Catholic Caucus: Sunday Mass Readings, 02-14-16, First Sunday of Lent

USCCB.org/RNAB ^ | 02-14-16 | Revised New American Bible

[Salvation]

Sunday

February 14, 2016

Selfless Love on Valentine’s Day

On this day devoted to the celebration of love, it is fruitful to reflect on a few of the words of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, also known as Mother Teresa, regarding love and its call in our lives:

“I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world.”

“God has not called me to be successful; He has called me to be faithful.”

“I used to pray that God would feed the hungry, or do this or that, but now I pray that he will guide me to do whatever I am supposed to do, what I can do. I used to pray for answers, but now I am praying for strength. I used to believe that prayer changes things. Now I know that prayer changes us and we change things.”

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Thought for Today: “One must see God in everyone.” ~ St. Catherine Laboure

[Salvation]

CATHOLIC ALMANAC

Sunday, February 14

Liturgical Color: White

Today is the Memorial of St. Cyril,
monk and St. Methodius, bishop.
They were 8th century brothers of
Greek nobility with a calling to the
religious life. Together they
evangelized Slavic countries and
translated the Bible into the Slavic
languages.

[Salvation]

Catholic Culture

Lent: February 14th

First Sunday of Lent

MASS READINGS

February 14, 2016 (Readings on USCCB website)

COLLECT PRAYER

Grant, almighty God, through the yearly observances of holy Lent, that we may grow in understanding of the riches hidden in Christ and by worthy conduct pursue their effects. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

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• The Kaleidoscope of Lent

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• Prayer for the First Week of Lent
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• Book of Blessings: Blessing Before and After Meals: Lent (1st Plan)

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Old Calendar: First Sunday of Lent

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, and was led by the Spirit 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. The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread." And Jesus answered him, "It is written, ‘ Man shall not live by bread alone.’" And the devil took him up. and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and said to him, "To you I will give all this authority and their glory; for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. If you, then, will worship me, it shall all be yours." And Jesus answered him, "It is written, ‘ You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’ "

The feast of Sts. Cyril and Methodius, which is ordinarily celebrated today, is superseded by the Sunday liturgy.

Stational Church

Click here for commentary on the readings in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite.

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Sunday Readings
The first reading is from Deuteronomy 26: 4-10. In these verses we have the ritual prescribed by Moses for the feast of the harvest thanksgiving. The people once settled in the Promised Land are to show their gratitude to the good God who brought them out of the slavery of Egypt and gave them this good land to be their home.

The second reading is from St. Paul to the Romans 10: 8-13. He is discussing the sad fact that Israel (as a whole) rejected Christ as the promised Messiah and the Son of God.

The Gospel is from St. Luke 5:1-11. Christ's voluntary self-mortification of forty days' fast, with its accompanying temptations, was but part of the self-mortification, with its climax on the Cross, which He gladly underwent for our salvation. He did not need to fast in order to keep the inclinations of the body in subjection, He did not need to allow the insult of temptation. He could have said, "begone Satan" at the beginning as easily and as effectively as be said it at the end. But He willingly underwent this humiliation in order to set us an example and to prove to us the infinite love He bears us and the value, the priceless value, He sets on our eternal salvation. He became like us in all things (except sin) in order to make it possible for us to become like Him--the beloved of his Father--and co-heirs with Him in the kingdom of heaven.

With this example given us by Christ no Christian can or should expect to travel the road to heaven without meeting obstacles and temptations. Our weak human nature is of itself, even without any external tempter, a source of many temptations to us, especially of those three illustrated in the case of Christ. Our body desires all the pleasures and comforts that can be got out of life and resents any curtailment of these desires even on the part of our Creator and Benefactor. Our gifts of intelligence and free-will often tempt most of us to look for power, political or economic, over our fellowmen. We want to be better off than others in this world, when our purpose in life is to help ourselves and our fellowmen to the better life. Finally. so fully occupied are many in the mad rush after pleasure and power that they have no time to devote to the one thing that matters, the attainment of eternal life.

Yet, through some foolish logic of our own, we expect God to do for us what we refuse to do for ourselves. We are tempting God by presuming he will save us if we have deliberately chosen the road to perdition.

There are few, if any, amongst us who can honestly say: "I am free from such inclinations or temptations." The vast majority of us can and should beat our breasts and say with the publican: "O God, be merciful to me a sinner." And merciful he will be if we turn to him with true humility. He may not remove all our temptations, all our wrong inclinations, but he will give us the grace to overcome them if we sincerely seek his aid.

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

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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.

[Salvation]

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Psalm 91:1-2, 10-15

1st Sunday of Lent

Because he clings to me, I will deliver him. (Psalm 91:14)

Do you remember falling in love? The whole world seemed new, and you felt as if you were walking on air—all because someone had stolen your heart.

As exhilarating as that feeling is, it's just the beginning of a love story. As your relationship progresses, you learn that love isn't just a warm feeling. It also involves responsibility and hard work. In every relationship, situations come up in which you have to choose to protect and develop your love—and that often means a degree of self-sacrifice. It may mean turning down a promotion because it would take away more time with your family than would be healthy. It may mean caring for an aging parent or spouse who has become dependent on you for everything. It's in times like these that you are called to embrace a fuller meaning of love: selflessness.

In today's Gospel reading, Jesus enters the desert, where he is tempted by Satan. While each temptation is different, they all have the same goal of luring Jesus away from his commitment to love us "to the end" (John 13:1). Jesus chooses love.

This is a fitting topic for the feast day of St. Valentine. In the third century, the emperor Claudius II banned all marriages in Rome so that he could have more unattached men for his army. Valentine, a bishop, defied the emperor's order and married couples in secret. He was ultimately arrested, beaten, and beheaded. Valentine could have chosen self-preservation, but he sacrificed his life for love instead.

Today, consider the way that Jesus and many heroes of the faith have chosen love over personal gain or preservation. Think about the way their decisions have caused a ripple effect on the world. Then ask the Lord to show you how you can take the next step toward choosing love.

"Lord, help me remember to make my relationships a priority. Teach me how to love as you did, Jesus—fully and from the heart."

Deuteronomy 26:4-10
Romans 10:8-13
Luke 4:1-13

[Salvation]

A Christian Pilgrim

LOVING OBEDIENCE

(A biblical refection on the FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT [Year C], 14 February 2016)

Gospel Reading: Luke 4:1-13

First Reading: Deuteronomy 26:4-10; Psalms: Psalm 91:1-2,10-15; Second Reading: Romans 10:8-13

The Scripture Text

And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, and was led by the Spirit 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. The devil said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread." And Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone.'" And the devil took Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and said to Him, "To You I will give all this authority and their glory; for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. If You, then, will worship me, it shall all be Yours." And Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve.'" 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; for it is written, 'He will give His angels charge of you, to guard You,' and 'On their hands they will bear You up, lest You strike Your foot against a stone.'" And Jesus answered him, "It is said, 'You shall not tempt the Lord your God.'" And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time. (Luke 4:1-13 RSV)

As we begin the season of Lent, the Church wants us to reflect on the relationship between God and the people of the Old Testament, between God and His Son, Jesus Christ, and between God and ourselves. The three readings for today's Mass should remind us of these relationships.

The first reading shows the relationship between God and the Old Testament people. It recalls that after Israel had gone down into Egypt where the people were mistreated and enslaved, God brought the people out of slavery in the exodus in order to lead them into the promised land. The exodus was the great saving event of the Old Testament. God revealed Himself thereby as Savior of His people. Before the people entered the promised land, however, they wandered in the desert for forty years. There they faced grave temptations, and for the most part they failed God. They were selfish, thinking only of themselves and their own welfare. They wanted God to feed them, and even after He did so miraculously they were not satisfied. They murmured against God and wanted to put Him to the test, to have Him prove His might and His power. They lacked trust. And despite all that God had done for them, many fell into idolatry and worshipped false gods.

Jesus came as the new Israel, the chosen one of God. In His person He summed up the whole purpose and meaning of the chosen people, and fulfilled and completed all that they should have been and more. Like the chosen people Jesus was led into the desert, and there He spent, not forty years, but forty days. There He underwent temptation similar to those of the Israelites. The devil tempted Jesus to be selfish: "Command this stone to become bread" (Luke 4:3). The devil was trying to get Him to think only of Himself, to use His power for His own convenience and comfort. The devil tempted Jesus to put God to the test, to have God prove His might and His power by saving Jesus from destruction in a leap from the parapet of the temple (Luke 4:9-11). The devil even tempted Jesus to idolatry by saying: "If You, then, will worship me, it shall all be Yours" (Luke 4:7).

Yes, Jesus did undergo temptations similar to those of the Israelites in the desert, but where the Israelites had failed, Jesus was triumphant. Jesus showed that His relationship with His Father was based on loving obedience. That loving obedience indeed led Jesus to die on the Cross, but it was through that death that God exalted Him and led Him into the true promised land, the life of perfect happiness in heaven.

What of our own relationship with God? We are the new chosen people of God. He wants to lead us into the promised land with Jesus, but for a while we must wander in the desert of this world. Here we too undergo temptations. We are enticed by the devil to be selfish, to think only of ourselves, our welfare, our convenience. When our wants and wishes are not satisfied, we are tempted to put God to the test, to demand that He show His power and His might by healing the ills of our society and by solving our own personal problems. We are even tempted to turn from the true God to worship false gods, such as materialism, pleasure/hedonism, expediency, laziness, etc.

We will fall victim to these temptations if we forget all that God has already done for us and what He promises in the future. God has saved us in Jesus Christ, and as He raised Jesus from the dead and exalted Him because of His loving obedience, so God will raise us and lift us up to heaven if we have the same loving obedience as Jesus. That is our faith, and it should be a motive to keep us from failing God.

Dear Sisters and Brothers, lest we become selfish and concerned only with ourselves, we should be more generous in works of charity. Lest we give in to the temptation to put God to the test, to demand that He show His power, we should prepare with joy for the paschal feast, the mystery of our salvation in Jesus Christ. Finally, lest we become worshippers of modern false gods, we must be more fervent in prayer. With these antidotes we will avoid the failure of the Israelites, and will share in the triumph of Jesus.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, during this season of Lent, as a disciple of Jesus, I ask You from the bottom of my heart to let me share my life more deeply with others, especially those around me. I want to appreciate them more, to understand where I can be of help to them and act on that, how I can love them more, love them in Christ, lift them up to You so You will be praised and glorified. Empty my life of everything that keeps me from loving You. Amen.

[Salvation]

Marriage = One Man and One Woman Until Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for February 14, 2016:

"I have now brought you the first fruits of the products of the soil which you, O LORD, have given me." (Dt 26:10) There are many demands in life and we can only give so much effort. Do you give your best to God and your spouse or do they get the time that is [. . .]

[Salvation]

Lent is Our Opportunity

Pastor's Column

1^st Sunday of Lent

February 14, 2016

Lent is our great opportunity to allow the Holy Spirit to work a spiritual reset within us. Each human being is a union of body and soul. During our lives on earth, God gives each of us free will so that we can exercise choices. While we live, we are now in the process of choosing our eternal destiny and the degree to which we will enjoy the glory of God forever in heaven. So much of this wonderful future may depend on our response to Christ during these six weeks of Lent this year! Will I recognize my opportunity when God gives it to me?

One thing that I remember from being a Benedictine novice many years ago was that the rule of St. Benedict suggested each monk should have a reminder of their mortality in their room. Many of the monks of that day actually had a skull that they looked at! Most of us would not go that far, but if we but realized how important the choices we will make at Lent are, we would use Lent more effectively.

Many in our society are obsessed with bodily health - they are so careful about water, calories, nutrition and so on. And yet, so many focus only on this present body while neglecting their soul, which will live forever. Perhaps this is because we can't see it? But then, everyone else can see it in our actions, and so can God. What is the state of my soul before God? Do I pay enough attention to it? What can I do to improve and make healthier my spiritual self? Now is the time to thoroughly examine the choices we make daily--is this action or word for God or against God?

How is my prayer life? If I'm not talking to the Lord on a regular basis, my relationship with him will not grow. Am I a charitable person? What kind of language do I use about people I don't like? Am I a person who nurses grudges? Is there somebody in my life I need to forgive? One day I will see the Lord face-to-face, and on that day I will want him to forgive me, and he has told us that that will depend on how we forgive others.

Is something out of balance in my life? Perhaps my health is not good? But am I making a daily offering to God of my life? Our Lord knows if we are trying! There are times that all we can do is pay pennies on the dollar, but Christ accepts that offering and he will multiply it. The little sacrifices that I make now for Lent may be a beachhead to an entirely new way of life. Is there some addiction I need to get rid of? Am I spending too much time on the computer or cell phone and not enough with the Lord or my family or my church? Lord, help me not to miss my opportunities when you send them to me, especially this Lent. Amen

Father Gary

[Salvation]

1st Sunday of Lent: Jesus temptation and ours

"If you are the Son of God . . ."

Sunday readings: http://usccb.org/bible/readings/021416.cfm

To my readers, I apologize for the lack of my Sunday reflection here but after the usual time I take for study, prayer and preparation, I went to paste the reflection here in this space and accidentally deleted all the work I had done!!  If the evil one was pleased it was at that moment. But, God's grace will be sufficient here. We'll have to see how my Sunday homily turns out this week with no notes to rely on.   

You can certainly find other very good explanations for this first Sunday of Lent through other sources.  Bishop Robert Barron from his website Word on Fire: 

http://www.wordonfire.org/resources/homily/three-questions-from-the-desert/992/  

Bishop Barron offers his usual outstanding insights.  So, let us keep each other in prayer this holy season.  If I am able to recover my thoughts, I will post them here.  Peace to all. 

Grant, almighty God, 

through the yearly observances of holy Lent, 

that we may grow in understanding

 of the riches hidden in Christ

and by worthy conduct pursue their effects.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your son, 

who lives and reigns with you

in the unity of the Holy Spirit, 

one God, for ever and ever. 

(Roman Missal: Collect of Sunday)

[Salvation]

Regnum Christi

Lenten Training Camp

U. S. A. | SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

February 14, 2016 - First Sunday of Lent

Luke 4:1:13

Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days, to be tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when they were over he was hungry. The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread." Jesus answered him, "It is written, ´One does not live by bread alone.´" Then he took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a single instant. The devil said to him, "I shall give to you all this power and their glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I may give it to whomever I wish. All this will be yours, if you worship me." Jesus said to him in reply, "It is written: ´You shall worship the Lord, your God, and him alone shall you serve.´" Then he led him to Jerusalem, made him stand on the parapet of the temple, and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written: ´He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,´ and: ´With their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone.´" Jesus said to him in reply, "It also says, ´You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.´" When the devil had finished every temptation, he departed from him for a time.

Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, in this season of Lent, I want to draw closer to you. I believe that you truly became one of us to save us as an act of love beyond all human understanding. I know I can count on you to carry me through each day. I know that in all circumstances you are with me. I want to love you more than myself and say “yes” to your will in every moment. I trust totally in your grace. Thank you, Lord! This Lent, I want to learn to love you as you deserve by being the person you want me to be.

Petition: Help me, Lord, to take advantage of this Lent and draw closer to you.

1. Holiness and Temptation: Have you noticed in the gospels that the only times we see Jesus being tempted by the devil are those in which Christ was in prayer or was doing penance? It’s when he’s in prayer or fasting that he is assailed by the devil, as in today’s Gospel reading or in the Garden of Gethsemane on Holy Thursday. A similar pattern frequently appears in our lives, too. We make a decision to do something good and then promptly find it hard to do. What can we conclude from this? The fact is that when we’re mediocre, we run no risk of becoming holy and spoiling Satan’s plans. Thus, he has no concern for us. It’s when we start to strive for holiness that we will find ourselves face-to-face with temptation, because the devil begins to put all sorts of obstacles in our paths.
   

2. Detachment from Self: Lent is a time for us to renew our awareness of the suffering Jesus endured for our sake. That awareness should lead us to action. In this Lenten season the Church invites us to a greater self-sacrifice. Sacrifice helps us to be more detached from the sources of temptation that can keep us from reaping the full fruits of Christ’s redeeming work and from loving God with an undivided heart. That’s why our Lenten sacrifice should really be something that purifies our hearts and makes us more generous with others. Our sacrifice should make us less self-centered. It should make us better followers of Christ.
   

3. God as Our Point of Reference: Overcoming temptation is not an easy business. In fact, it’s impossible without God’s grace. When Jesus was tempted, he showed us what our reference point should be: God. All three times the devil tempted him in the Gospel, he answered by putting God’s word and God’s will first. In order for us to persevere in our Lenten resolutions, we must center ourselves on God and rely on his grace. That means living close to Christ in Scripture – especially the Gospels. It means staying close to him in the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist and Reconciliation.
   

Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus, help me to know myself better so that I can see what I need to do in order to live a holier life. Give me resolve, perseverance to keep up the good fight and carry through, and humility to seek your grace. Without you I can do nothing.

Resolution: I will offer my Lenten sacrifice with enthusiasm and constancy today, relying on God’s grace.

[Salvation]

Smashing Envy With Regular Giving

Dr. Mark Giszczak

February 14, 2016
First Sunday of Lent
First Reading: Deut 26:4-10
http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/021416.cfm

It is hard to bench 300 pounds if you don't regularly lift weights. It is also hard to run a marathon if you haven't been training. We generally don't do such challenging feats if we have not be preparing ourselves to perform them. But this kind of training does not only apply to athletic competitions. If we really set out to be like Jesus and to live the way he wants us to, we need some training. If we want to be ready for the "heroic moment" in which our virtue is challenged by temptation (to sleep in, to give in, to indulge), then we have to be constantly training ourselves, our wills in particular, to do what we really want to. Without consistent training and practice to confront it, the moment of temptation can overwhelm us.

An Envy-Smashing Ceremony

In this Sunday's first reading from Deuteronomy, God establishes a ceremony that confronts one of the temptations that will continually challenge the people: envy. Let's start with the basic idea of the ceremony: If you were a farmer in ancient Israel (as almost everyone was), you would come to the Temple at the time of the barley harvest, during the feast of Passover to offer "first fruits." The "first fruits" would be the very first bushel of grain that you were able to harvest from your field. The idea was that you would take that first portion and offer it to God, leaving it in the Temple with the priests, and that you wouldn't harvest the rest of your fields until that first basket had been offered.

Stating the Obvious

The ceremony, as described in our reading, involves reciting a two-part formula. First, you say to the priest:

"I declare this day to the LORD your God that I have come into the land which the LORD swore to our fathers to give us" (Deut 26:3 RSV).

This declaration acknowledges your personal participation in the covenant--that the story of Israel is your personal story, that the Lord has delivered you and that you have embraced his gift of the Promised Land. It is an acknowledgment that everything you have is a gift, since everything you have comes from the land which God has given to you. Notice the last line of the declaration, which includes the phrase "...to give us." God has given his people the gift of the Promised Land, and they annually return to the Temple to acknowledge this gift.

Retelling the Story

The second part of the formula is longer, and starts with the memorable phrase, "A wandering Aramean was my father" (Deut 26:4). This, of course, is a reference to Abraham. In the course of this formula to be recited, you would retell the story of Abraham coming to the Promised Land, the enslavement of the people in Egypt, their deliverance and exodus, and finally the entry into the Land. The point of this recital is to call God's great deeds of deliverance to mind and to place them squarely in the forefront. It is only because of his deliverance that I am able to enjoy the fruit of the land. The formula concludes with a powerful recognition of how everything in life is a gift from God:

"And behold, now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground, which thou, O LORD, hast given me" (Deut 26:10 RSV).

Essentially, we are saying to God: "Everything is yours. You have given some of it to me as a gift and now I give the gift you gave me back to you as a gift." This cycle of gift-giving displays the essence of love, a continual reciprocal giving to one another. The two-part formula is interspersed with two descriptions of the ceremony of handing the gifts over to the priest.

Training Away the Envy

The moral power of this ceremony lies in its ability to confront the problem of coveting in our hearts. We have a natural tendency to hoard, to covet, to want, to envy what others have. The Ninth and Tenth Commandments (essentially "Thou shalt not covet") confront this tendency in us with a strong rebuke. Yet we need more than a command to stop doing something that we constantly lean toward. This ceremony of offering the first fruits was designed to root out our covetousness. It forces us to acknowledge that everything we have is a gift and brings us to recite the saving deeds of the Lord, which have benefitted us. It brings us to the place where we can say to him: "You have given me everything and I give everything back to you."

Getting Into the Cycle of Giving

While you or I might not be harvesting barley or bringing baskets of grain to the Temple on the backs of donkeys, we can enter into the spirituality of giving outlined by this ceremony. We too recall God's saving deeds every time we recite the Creed. We too give gifts to God whenever we put money in the plate or offer the gifts of bread and wine to the priest at Mass. We do these things to acknowledge exactly what the ancient Israelites acknowledged: God has given us all things and so we want to give everything back to him. We want to live free from envy and coveting and embrace a life of generosity and giving. We can only do that with consistent practice, consistent will-training, consistent giving. Once we recognize the cycle of giving to God and receiving from God, we can finally let go of the green envy that can bind us in a downward spiral of selfishness. Cycles are much better than downward spirals! Guess I better start training for that 300 lb. bench press.

[Salvation]

Scripture Speaks: Into the Desert of Lent

Gayle Somers

On the first Sunday in Lent, we find ourselves in the desert with Jesus and the devil. Why must our Lenten journey begin here?

Gospel (Read Lk 4:1-13)

St. Luke tells us that after His baptism in the Jordan River, Jesus "was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days, to be tempted by the devil." We immediately sense that Jesus is on a mission. The first action of His public ministry is to retreat from the public and, in a solitary place, face God's primordial enemy. Why?

Knowledge of salvation history helps us answer this question. In the Garden of Eden, a place of sublime delight, God's enemy was allowed to tempt Adam and Eve to let their trust in God's Fatherhood die (see CCC 397). When they believed the serpent's lies rather than God, they decided to disobey Him. We know the tragic consequence of that disobedience.

When God formed a people for Himself, the Israelites, they also experienced a time of testing. After they had been liberated from slavery in Egypt and had begun their journey home to the Promised Land, they had to sojourn in the desert, where they faced shortages of food and drink, attacks by their enemies, and the temptation to return to Egypt in their hearts by practicing the idolatry they had left behind there. God was teaching His people to trust Him, no matter what. They found this hard to do! Over and over, they, too, let their trust in God's Fatherhood die. Even when they reached the Promised Land, they refused to take possession of it, fearing its inhabitants more than they feared God. This final disobedience resulted in forty years of wandering in the desert, until the hard-hearted generation got what they wanted--they died before they could ever step foot in Canaan.

Once we understand this history, Jesus' mission in the desert to face the devil takes on greater meaning. First, He was willing to fast for forty days and nights. Adam and Eve fell for a tantalizing piece of fruit; the Israelites accused Moses of trying to kill them by starvation; Jesus willingly denied Himself food, giving the enemy no foothold. When the devil urged Him to "command this stone to become bread," he knew that in the Sinai wilderness, God told Moses to speak to a rock and make it produce water (see Num 20:8). The subtle suggestion was, "Moses did it. So can You." Jesus, however, knew the reason why God allowed His people to experience thirst and hunger. Quoting Scripture, He said, "One does not live on bread alone." Trust in God keeps a man alive.

The devil tried another approach. Knowing that the Israelites always wanted to substitute a visible god for the invisible One, he tempted Jesus with visible earthly "power and glory" if He exchanged the worship of God for the worship of a lie. Jesus knew the reason why God prohibited idolatry, quoting the exact words of Scripture: "You shall worship the Lord, your God, and Him alone shall you serve." Worshipping a lie cannot produce life.

Finally, the devil struck at the core of what can rock a man's trust in God: "... throw Yourself down from [the parapet of the temple]." In a truly diabolical twist, the devil himself quoted Scripture: "He will command His angels...to guard You." In other words, "Make God show up. Surely He would never let You suffer." Adam and Eve did not want to suffer the loss of what the forbidden fruit might do for them. The Israelites did not want to suffer the cost of trusting in a God they couldn't see. The devil played on man's conviction that suffering can't be part of God's plan for him.

Jesus' answer silenced the devil, again using the words of Scripture: "You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test." Jesus knew that man cannot use suffering to force God's hand; it cannot become an excuse to let trust in God's Fatherhood die.

Now we know why the Spirit led Jesus into the desert. In this solitary, haunted place, He faced down the attacks from God's enemy to which all other human beings had succumbed. In His own Person, He undid our mournful history. Something new was now beginning in the story of man. It was only the beginning, however. The devil "departed from him for a time." Lent will keep us focused on the drama to follow.

Possible response: Lord Jesus, how thankful I am that You were willing to tangle with and defeat the devil on my behalf.

First Reading (Read Deut 26:4-10

Just before the Israelites were finally to enter the Promised Land after their forty years of wandering, Moses gave them many instructions about keeping their covenant with God. One thing he feared was that once the people had taken possession of a "land flowing with milk and honey," a land they themselves had not cultivated, they would forget the God Who had delivered them and made their new life possible (see Deut 6:10-12). So, Moses instituted a "firstfruits" offering. This required the people to make a confession of faith before the altar. They were to review their history and acknowledge their utter dependence on God. Their words were to be accompanied by action, of course. They were to give back to the Lord the first "products of the soil, which they announced as having really come from Him. Then, they were to express their humility and gratitude by bowing "down in His presence."

We see here, 1500 years before the birth of Jesus, the call to trust that has always been the bedrock of man's relationship with God. Israel's worship was meant to anchor them in humility and dependence on God, just as ours is. We also make offerings at Mass: our money, the goods of our life on earth (the bread and wine), and ourselves. Our worship is meant to enable us to withstand the devil's temptations, because now we face them in Jesus.

If we have lost this perspective, if our proportions are all wrong, if have succumbed to the lies of our enemy, Lent is the time to shake off the old and put on the new. If we have forgotten the God Who saves us, Lent is a time for remembering.

Possible response: Heavenly Father, help me hear the call to self-examination and renewal of trust in You this Lent.

Psalm (Read Ps 91:1-2, 10-15)

Here is the psalm the devil partially quoted to Jesus as he tempted Him in the desert. It is, indeed, a song of God's promise to protect with angelic help those who love Him. However, the devil didn't quote the confession of faith with which the psalm begins: "...say to the Lord, 'My refuge and fortress, my God in whom I trust.'" The psalm promises help for those who call upon God, who "cling" to Him, who "acknowledge His Name." First comes trust in God's Fatherhood, then comes His deliverance. It cannot be the other way around ("deliver me, Lord, then I will trust in You"), which is what the devil urged on Jesus. When we have this right, we can sing with the psalmist, "Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble."

Possible response: The psalm is, itself, a response to our other readings. Read it again prayerfully to make it your own.

Second Reading (Read Rom 10:8-13)

In his epistle to the Romans, St. Paul emphasizes that salvation is available to all who call upon the Name of the Lord, Jew and Gentile alike. What does it mean to "call upon the Name of the Lord"? St. Paul says it means to believe with the heart that God raised Jesus from the dead (He is the Divine Son of God) and to "confess with [the] mouth that Jesus is Lord" (we owe Him our lives). There is a visible and an invisible element in the faith that saves. In other words, we live what we believe, just as Moses taught the people to do in the offering of the firstfruits and just as Jesus did in the temptation in the desert.

To live what we believe--Lent now gives us an opportunity to check ourselves. Is our faith both visible and invisible?

Possible response: Lord Jesus, I need Your grace this Lent to truly live what I believe.

[Salvation]

One Bread, One Body

One Bread, One Body

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All Issues > Volume 32, Issue 2

<< Sunday, February 14, 2016 >>

First Sunday of Lent

Deuteronomy 26:4-10
Romans 10:8-13
View Readings

Psalm 91:1-2, 10-15
Luke 4:1-13
Similar Reflections

NOT NEGOTIABLE

Jesus "was tempted by the devil." —Luke 4:2

Notice how Jesus dispatches the devil and his temptations:

• Jesus never engages Satan in dialogue. He does not allow evil to converse with Him. Three times, He simply speaks the truth and ends the conversation.
• Jesus uses Scripture to defeat each temptation.
• Jesus was "full of the Holy Spirit" (Lk 4:1). The Holy Spirit fights against the evil spirit (Gal 5:17).
• Jesus was engaged in prayer and fasting (Lk 4:2), which overcome the devil (Mt 17:21, NAB).
• Jesus understood that He was God's beloved Son (Lk 3:22). He knew His Father would provide all His needs.

The devil "is a liar and is the father of lies" (Jn 8:44). When he tempts us, he makes promises which he has no intention of keeping (see Lk 4:6). His promises are lies. Giving into temptation will not make things easier or more pleasurable for us, because Satan does not bring pleasure but rather destruction and guilt. The tragic mistake of Adam and Eve was to engage the devil in conversation. They listened to his deceptions, then considered them, then tragically embraced them (Gn 3:1ff).

The only answer to the evil one and his temptations is that of Jesus: "Get behind Me, Satan" (Mt 16:23, JB). We immediately rebuke temptation and listen only to God. Therefore, abide in God's Word (Jn 8:31), treasure it (Lk 2:19), and keep it in your heart to defeat temptation (Ps 119:11).

Prayer: Father, fill me with the Holy Spirit. May I hunger and thirst only for You.

Promise: "If you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." —Rm 10:9

Praise: Praise You, risen Lord Jesus, for conquering sin, death, and the kingdom of darkness.

[Salvation]

Mother Teresa of Calcutta once said: "It is a poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish."

The greatest challenge facing the western world is not violence from without, but the tragic decision to take a life within.