Catholic Caucus: Sunday Mass Readings, 02-17-13, First Sunday of Lent

USCCB.org/RNAB ^ | 02-17-13 | Revised New American Biblel

[Salvation]

February 17, 2013

 

First Sunday of Lent

 

Reading 1 Dt 26:4-10

Moses spoke to the people, saying:
“The priest shall receive the basket from you
and shall set it in front of the altar of the LORD, your God.
Then you shall declare before the Lord, your God,
‘My father was a wandering Aramean
who went down to Egypt with a small household
and lived there as an alien.
But there he became a nation
great, strong, and numerous.
When the Egyptians maltreated and oppressed us,
imposing hard labor upon us,
we cried to the LORD, the God of our fathers,
and he heard our cry
and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression.
He brought us out of Egypt
with his strong hand and outstretched arm,
with terrifying power, with signs and wonders;
and bringing us into this country,
he gave us this land flowing with milk and honey.
Therefore, I have now brought you the firstfruits
of the products of the soil
which you, O LORD, have given me.’
And having set them before the Lord, your God,
you shall bow down in his presence.”

Responsorial Psalm Ps 91:1-2, 10-11, 12-13, 14-15

R. (cf. 15b) Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.
You who dwell in the shelter of the Most High,
who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,
say to the LORD, “My refuge and fortress,
my God in whom I trust.”
R. Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.
No evil shall befall you,
nor shall affliction come near your tent,
For to his angels he has given command about you,
that they guard you in all your ways.
R. Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.
Upon their hands they shall bear you up,
lest you dash your foot against a stone.
You shall tread upon the asp and the viper;
you shall trample down the lion and the dragon.
R. Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.
Because he clings to me, I will deliver him;
I will set him on high because he acknowledges my name.
He shall call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in distress;
I will deliver him and glorify him.
R. Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.

Reading 2 Rom 10:8-13

Brothers and sisters:
What does Scripture say?
The word is near you,
in your mouth and in your heart
—that is, the word of faith that we preach—,
for, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord
and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,
you will be saved.
For one believes with the heart and so is justified,
and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.
For the Scripture says,
No one who believes in him will be put to shame.
For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek;
the same Lord is Lord of all,
enriching all who call upon him.
For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Gospel Lk 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 on 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 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.

[Salvation]

Sunday Scripture Study

First Sunday of Lent - Cycle C

February 17, 2013

Click here for USCCB readings

Opening Prayer  

First Reading: Deuteronomy 26:4-10

Psalm: 91:1-2,10-15

Second Reading: Romans 10:8-13

Gospel Reading: Luke 4:1-13

• 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 3:21 and following).

• 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? How are they different?

• What does it mean to you that all the power and glory of the kingdoms of the world have been given to Satan (verses 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?

• In the First Reading, on the verge of their entry into the Promised Land, Moses reminds the Israelites of all that God has done for them to bring them to this point. How are they to show their gratitude to God once they have taken possession of the land? How do you show gratitude to the Lord for all the good he has done for you? How do you “give to God what belongs to God” (Matthew 21:22)?

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

 

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

[Salvation]

Remembering Pope Benedict XVI

Pastor’s Column

1^st Sunday of Lent

February 17, 2013

 

 

          Having spent this past week recovering from the worst case of flu I have ever had, I was still flabbergasted to hear this morning that Pope Benedict is resigning! Well, by the time this column appears this will be old news, but I have done a bit of reflecting in the meantime.

 

          We meet the Catholic Church at three levels: the global church, symbolized by the Pope; the local church, symbolized by our bishop; and our parish church, symbolized perhaps best by our church building, and all three of these will be changing in 2013! So we at Saint Ed’s have entered into a place of transition and opportunity.

 

          I want to share with you again some of my best memories of Pope Benedict XVI, which are encapsulated by a picture I took in Saint Peter’s Square of the Pope amid 10,000 priests in June 2010: 

 

 

          As you may remember, the diocese sent me and another priest, Fr. Peter Smith, to represent our diocese at the closing ceremonies of the Year of the Priest at the Vatican in June of 2010. Because there were over 10,000 priests in attendance, the largest concelebrated Mass in the history of the Catholic Church, the Mass was held outside in Saint Peter’s Square rather than in Saint Peter’s itself. Prior to the actual Mass, the Pope made his rounds through the vast crowd of priests slowly in his “Pope-Mobile”…..very slowly. And he went through every aisle twice, so that as many of us as possible could connect with him. I noticed he was making eye contact with us.

 

          I took this picture myself the second time the Pope passed by. I thought to myself, “here is an (at that time) 82 year old man, one who never sought to be Pope and would have preferred another choice, who has risen to the occasion and has sought to renew the church by striving to renew her priests.   This is true for us as well: whatever we are asked to do in life, all that God asks of us is that we try our best! It is up to God to make fruitful our humble efforts.

 

          We at Saint Ed’s have begun the physical transition to an exciting new building. The fences are up! And, on April 2, we will be installing a new archbishop for our diocese, Archbishop Alexander King Sample.  Perhaps by April we will have a new Pope as well. But the church continues, not only because Jesus is really present in the Eucharist, not only because he remains eternally in his Word, but also because he remains in you, the people of Saint Edward, as we journey together through these interesting times.

 

   

 

         

 

          This final picture was taken after the conclusion of the Papal Mass. Though the Pope, Bishop, Pastor or Church Building may change, Jesus remains forever in our hearts. He remains with us forever!

                                                                                       Father Gary

[Salvation]

St. Paul Center Blog

Forty Days: Scott Hahn reflects on the 1st Sunday in Lent

Posted by Dr. Scott Hahn on 02.15.13 |

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

In today’s epic Gospel scene, Jesus relives in His flesh the history of Israel.

We’ve already seen that like Israel, Jesus has passed through water, been called God’s beloved Son (see Luke 3:22; Exodus 4:22). Now, as Israel was tested for forty years in the wilderness, Jesus is led into the desert to be tested for forty days and nights (see Exodus 15:25).

He faces the temptations put to Israel: Hungry, He’s tempted to grumble against God for food (see Exodus 16:1-13). As Israel quarreled at Massah, He’s tempted to doubt God’s care (see Exodus 17:1-6). When the Devil asks His homage, He’s tempted to do what Israel did in creating the golden calf (see Exodus 32).

Jesus fights the Devil with the Word of God, three times quoting from Moses’ lecture about the lessons Israel was supposed to learn from its wilderness wanderings (see Deuteronomy 8:3; 6:16; 6:12-15).

Why do we read this story on the first Sunday of Lent? Because like the biblical sign of forty (see Genesis 7:12; Exodus 24:18; 34:28; 1 Kings 19:8; Jonah 3:4), the forty days of Lent are a time of trial and purification.

Lent is to teach us what we hear over and over in today’s readings. “Call upon me, and I will answer,” the Lord promises in today’s Psalm. Paul promises the same thing in today’s Epistle (quoting Deuteronomy 30:14; Isaiah 28:16; Joel 2:32).

This was Israel’s experience, as Moses reminds his people in today’s First Reading: “We cried to the Lord…and He heard.” But each of us is tempted, as Israel was, to forget the great deeds He works in our lives, to neglect our birthright as His beloved sons and daughters.

Like the litany of remembrance Moses prescribes for Israel, we should see in the Mass a memorial of our salvation, and “bow down in His presence,” offering ourselves in thanksgiving for all He has given us.

[Salvation]

 

Jesus begins his Lent

". . . and when they were over he was hungry."

 

 

1st Sunday of Lent. The Word: http://usccb.org/bible/readings/021713.cfm

 

Deut 26: 4- 10, Rm 10: 8-13, Lk 4: 1-13

By abstaining forty long days from earthly food,

he consecrated through his fast

the pattern of our Lenten observance

and, by overturning all the snares of the ancient serpent,

taught us to cast out the leaven of malice,

so that, celebrating worthily the Paschal Mystery,

we might pass over at last to the eternal paschal feast.

 

(Preface for 1st Sunday of Lent)

The desert experience is a familiar one in the scriptures.  In fact, it seems to also be a familiar one to many parishioners this time of year!  Once the leaves start to turn, the daylight shortens, the clouds open and the rain drops fall with a decidedly colder temperature, I often hear – “Well, Father, see you at Easter” and the caravan down south begins.  For all those who head down to Arizona and California the desert experience of Jesus in today’s Gospel, always a favorite as we begin our Lenten season, is a little more than a get-away time for R and R.

The Gospel of Luke may also be titled the Gospel of the Holy Spirit.  As he begins his public ministry, Luke makes the point of telling us that Jesus’ mission was not something of his own.  Rather as we hear today, “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 . . .” (Lk 4: 1). Luke reminds us that the entire ministry of Jesus upon earth was of divine origin; that it was the united work of the Trinity in the cause of our salvation and it is that same Spirit which compels us.

Salvation is a familiar word in our Christian life.  Our first reading from Deuteronomy tells the sweeping story of God’s work among his enslaved people: the Egyptians, the Hebrews as captive slaves, the liberating response of God to their prayers, the call of Moses to lead the people with the “strong hand and outstretched arm” of God through the desert into a land of plenty.  It is a time to give thanks, Moses reminds the people, for God has saved them.

In a more personal way, we now see in Jesus’ desert experience the continued work of God with a new Moses.  Jesus is the One who doesn’t speak on the authority of another as a spokesman but rather one who is that authority himself; it Jesus himself who will become our salvation. But in his humanity we see the overwhelming self-sacrifice on our behalf – one like us who is given for us.

St. Luke in this familiar temptation story of Jesus unfolds a mysterious encounter with the evil one.  Jesus, alone in the desert after his baptism and led there by the Spirit of God now encounters another spirit with opposite intentions.  The grand deceiver, the father of darkness, the embodiment of all that is not of God, approaches Jesus at a time most vulnerable. 

Luke tells us that Jesus was “hungry” after more than a month of fasting and prayer.  It would be an easy line to dismiss – of course he was! But it seems to be Luke’s way of reminding us that this was the human Jesus who was tempted.  That in his humanity, in his hunger, he identified with all of humanity in our weakness and sin. Though Jesus confronted the evil one in the solitude of the desert it was for the collective interest of our salvation that he embraced his mission in the resistance of temptations familiar to us.

The devil appeals to the lowest need that Jesus, and all humankind feels - that of physical hunger.  When he fails in that attempt, Satan’s temptations increase in appeal – the hunger for power and prestige: “I shall give you all this power and glory . . .” When that fails, he dares to confront Jesus in a blatant defiance of God: “. . . throw yourself down from here!” In the end, all three temptations are about self as the center rather than the call to mission on behalf of the other.  “Jesus, abandon your mission and enjoy the comfort of earthly power and influence!” Think of the “me” and forget about the “you.” We may all hear a familiar ring in this temptation sequence about our own struggle to carry out our baptismal mission in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Temptation is both subtle and sometimes overt but in the end it seems to carry a consistent theme: to put the me before the you. We are often tempted think of our own self-interests before we think of the other.  So it was for Jesus in the desert and so it is for us today. How many multiple applications can we all find in this area?

In our present culture with its strong emphasis on the individual the greatest temptation, it seems to me, is that of self-promotion. While finding one’s way and making our mark in the world is not necessarily a wrong direction, the temptation is to do so without regard for others - To sacrifice principle for popularity or morality for convenience. To insist on “my way” or “my rights” or to justify “my lifestyle” as long as I don’t hurt anyone. To sacrifice the common good of all for the sake of personal interests and desires.

As we journey through this Lenten desert time it is for us a challenge to confront our own humanity. Is my mission a series of self-promoting insistence on my own way with things? Have there been moments when I’ve sacrificed the common good of others for the sake of my personal needs?

The ancient Jewish people, and the same today, see themselves with a collective vision and the individual is a part of the whole.  As the chosen people, our “elder brothers” as the late Pope John Paul II referred to them, might their collective identity be a lesson for us?

We are the People of God with a vision of Christianity that is broad and inclusive.  As Catholics we see ourselves as members of this vast and inclusive family. Can I see myself as a supportive, humble, servant or as one whose own opinion about things demands constant attention about the way things should be?

In this desert Lent, it is the Lord Jesus who leads us as the new Moses but greater than Moses for in Christ Jesus we find our collective identity called away from the temptations of “me” and sent on mission in Jesus’ name for the sake of the other. 

Here at Word and Sacrament we gather as that people on this common journey to be fed by Christ himself.

 

Fr. Tim

[Salvation]

Insight Scoop

The Temptation reveals three important things

A Scriptural Reflection on the Readings for Sunday, February 17, 2013, the First Sunday of Lent | Carl E. Olson

Readings:
• Dt 26:4-10
• Ps 91:1-2, 10-11, 12-13, 14-15
• Rom 10:8-13
• Lk 4:1-13

“The whole story of the Temptation is misconceived,” wrote Monsignor Ronald Knox, “if we do not recognize that it was an attempt made by Satan to find out whether our Lord was the Son of God or not.” In so writing, he echoed many of the Church Fathers, who pondered the question of what Satan knew and what he wished to accomplish in tempting Jesus in the desert. St. Ephrem the Syrian wrote, “He tempted Jesus because a definite sign of Christ’s divinity had not yet been given from heaven.” Yes, Ephrem noted, Satan was aware of Jesus’ baptism, but thought the true identity of Jesus couldn’t be known until he was tested in spiritual combat, through temptation.

It is a point worth contemplating on this first Sunday of Lent for three reasons: temptation reveals the nature of our enemy, it reveals the reality of our situation, and it reveals the identity of the sons and daughters of God.

The enemy has many names, including Beelzebul, the evil one, the ruler of the demons and of this world, the serpent, and the tempter. He is not a metaphor or a myth, but a real creature, a fallen angel. Pope Paul VI, in an audience titled, “Confronting the Devil’s power” (Nov. 15, 1972), said that refusing to acknowledge the devil’s existence or to explain him away as “a pseudo-reality, a conceptual, fanciful personification of the unknown causes of our misfortunes” is a complete rejection of Scripture and Church teaching. Ironically, the refusal of so many—including not a few Catholics—to admit the true identity of the devil is itself a dark triumph for the great deceiver.

The name “the devil,” comes from the Greek word diabolos (Latin, diabolus), which means “slanderer” or “accuser.” He seeks to accuse and slander each of us before God in his relentless desire to destroy souls. In doing so he has a certain advantage, namely, that on our own merits we have no real defense against his accusations. The reality of our situation is stark: we are sinners who often give into temptation and, in doing so, make ourselves subjects of the ruler of this world.

This fact is part and parcel of Jesus’ forty days in the desert. His time there was a purposeful re-enactment of the forty years the Israelites spent wandering in the desert. But whereas the Israelites failed, repeatedly, to obey, trust, and worship God, Jesus overcame the devil’s attempts to have him disobey, distrust, and deny God. “At the heart of the temptations,” notes Pope Benedict XVI in Jesus of Nazareth, “as we see here, is the act of pushing God aside because we perceive him as secondary, if not actually superfluous and annoying, in comparison with all the apparently far more urgent matters that fill our lives.”

We are rarely tempted to flatly deny the existence of God or to publicly curse him. Rather, we are tempted to gradually replace God, the highest good, with lesser goods: food, comfort, safety, possessions, and position. People rarely go from Christian to atheist in a matter of days or weeks. As Benedict points out, the devil is just as pleased when we demand that God caters to our wishes as he is when we reject God altogether. They are, in the end, not so different, especially when it comes to destroying the life of grace. 

“But,” some protest, “Jesus had an advantage: he is God!” Yet all who are baptized into Christ have put on Christ (cf. Rom 6). We are children of God because, by the work of Jesus, we are filled with the Holy Spirit. Today’s epistle states what is required in the face of temptation and trials: confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead.

In facing the enemy and rejecting temptation, Jesus revealed himself. Lent is our opportunity to do the same, in the name and power of the Lord.

(This "Opening the Word" column originally appeared in the February 21, 2010, edition of Our Sunday Visitor newspaper.)

[Salvation]

Regnum Christi

Lenten Training Camp

| SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

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 t he 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]

Why is Lent Forty Days?

Why Is Lent Forty Days?

by Marcellino D'Ambrosio, Ph.D. on February 15, 2013 ·  

In the English language, the special season before Easter is called “Lent.”  The word comes from the “lengthening” of daylight hours as we progress from the darkness of winter to the new light of spring.  But other languages, such as Spanish, have a name for this season that is derived from the word for forty.  It is the season of the forty days.

OK, we do penance for forty days because Jesus fasted forty days in the wilderness.  But did you ever wonder why he was out there for forty days rather than seven or ten or fifty?

Think back to the Old Testament.  Noah and company were in the Ark for 40 days.  Moses was up on Sinai receiving the 10 commandments for 40 days.   The Israelites wandered around the desert for 40 years.

So why all these forties?  Probably because it is forty weeks that a woman carries her developing baby in the womb before a new birth can take place.

All these “forties” are a necessary and not-so-comfortable prelude for something new.  In Noah’s case, it’s the rebirth of a sinful world that had been cleansed by raging flood waters.  In Moses’ case, it was the birth of the people of the covenant.  For the nomadic Israelites, it was the start of a new, settled existence in the Promised Land.

And Jesus?  What did his forty days mean?  The birth of a new Israel liberated from sin, reconciled to God, and governed by the law of the Spirit rather than a law chiseled in stone.

But think back to the story of Moses and the Israelites.  There was someone who did not want them to go out into the desert to offer sacrifice to their God.  Pharaoh did not take the loss of his cheap labor lying down.  When Jesus begins his mission of liberation, there is another slave master who is no more willing than Pharaoh to let his minions go without a fight.

Since the sixties, it has been fashionable in some quarters to dismiss the devil as a relic of ancient mythology or an invention of medieval fantasy.  The guy with the pointy tail and the pitchfork comes in handy in cartoons and costume parties, but how can we take such an image seriously?  In the Bible, they say, let’s read “Satan” merely as a symbol of human evil.

Such a view is clearly at odds with Scripture, Tradition, and the constant teaching of the Magisterium.  Our battle is not against flesh and blood, says St. Paul.  If you don’t know your enemy and his tactics, you are bound to lose.

The temptation of Jesus in the desert shows us the tactics of the “Dark Lord.”  Bread, a symbol for all that sustains our physical life, is a great blessing.  But Satan tries to make material things the ultimate, distracting us from a deeper hunger and a more satisfying food.  Political power and all leadership is intended by God for the sake of serving the common good; Satan twists things to make leaders self-seeking, oppressive tyrants like himself.  The lust for power and fame ironically leads not to dominion but to slavery to the Dark Lord (remember what happened to the Nazgûl in the Lord of the Rings!).  Then there’s religious temptation, the trickiest of them all– Manipulating God for our own glory, using his gifts to make people look at us rather than at Him.  Sounds a lot like the Pharisees.

Jesus triumphs in this first wrestling match.  He shows us how to keep from being pinned.  Fasting breaks undue attachments to material blessings and stimulates our spiritual appetite.   Humble service breaks the stranglehold of pride.  The reverent worship of authentic faith breaks the full nelson of superstition, magic, and all arrogant religion.  And the word of God is shown as the sword of the Spirit, the secret weapon that slashes through the lies of the enemy.

So our forty days?  Time to use the tactics modeled by our captain and break the strongholds. Prayer, fasting, humble service fueled by the heavenly bread of the Eucharist and Scripture.  If we make use of them diligently during this season, pregnant with possibilities, we can enter into greater freedom.  Darkness can give way to increasing light.  Something new and wonderful can be born in us.

[Salvation]

One Bread, One Body

One Bread, One Body

 

<< Sunday, February 17, 2013 >>

First Sunday of Lent

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

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

LENT IN THE SPIRIT

"Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, then returned from the Jordan and was conducted by the Spirit into the desert for forty days." —Luke 4:1-2

 

Lent is imitating Jesus' forty days in the desert. Jesus began His "Lent" filled with and led by the Holy Spirit. He also came out of the Lenten desert "in the power of the Spirit" (Lk 4:14). The Holy Spirit directed Jesus every step of the way through the "first Lent."

Are we letting the Spirit direct us this Lent? Are we fasting, praying, giving alms, and evangelizing in the Spirit? The Spirit will call us to do things this Lent we'd never thought of before. If these things seem impossible, the Spirit will help us in our weakness (Rm 8:26). By the Spirit, we will be able to fast in some way for each of the forty days of Lent. By praying in the Spirit, we will pray this Lent on a new level, with greater perseverance and depth. With the faith and love of the Spirit, we will give alms so much that we will have to make sacrifices and simplify our lives. Finally, this Lent, we will not only resist temptations but also make a frontal attack on the gates of hell (Mt 16:18-19), as we win the world for Christ through Spirit-filled evangelization.

A Spirit-led Lent is different from the Lents to which many of us have been accustomed. A Spirit-filled Lent is like Jesus' Lent. Let us follow in His footsteps.

 

Prayer: Jesus, may this Lent be like the first one.

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 Jesus, eternal, risen, victorious High Priest, tempted and sinless! (Heb 4:15)

[Salvation]

Prayer for Life

 

Dearest Lady of Guadalupe, fruitful Mother of Holiness, teach me your ways of gentleness and strength.  Hear my prayer, offered with deep-felt confidence to beg this favor...

O Mary, conceived without sin, I come to your throne of grace to share the fervent devotion of your faithful Mexican children who call to thee under the glorious Aztec title of "Guadalupe"--the Virgin who crushed the serpent.

Queen of Martyrs, whose Immaculate Heart was pierced by seven swords of grief, help me to walk valiantly amid the sharp thorns strewn across my pathway.  Invoke the Holy Spirit of Wisdom to fortify my will to frequent the Sacraments so that, thus enlightened and strengthened, I may prefer God to all creatures and shun every occasion of sin.

Help me, as a living branch of the vine that is Jesus Christ, to exemplify His Divine charity always seeking the good of others. Queen of Apostles, aid me to win souls for the Sacred Heart of my Savior.  Keep my apostolate fearless, dynamic and articulate, to proclaim the loving solicitude of Our Father in Heaven so that the wayward may heed His pleading and obtain pardon, through the merits of your merciful Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.