; let us throw off their yoke from our shoulders!”

The Lord laughs at them, he who lives in the heavens derides them.
Then he speaks to them in his anger; in his fury he throws them into confusion:
“But I – I have set up my king on Sion, my holy mountain”.

I will proclaim the Lord’s decrees.
The Lord has said to me: “You are my son: today I have begotten you.
Ask me, and I will give you the nations for your inheritance, the ends of the earth for you to possess.
You will rule them with a rod of iron, break them in pieces like an earthen pot”.

So now, kings, listen: understand, you who rule the land.
Serve the Lord in fear, tremble even as you praise him.
Learn his teaching, lest he take anger, lest you perish when his anger bursts into flame.

Blessed are all who put their trust in the Lord.

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 3
The Lord is my protector
Lord, how many they are, my attackers! So many rise up against me, so many of them say: “He can hope for no help from the Lord”. But you, Lord, are my protector, my glory: you raise up my head. I called to the Lord, and from his holy mountain he heard my voice. I fell asleep, and slept; but I rose, for the Lord raised me up. I will not fear when the people surround me in their thousands. Rise up, Lord; bring me to safety, my God. Those who attacked me – you struck them on the jaw, you shattered their teeth. Salvation comes from the Lord: Lord, your blessing is upon your people. 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 3

The Lord is my protector

Lord, how many they are, my attackers!
So many rise up against me, so many of them say:
“He can hope for no help from the Lord”.

But you, Lord, are my protector, my glory: you raise up my head.
I called to the Lord, and from his holy mountain he heard my voice.

I fell asleep, and slept; but I rose, for the Lord raised me up.
I will not fear when the people surround me in their thousands.
Rise up, Lord; bring me to safety, my God.

Those who attacked me – you struck them on the jaw, you shattered their teeth.
Salvation comes from the Lord: Lord, your blessing is upon your people.

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.

Reading	Exodus 5:1 - 6:1 ©
Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, has said, “Let my people go, so that they may keep a feast in the wilderness in honour of me.”’ ‘Who is the Lord,’ Pharaoh replied ‘that I should listen to him and let Israel go? I know nothing of the Lord, and I will not let Israel go.’ ‘The God of the Hebrews has come to meet us’ they replied. ‘Give us leave to make a three days’ journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifice to the Lord our God, or he will come down on us with a plague or with the sword.’ The king of Egypt said to them, ‘Moses and Aaron, what do you mean by taking the people away from their work? Get back to your labouring.’ And Pharaoh said, ‘Now that these common folk have grown to such numbers, do you want to stop them labouring?’ That same day, Pharaoh gave this command to the people’s slave-drivers and to the overseers. ‘Up to the present, you have provided these people with straw for brickmaking. Do so no longer; let them go and gather straw for themselves. All the same, you are to get from them the same number of bricks as before, not reducing it at all. They are lazy, and that is why their cry is, “Let us go and offer sacrifice to our God”. Make these men work harder than ever, so that they do not have time to stop and listen to glib speeches.’ The people’s slave-drivers went out with the overseers to speak to the people. ‘Pharaoh has given orders’ they said: ‘“I will not provide you with straw. Go out and collect straw for yourselves wherever you can find it. But your output is not to be any less.”’ So the people scattered all over the land of Egypt to gather stubble for making chopped straw. The slave-drivers harassed them. ‘Every day you must complete your daily quota,’ they said ‘just as you did when straw was provided for you.’ And the foremen who had been appointed for the sons of Israel by Pharaoh’s slave-drivers were flogged, and they were asked, ‘Why have you not produced your full amount of bricks as before, either yesterday or today?’ The foremen for the sons of Israel went to Pharaoh and complained. ‘Why do you treat your servants so?’ they said. ‘No straw is provided for your servants and still the cry is, “Make bricks!” And now your servants have been flogged!...” ‘You are lazy, lazy’ he answered ‘that is why you say, “Let us go and offer sacrifice to the Lord”. Get back to your work at once. You shall not get any straw, but you must deliver the number of bricks due from you.’ The foremen for the sons of Israel saw themselves in a very difficult position when told there was to be no reduction in the daily number of bricks. As they left Pharaoh’s presence they met Moses and Aaron who were waiting for them. ‘May the Lord see your work and punish you as you deserve!’ they said to them. ‘You have made us hated by Pharaoh and his court; you have put a sword into their hand to kill us.’ Once more Moses turned to the Lord. ‘Lord,’ he said to him ‘why do you treat this people so harshly? Why did you send me here? Ever since I came to Pharaoh and spoke to him in your name, he has ill-treated this nation, and you have done nothing to deliver your people.’ Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘You will see now how I shall punish Pharaoh. He will be forced to let them go; yes, he will be forced to send them out of his land.’

Reading

Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, has said, “Let my people go, so that they may keep a feast in the wilderness in honour of me.”’ ‘Who is the Lord,’ Pharaoh replied ‘that I should listen to him and let Israel go? I know nothing of the Lord, and I will not let Israel go.’ ‘The God of the Hebrews has come to meet us’ they replied. ‘Give us leave to make a three days’ journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifice to the Lord our God, or he will come down on us with a plague or with the sword.’ The king of Egypt said to them, ‘Moses and Aaron, what do you mean by taking the people away from their work? Get back to your labouring.’ And Pharaoh said, ‘Now that these common folk have grown to such numbers, do you want to stop them labouring?’
That same day, Pharaoh gave this command to the people’s slave-drivers and to the overseers. ‘Up to the present, you have provided these people with straw for brickmaking. Do so no longer; let them go and gather straw for themselves. All the same, you are to get from them the same number of bricks as before, not reducing it at all. They are lazy, and that is why their cry is, “Let us go and offer sacrifice to our God”. Make these men work harder than ever, so that they do not have time to stop and listen to glib speeches.’
The people’s slave-drivers went out with the overseers to speak to the people. ‘Pharaoh has given orders’ they said: ‘“I will not provide you with straw. Go out and collect straw for yourselves wherever you can find it. But your output is not to be any less.”’ So the people scattered all over the land of Egypt to gather stubble for making chopped straw. The slave-drivers harassed them. ‘Every day you must complete your daily quota,’ they said ‘just as you did when straw was provided for you.’ And the foremen who had been appointed for the sons of Israel by Pharaoh’s slave-drivers were flogged, and they were asked, ‘Why have you not produced your full amount of bricks as before, either yesterday or today?’
The foremen for the sons of Israel went to Pharaoh and complained. ‘Why do you treat your servants so?’ they said. ‘No straw is provided for your servants and still the cry is, “Make bricks!” And now your servants have been flogged!...” ‘You are lazy, lazy’ he answered ‘that is why you say, “Let us go and offer sacrifice to the Lord”. Get back to your work at once. You shall not get any straw, but you must deliver the number of bricks due from you.’
The foremen for the sons of Israel saw themselves in a very difficult position when told there was to be no reduction in the daily number of bricks. As they left Pharaoh’s presence they met Moses and Aaron who were waiting for them. ‘May the Lord see your work and punish you as you deserve!’ they said to them. ‘You have made us hated by Pharaoh and his court; you have put a sword into their hand to kill us.’ Once more Moses turned to the Lord. ‘Lord,’ he said to him ‘why do you treat this people so harshly? Why did you send me here? Ever since I came to Pharaoh and spoke to him in your name, he has ill-treated this nation, and you have done nothing to deliver your people.’ Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘You will see now how I shall punish Pharaoh. He will be forced to let them go; yes, he will be forced to send them out of his land.’

Reading	From a commentary on the psalms by Saint Augustine, bishop
In Christ we suffered temptation, and in him we overcame the Devil
Hear, O God, my petition, listen to my prayer. Who is speaking? An individual, it seems. See if it is an individual: I cried out to you from the ends of the earth while my heart was in anguish. Now it is no longer one person; rather, it is one in the sense that Christ is one, and we are all his members. What single individual can cry from the ends of the earth? The one who cries from the ends of the earth is none other than the Son’s inheritance. It was said to him: Ask of me, and I shall give you the nations as your inheritance, and the ends of the earth as your possession. This possession of Christ, this inheritance of Christ, this body of Christ, this one Church of Christ, this unity that we are, cries from the ends of the earth. What does it cry? What I said before: Hear, O God, my petition, listen to my prayer; I cried out to you from the ends of the earth.’ That is, I made this cry to you from the ends of the earth; that is, on all sides. Why did I make this cry? While my heart was in anguish. The speaker shows that he is present among all the nations of the earth in a condition, not of exalted glory but of severe trial. Our pilgrimage on earth cannot be exempt from trial. We progress by means of trial. No one knows himself except through trial, or receives a crown except after victory, or strives except against an enemy or temptations. The one who cries from the ends of the earth is in anguish, but is not left on his own. Christ chose to foreshadow us, who are his body, by means of his body, in which he has died, risen and ascended into heaven, so that the members of his body may hope to follow where their head has gone before. He made us one with him when he chose to be tempted by Satan. We have heard in the gospel how the Lord Jesus Christ was tempted by the devil in the wilderness. Certainly Christ was tempted by the devil. In Christ you were tempted, for Christ received his flesh from your nature, but by his own power gained salvation for you; he suffered death in your nature, but by his own power gained glory for you; therefore, he suffered temptation in your nature, but by his own power gained victory for you. If in Christ we have been tempted, in him we overcome the devil. Do you think only of Christ’s temptations and fail to think of his victory? See yourself as tempted in him, and see yourself as victorious in him. He could have kept the devil from himself; but if he were not tempted he could not teach you how to triumph over temptation.

Reading

From a commentary on the psalms by Saint Augustine, bishop

In Christ we suffered temptation, and in him we overcame the Devil

Hear, O God, my petition, listen to my prayer. Who is speaking? An individual, it seems. See if it is an individual: I cried out to you from the ends of the earth while my heart was in anguish. Now it is no longer one person; rather, it is one in the sense that Christ is one, and we are all his members. What single individual can cry from the ends of the earth? The one who cries from the ends of the earth is none other than the Son’s inheritance. It was said to him: Ask of me, and I shall give you the nations as your inheritance, and the ends of the earth as your possession. This possession of Christ, this inheritance of Christ, this body of Christ, this one Church of Christ, this unity that we are, cries from the ends of the earth. What does it cry? What I said before: Hear, O God, my petition, listen to my prayer; I cried out to you from the ends of the earth.’ That is, I made this cry to you from the ends of the earth; that is, on all sides.
Why did I make this cry? While my heart was in anguish. The speaker shows that he is present among all the nations of the earth in a condition, not of exalted glory but of severe trial.
Our pilgrimage on earth cannot be exempt from trial. We progress by means of trial. No one knows himself except through trial, or receives a crown except after victory, or strives except against an enemy or temptations.
The one who cries from the ends of the earth is in anguish, but is not left on his own. Christ chose to foreshadow us, who are his body, by means of his body, in which he has died, risen and ascended into heaven, so that the members of his body may hope to follow where their head has gone before.
He made us one with him when he chose to be tempted by Satan. We have heard in the gospel how the Lord Jesus Christ was tempted by the devil in the wilderness. Certainly Christ was tempted by the devil. In Christ you were tempted, for Christ received his flesh from your nature, but by his own power gained salvation for you; he suffered death in your nature, but by his own power gained glory for you; therefore, he suffered temptation in your nature, but by his own power gained victory for you.
If in Christ we have been tempted, in him we overcome the devil. Do you think only of Christ’s temptations and fail to think of his victory? See yourself as tempted in him, and see yourself as victorious in him. He could have kept the devil from himself; but if he were not tempted he could not teach you how to triumph over temptation.

Concluding Prayer
Almighty God, grant that by this annual observance of Lent we may move forward in our understanding of the mystery of Christ and make it an essential part of our lives. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.

Sunday, February 25, 2007
First Sunday of Lent (Total Consecration - Day 5)

First Reading:
Psalm:
Second Reading:
Gospel:

Deuteronomy 26:4-10
Psalm 91:1-2, 10-15
Romans 10:8-13
Luke 4:1-13

To be perfect in our vocation is nothing else than to fulfill the duties which our state of life obliges us to perform, and to accomplish them well, and only for the honor and love of God.

-- St. Francis de Sales