First Sunday of Lent
Lectionary: 24
Lectionary: 24
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."
"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
PsalmPS 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.
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 2ROM 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."
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."
Verse Before
The GospelMT 4:4B
One does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.
but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.
GospelLK 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.
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.
Meditation: Jesus
fasted forty days and was tempted by the devil
Are
you ready to follow the Lord Jesus wherever he wishes to lead you? After Jesus'
was baptized by John the Baptist at the River Jordan, he withdrew into the
wilderness of Judea - a vast and mostly uninhabitable wilderness full of
danger. Danger from scorching heat by day and extreme cold at night, danger
from wild animals and scorpions, plus the deprivation of food and the scarcity
of water.
Why
did the Holy Spirit lead Jesus into such a lonely place - right after Jesus was
anointed and confirmed by the Father for his mission as Messiah and Savior?
Jesus was following the pattern which God had set for Moses and
for Elijah -
both were led on a forty day journey of prayer and fasting to meet with God on
his holy mountain (Exodus 24:18 and 1 Kings 19:8). God tested Moses and
Elijah to prepare them for a prophetic mission – to speak God's word (Exodus
33:11; Deuteronomy 18:15; 34:10) and to lead God's people into the way of
holiness and righteousness, a way marked by love of God and love of neighbor.
While Moses and Elijah each prayed and fasted in the desert wilderness of
Sinai, God fed them with his life-giving word. Their time of solitude with God
enabled them to be renewed in faith, hope, and love for the call God had given
them. Jesus likewise went into the wilderness to prepare himself for the
mission entrusted to him by spending forty days and nights in solitude and
prayer to his Father in heaven.
Jesus
tempted by the devil
Luke tells us that at the end of Jesus' forty days in the wilderness one visitor came out to tempt him. Luke describes this tempter as the devil (Luke 4:1), who is also called the father of lies(John 8:44), Satan (Luke 10:18), and the spiritual ruler and god of this world (John 12:31; 2 Corinthians 4:4). He is the same deceiver who tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden of Paradise (Genesis 3). Why did Satan tempt Jesus at the end of his lengthy period of fasting? Satan knew that Jesus was embarking on an important spiritual mission for the kingdom of God. Perhaps Satan saw an opportunity to strike while Jesus appeared more vulnerable in his physically and emotionally weakened condition due to his prolonged fasting and inner struggle over his particular call and mission. Satan undoubtedly thought he could persuade Jesus to choose his own path rather than the path his Father had chosen – a path that required self-renunciation, humility, and obedience to his Father's will. Jesus had to struggle with temptation, especially the temptation to choose his own way and to push aside the way his Father wanted him to go. This is the fundamental temptation which confronts each one of us as well. My way or God's way, my will or God's will.
Luke tells us that at the end of Jesus' forty days in the wilderness one visitor came out to tempt him. Luke describes this tempter as the devil (Luke 4:1), who is also called the father of lies(John 8:44), Satan (Luke 10:18), and the spiritual ruler and god of this world (John 12:31; 2 Corinthians 4:4). He is the same deceiver who tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden of Paradise (Genesis 3). Why did Satan tempt Jesus at the end of his lengthy period of fasting? Satan knew that Jesus was embarking on an important spiritual mission for the kingdom of God. Perhaps Satan saw an opportunity to strike while Jesus appeared more vulnerable in his physically and emotionally weakened condition due to his prolonged fasting and inner struggle over his particular call and mission. Satan undoubtedly thought he could persuade Jesus to choose his own path rather than the path his Father had chosen – a path that required self-renunciation, humility, and obedience to his Father's will. Jesus had to struggle with temptation, especially the temptation to choose his own way and to push aside the way his Father wanted him to go. This is the fundamental temptation which confronts each one of us as well. My way or God's way, my will or God's will.
Satan's
first temptation appealed to Jesus' physical desires and hunger. Jesus was very
hungry and physically weak at the same time - he hadn't eaten anything for
forty days. Did the Spirit lead him into the wilderness to die? When the people
of Israel were led into the wilderness for forty years without any natural
source of food, they complained to Moses that he was punishing them with
starvation – a very painful way to suffer and die. Moses took the matter to God
in prayer. And God intervened by sending them manna – bread from heaven – for
their daily provision. Should not Jesus do the same to revive his weakened
condition?
Satan
tried to get Jesus to turn stones into bread, both to prove his supernatural
power over nature and to satisfy his own personal hunger. Jesus knew that he
had been anointed with extraordinary power for performing great signs and
wonders, just as Moses and Elijah had performed great signs and miracles in the
name of God. But Jesus had chosen to fast from food and to pray for a lengthy
period in order to prepare himself for the mission his Father was entrusting to
him. Jesus wanted to do his Father's will, even though it might cost him great
sacrifice, suffering, and even the loss of his own life. He hungered for his
Father's word and made his life dependent on what the Father wanted him to do,
rather than what he might have preferred for himself. Jesus chose to use his
power and gifts to serve his Father rather than to serve himself. Jesus defeated
Satan's snare with the words of Scripture from the Book of Deuteronomy in which
Moses warned the people of Israel to never forget God nor his word: "Man
does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of
God" (Deuteronomy 8:3; Matthew 4:4).
Jesus'
second temptation
Satan tempted Jesus a second time by presenting him with the best the world could offer - great riches, privileges, glory and fame, and the power to rule over all the kingdoms of the world - Jesus could claim title and possession to everything he desired. Jesus quickly saw through the trap of placing the world's glory, wealth, and power above the honor, glory, and service that is due to God alone. Jesus saw how easily one's heart can be swayed and even overpowered by what it most treasures. The heart cannot serve two masters - only one will prevail. Allowing fame, glory, and wealth to master one's heart is a form of idolatry - the worship of false gods. Jesus chose to honor his Father and to serve his Father's kingdom above all else. He chose to make his Father's will alone as his personal treasure and delight. Jesus again defeated Satan with the words of Scripture which Moses wrote in the Book of Deuteronomy: "It is written, `You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve'" (Deuteronomy 6:13).
Satan tempted Jesus a second time by presenting him with the best the world could offer - great riches, privileges, glory and fame, and the power to rule over all the kingdoms of the world - Jesus could claim title and possession to everything he desired. Jesus quickly saw through the trap of placing the world's glory, wealth, and power above the honor, glory, and service that is due to God alone. Jesus saw how easily one's heart can be swayed and even overpowered by what it most treasures. The heart cannot serve two masters - only one will prevail. Allowing fame, glory, and wealth to master one's heart is a form of idolatry - the worship of false gods. Jesus chose to honor his Father and to serve his Father's kingdom above all else. He chose to make his Father's will alone as his personal treasure and delight. Jesus again defeated Satan with the words of Scripture which Moses wrote in the Book of Deuteronomy: "It is written, `You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve'" (Deuteronomy 6:13).
Jesus'
third temptation
Satan's last temptation was to convince Jesus that he should position himself at the pinnacle of the temple in Jerusalem, the holiest place on earth where God dwelt in a special way with his people, and there perform a spectacular sign that would prove beyond a doubt that he was the Messiah, God's anointed Son. Why would this be a real temptation for Jesus? It might be helpful to note that the devil is a Bible expert! He accurately quotes from Psalm 91:11-12, "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." This psalm is connected with the temple which was regarded as a place of refuge and protection for those who put their trust in God and his dwelling place. The devil wanted Jesus to perform a death-defying sign by throwing himself off the tallest point of the temple to prove that he was who he claimed to be, the divinely appointed Messiah and Son of God. The temple pinnacle which Satan was referring to was very likely the highest structural corner in the construction of Herod's great temple. This high corner of the temple served as the "king's porch" on the edge of a precipice which dropped some 700 feet into the valley below.
Satan's last temptation was to convince Jesus that he should position himself at the pinnacle of the temple in Jerusalem, the holiest place on earth where God dwelt in a special way with his people, and there perform a spectacular sign that would prove beyond a doubt that he was the Messiah, God's anointed Son. Why would this be a real temptation for Jesus? It might be helpful to note that the devil is a Bible expert! He accurately quotes from Psalm 91:11-12, "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." This psalm is connected with the temple which was regarded as a place of refuge and protection for those who put their trust in God and his dwelling place. The devil wanted Jesus to perform a death-defying sign by throwing himself off the tallest point of the temple to prove that he was who he claimed to be, the divinely appointed Messiah and Son of God. The temple pinnacle which Satan was referring to was very likely the highest structural corner in the construction of Herod's great temple. This high corner of the temple served as the "king's porch" on the edge of a precipice which dropped some 700 feet into the valley below.
Jesus
refused to perform any sign that might put God to the test. When the people of
Israel almost died of thirst in the wilderness, they rebelled against Moses and
they put God to the test by saying, "Is the Lord among us or not?"
(Exodus 17:7). Jesus refused Satan's test to prove his divine claim as the
Messiah. Jesus quoted once again from the words of Scripture in the Book of
Deuteronomy: "It is said, `You shall not put the Lord your God to the
test'"(Deuteronomy 6:16). Jesus knew that he would first have to cleanse
the temple (John 2:13-22; Luke 19:45-46) and then offer his body as the atoning
sacrifice for the sin of the world (John 1:29; Hebrews 10:5-14). Only after he
would be lifted up on the cross and be raised from the tomb on the third day,
would people recognize that the Father had sent his Son into the world, not to
condemn the world, but to save it (John 3:17).
Spiritual
preparation in the forty days of lent
What lesson can we learn from Jesus' temptation in the wilderness? How can we hope to fight temptation and overcome sin in our own personal lives? When Jesus went out into the wilderness to fight temptation by the devil, he was led by the Holy Spirit. Jesus did not rely on his own human strength and will-power for overcoming temptation. He relied on the Holy Spirit to give him strength, wisdom, courage, and self-control. The Lord Jesus knows that we cannot fight temptation on our own. We need the strength and guidance of the Holy Spirit to help us. The Lord Jesus gives us his Holy Spirit to help us in our weakness (Romans 8:26) and to be our guide and strength in times of testing (1 Corinthians 10:13). The Lord gives grace to those who humbly acknowledge their dependence on him (James 4:6) and he helps us to stand firm against the attacks of Satan who seeks to destroy us (1 Peter 5:8-10; Ephesians 6:10-18). The Lord Jesus is ever ready to pour out his Spirit upon us that we may have the courage we need to repent of our sins and to turn away from them, and to reject the lies and deceits of Satan. God wants us to “fight the good fight of the faith” (1 Timothy 6:12) with the strength and help which comes from the Holy Spirit. Do you seek God's wisdom and guidance for overcoming sin and avoiding the near occasions of sin?
What lesson can we learn from Jesus' temptation in the wilderness? How can we hope to fight temptation and overcome sin in our own personal lives? When Jesus went out into the wilderness to fight temptation by the devil, he was led by the Holy Spirit. Jesus did not rely on his own human strength and will-power for overcoming temptation. He relied on the Holy Spirit to give him strength, wisdom, courage, and self-control. The Lord Jesus knows that we cannot fight temptation on our own. We need the strength and guidance of the Holy Spirit to help us. The Lord Jesus gives us his Holy Spirit to help us in our weakness (Romans 8:26) and to be our guide and strength in times of testing (1 Corinthians 10:13). The Lord gives grace to those who humbly acknowledge their dependence on him (James 4:6) and he helps us to stand firm against the attacks of Satan who seeks to destroy us (1 Peter 5:8-10; Ephesians 6:10-18). The Lord Jesus is ever ready to pour out his Spirit upon us that we may have the courage we need to repent of our sins and to turn away from them, and to reject the lies and deceits of Satan. God wants us to “fight the good fight of the faith” (1 Timothy 6:12) with the strength and help which comes from the Holy Spirit. Do you seek God's wisdom and guidance for overcoming sin and avoiding the near occasions of sin?
The
forty days of Lent is the annual retreat of the people of God in imitation of
Jesus' forty days in the wilderness. We are called to journey with the Lord in
a special season of prayer, fasting, almsgiving, repentance, and renewal
as we prepare to celebrate the feast of Easter, the Christian Passover. The
Lord gives us spiritual food and supernatural strength to seek his face and to
prepare ourselves for spiritual combat and testing. We, too, must follow in the
way of the cross in order to share in the victory of Christ's death and
resurrection. As we begin this holy season of preparation and renewal, let's
ask the Lord for a fresh outpouring of his Holy Spirit that we may grow in
faith, hope, and love, and embrace his will more fully in our lives.
“Lord
Jesus, your word is life and joy for me. Fill me with your Holy Spirit that I
may have the strength and courage to embrace your will in all things and to
renounce whatever is contrary to it.”
Daily
Quote from the early church fathers: Jesus defeats Satan with the word of
God, by Ambrose of Milan (339-397 AD)
"So,
look at the arms of Christ with which he conquered for you, not for himself.
For he who showed that stones could, through his majesty, be changed into bread
by the transformation into a different nature, teaches that you must do nothing
at the devil’s behalf nor for the purpose of manifesting virtue. At the same
time, learn from the temptation itself the ingenious cunning of the devil. The
devil tempts that he may test. He tests that he may tempt. In contrast, the Lord
deceives that he may conquer. He conquers that he may deceive. For if he had
changed nature, he would have betrayed its Creator. Thus he responded
neutrally, saying, 'It is written, 'That man lives not by bread alone, but by
every word of God.' You see what kind of arms he wields, to defend humanity,
surrounded and protected against the inducements of appetite, against the
assault of spiritual wickedness (Ephesians 6:12). For he does not wield power
as God - for what good would that be to me? So, as man, he summons common help
for himself, so that eager for the food of the divine Word, he neglects the
body’s hunger and obtains the nourishment of the heavenly Word. Eager for this,
Moses did not desire bread (Exodus 24:18). Eager for this, Elijah did not feel
the hunger of a long fast (1 Kings 19:4.) For he who follows the Word cannot
desire earthly bread when he receives the essence of the heavenly Bread (John
6:32,50). There is no doubt that the divine surpasses the human, as the
spiritual the physical. Therefore he who desires true life awaits that Bread
which through its intangible substance strengthens human hearts (Psalm 103:17).
At the same time, when he says, 'Man lives not by bread alone,' he shows that
the man is tempted, that is, his acceptance of our flesh, not his
divinity." (excerpt from the EXPOSITION OF THE GOSPEL OF LUKE
4.19–20)
1st Sunday of Lent – Cycle C
Note: Today those who are participating in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (R.C.I.A.) and are preparing for participation in the sacraments of the Church for the first time at the Easter Vigil Mass this year have a ceremony called the Rite of Election. Between now and Easter they are called The Elect.
Note: Where a Scripture text is underlined in the body of this discussion, it is recommended that the reader look up and read that passage.
Introduction
Lent originated in the early Church as a season for the preparation of those desiring baptism. From early times the account of the history of salvation played an important part in the preparation for baptism. Through our baptism we embraced the new and eternal covenant with God brought into being by Christ’s death and resurrection. Ours is not the only covenant God made with man. The covenants of the Old Testament (Old Covenant) are a great help in understanding what God has done for us in His New Covenant. Consequently, in her preparation for Easter, the Church remembers the covenants of the Old Testament to remind us of the stages of God’s plan for our redemption and also to instruct those to be baptized.
Lent has always been a teaching season, a time to reflect on the mighty acts of God in the history of the world, on the covenant between God and His children, and on the role of our older brother Jesus in the story of salvation. Lent might be called a “primer course in the Christian faith.”
The epistle readings for Lent, unlike those of many other times of the year, do form a unity with the other two readings as we go through an annual “telling of the covenant story.”
1st Reading - Deuteronomy 26:4-10
Our Old Testament reading recalls the ancient creed of Israel. When we hear this creed, notice that it is a recalling of how God has acted for His people. Our belief comes from our story, our history – which is the history of the Jewish people of the Old Testament as well as the Christians of the New. We believe as Christians because it is through recalling our history we become sensitive to how God has acted and is now acting in our lives and in the lives of all His children. In other words, our belief in God comes from recalling the story of God’s saving acts. This belief leads to the statement in our creed “I believe.” From such a statement comes in turn the willingness to make our covenant with this God who is so active in our history. “I will be your instrument of history-making in your world. I will judge my actions by my belief that you are a just and loving God who calls all creation into wholeness and oneness with you.” “I will do whatever you tell me.” “You are my God (my Father) and I am one of your people (your child).
[Moses spoke to the people, saying:] 4 “The priest shall then receive the basket from you and shall set it in front of the altar of the LORD, your God. 5 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.
Aram was a son of Shem, Noah’s firstborn son. The word “Aram” means high, or highlands, and as the name of a country denotes that elevated region extending from the northeast of Palestine to the Euphrates. It corresponded generally with the Syria and Mesopotamia of the Greeks and Romans. Jacob (Israel) is a key figure in the early history of the people of Israel and the reference to him here not by name, but as “a wandering Aramean” underlines the contrast between the miserable circumstances of Israel earlier and settlement in the promised land. Jacobs’ descendents could be called Arameans because his wives (Leah and Rachael) were Arameans (Genesis 29-30).
But there he became a nation great, strong and numerous. 6 When the Egyptians maltreated and oppressed us, imposing hard labor upon us,
Notice the change from “he” to “us.” This change in person is significant. The Hebrews have a common historical heritage and tradition: My father was Israel – therefore I am Israel.
7 we cried to the LORD, the God of our fathers, and he heard our cry and saw our affliction, our toil and our oppression.
Divine action in response to prayer
8 He brought us out of Egypt with his strong hand and outstretched arm, with terrifying power, with signs and wonders. 9 and bringing us into this country, he gave us the land flowing with milk and honey.
This is Passover terminology. Recall that for this to happen, the sacrifice had to be made, the blood sprinkled, the meat roasted and eaten, and the remainder burned. The feast of Passover (unleavened bread) was to be celebrated annually (Exodus 12:42-51).
10 Therefore, I have now brought you the first fruits of the products of the soil which you, O LORD, have given me.’
This is a reference to the Feast of Pentecost (first fruits of the grain harvest, fifty days after Passover) (see Exodus 13:1-13).
And having set them before the LORD, your God, you shall bow down in his presence.”
Verse 11, which immediately follows today’s reading says “Then you and your family, together with the Levite and the aliens who live among you, shall make merry over all these good things which the LORD, your God, has given you.”
A family celebration will take place in which all will joyfully participate in the liturgy of covenant renewal. Likewise, we should joyfully participate in our renewal of the covenant; the Eucharistic celebration with its associated historical stories and creed: actions we take in the Lord’s name. Our celebration of the Eucharist has little meaning without the background of history, creed, covenant, and action. That is why we all must see the Eucharist in its proper context. It cannot be an isolated event that is stuck into one’s weekly schedule. Rather, it is a binding together in a family meal of our common history and creed as we declare “You are my God and we are your people.”
2nd Reading - Romans 10:8-13
Just as in our first reading we heard the ancient creed of Israel, in this second reading we hear the confession of faith of the believers of Christ.
8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”
Quoted from Deuteronomy 30:14
(that is, the word of faith that we preach), 9 for, if you confess with your mouth
One must verbalize the basic Christian confession of faith and mean it.
that Jesus is Lord
The Creedal (if not baptismal) formula of the early Palestinian Church (see also 1 Corinthians 12:3; Philippians 2:11).
and believe in your heart
An inward faith is required; one that will guide the whole person. Note that a verbal assent to that faith is also required.
that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
The activity of the Father in Christ’s resurrection. In the opening line of our reading was a quotation from Deuteronomy “the word is near you” – Jesus is the word; this is how the Jews will escape presumption – sacrifices which will not lead to salvation.
10 For one believes with the heart and so is justified,
Righteous – made right with God; innocent of any charges, made (not declared, but actually made) pure.
and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.
The whole process, from its beginning in faith, through the whole Christian life of the works of love on earth, to its completion in heaven. Protestants look at being saved as the initial step – like getting into Noah’s ark of salvation – not the whole journey. Faith, which leads to righteousness, for the Catholic is one of the three theological virtues (faith, hope, love), faith being intellectual belief. To Luther, faith meant accepting Christ with your whole heart and soul. Catholics use salvation in a bigger sense and faith in a smaller sense than do Protestants. We must be careful to define our terminology when we deal with others so as not to confuse them.
11 For the scripture says, “No one who believes in him will be put to shame.”
Quoted from Isaiah 28:16
12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek;
All have the opportunity to share alike in the new uprightness through a common faith.
the same Lord is Lord of all, enriching all who call upon him.
Jesus, the risen Lord of Jew and Greek (Romans 9:5; Philippians 2:9-11). In the Old Testament those who “call upon the name of the Lord” denoted sincere and pious Israelites; in the New Testament it is transferred to Christians.
13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Quoted from Joel 2:32
Gospel - Luke 4:1-13
So far, we have heard the ancient creed of Israel, and the creed of the early Palestinian Christian Church, now we hear of Jesus’ temptation. The three temptations of Jesus are the same three temptations which were Israel’s downfall during their desert experience: they complained about the manna, they worshiped the golden calf, and they tested God. In each case, Jesus shows what they should have done.
4:1 Filled with the holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan
This occurs immediately after Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist where the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in the form of a dove.
and was led by the Spirit
Does not lead Him into temptation, but is the sustaining power with Him during temptation.
into the desert
This is perhaps a reference to the Judean wilderness – the exact location is unknown. In Luke 8:29 and 11:24 the desert is a place of demons.
2 for forty days,
Forty is the number of change, transition. Forty days of rain in the flood, 40 years from Egypt to the promised land, 40 days from private life to public ministry, 40 days from resurrection to ascension.
to be tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days,
Moses fasted for 40 days on Mount Sinai and Jesus does likewise.
and when they were over he was hungry. 3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God,
Both here and in verse 9 Jesus is called “son of God” by Satan: a reference to His baptism (Luke 3:22) and Adam, son of God (Luke 3:38).
command this stone to become bread.” 4 Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone.’”
Deuteronomy 6:13
5 Then he took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a single instant.
No mountain is high enough to see all kingdoms in the world, this must have been a vision.
6 The devil said to him, “I shall give to you all this power and their glory; for it has been handed over to me,
John’s idea also is that the world is under the power of the Devil (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; Luke 22:53; Acts 26:18).
and I may give it to whomever I wish. 7 All this will be yours, if you worship me.” 8 Jesus said to him in reply, “It is written: ‘You shall worship the Lord, your God, and him alone shall you serve.’”
Deuteronomy 6:13; 10:20; Exodus 23:24.
9 Then he led him to Jerusalem,
It is in Jerusalem that Jesus completes His mission, His exodus. In Jerusalem Satan seizes Judas (Luke 23:3); in Jerusalem the powers of darkness are mightily at work (Luke 22:53). Jesus’ entire ministry is presented by Luke as a journey leading to Jerusalem – our journey is to the heavenly Jerusalem (Revelation 21:2).
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, 10 for it is written: ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,’
Satan quotes Psalm 91:11.
11 and: ‘With their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone.’”
Satan quotes Psalm 91:12.
12 Jesus said to him in reply, “It also says, ‘You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.’”
Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6:16.
13 When the devil had finished every temptation, he departed from him for a time.
During His ministry Jesus will encounter many temptations and the powers of evil who know who He is (Luke 4:41; 8:29) and He will vanquish them. Jesus will overcome hostility to His mission by obedient faith and will liberate mankind held captive by the devil (Acts 10:38).
Closing Comment:
Satan knows Holy Scripture better than any Christian and uses selective quotation to try and influence the outcome. Holy Scripture is not a collection of individual verses to be selected from in order to make a point. Holy Scripture is the story of the making of God’s family and must always be used in the context intended by the original human author and the Holy Spirit. In order to establish the context, sometimes reading the five verses before and after the verse selected is not sufficient. Notice that Jesus, in this reading, refers to different books than those quoted by Satan in order to establish the context of Satan’s quotation. Holy Scripture never contradicts itself and individual verses should be used very carefully.
Note: Today those who are participating in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (R.C.I.A.) and are preparing for participation in the sacraments of the Church for the first time at the Easter Vigil Mass this year have a ceremony called the Rite of Election. Between now and Easter they are called The Elect.
Note: Where a Scripture text is underlined in the body of this discussion, it is recommended that the reader look up and read that passage.
Introduction
Lent originated in the early Church as a season for the preparation of those desiring baptism. From early times the account of the history of salvation played an important part in the preparation for baptism. Through our baptism we embraced the new and eternal covenant with God brought into being by Christ’s death and resurrection. Ours is not the only covenant God made with man. The covenants of the Old Testament (Old Covenant) are a great help in understanding what God has done for us in His New Covenant. Consequently, in her preparation for Easter, the Church remembers the covenants of the Old Testament to remind us of the stages of God’s plan for our redemption and also to instruct those to be baptized.
Lent has always been a teaching season, a time to reflect on the mighty acts of God in the history of the world, on the covenant between God and His children, and on the role of our older brother Jesus in the story of salvation. Lent might be called a “primer course in the Christian faith.”
The epistle readings for Lent, unlike those of many other times of the year, do form a unity with the other two readings as we go through an annual “telling of the covenant story.”
1st Reading - Deuteronomy 26:4-10
Our Old Testament reading recalls the ancient creed of Israel. When we hear this creed, notice that it is a recalling of how God has acted for His people. Our belief comes from our story, our history – which is the history of the Jewish people of the Old Testament as well as the Christians of the New. We believe as Christians because it is through recalling our history we become sensitive to how God has acted and is now acting in our lives and in the lives of all His children. In other words, our belief in God comes from recalling the story of God’s saving acts. This belief leads to the statement in our creed “I believe.” From such a statement comes in turn the willingness to make our covenant with this God who is so active in our history. “I will be your instrument of history-making in your world. I will judge my actions by my belief that you are a just and loving God who calls all creation into wholeness and oneness with you.” “I will do whatever you tell me.” “You are my God (my Father) and I am one of your people (your child).
[Moses spoke to the people, saying:] 4 “The priest shall then receive the basket from you and shall set it in front of the altar of the LORD, your God. 5 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.
Aram was a son of Shem, Noah’s firstborn son. The word “Aram” means high, or highlands, and as the name of a country denotes that elevated region extending from the northeast of Palestine to the Euphrates. It corresponded generally with the Syria and Mesopotamia of the Greeks and Romans. Jacob (Israel) is a key figure in the early history of the people of Israel and the reference to him here not by name, but as “a wandering Aramean” underlines the contrast between the miserable circumstances of Israel earlier and settlement in the promised land. Jacobs’ descendents could be called Arameans because his wives (Leah and Rachael) were Arameans (Genesis 29-30).
But there he became a nation great, strong and numerous. 6 When the Egyptians maltreated and oppressed us, imposing hard labor upon us,
Notice the change from “he” to “us.” This change in person is significant. The Hebrews have a common historical heritage and tradition: My father was Israel – therefore I am Israel.
7 we cried to the LORD, the God of our fathers, and he heard our cry and saw our affliction, our toil and our oppression.
Divine action in response to prayer
8 He brought us out of Egypt with his strong hand and outstretched arm, with terrifying power, with signs and wonders. 9 and bringing us into this country, he gave us the land flowing with milk and honey.
This is Passover terminology. Recall that for this to happen, the sacrifice had to be made, the blood sprinkled, the meat roasted and eaten, and the remainder burned. The feast of Passover (unleavened bread) was to be celebrated annually (Exodus 12:42-51).
10 Therefore, I have now brought you the first fruits of the products of the soil which you, O LORD, have given me.’
This is a reference to the Feast of Pentecost (first fruits of the grain harvest, fifty days after Passover) (see Exodus 13:1-13).
And having set them before the LORD, your God, you shall bow down in his presence.”
Verse 11, which immediately follows today’s reading says “Then you and your family, together with the Levite and the aliens who live among you, shall make merry over all these good things which the LORD, your God, has given you.”
A family celebration will take place in which all will joyfully participate in the liturgy of covenant renewal. Likewise, we should joyfully participate in our renewal of the covenant; the Eucharistic celebration with its associated historical stories and creed: actions we take in the Lord’s name. Our celebration of the Eucharist has little meaning without the background of history, creed, covenant, and action. That is why we all must see the Eucharist in its proper context. It cannot be an isolated event that is stuck into one’s weekly schedule. Rather, it is a binding together in a family meal of our common history and creed as we declare “You are my God and we are your people.”
2nd Reading - Romans 10:8-13
Just as in our first reading we heard the ancient creed of Israel, in this second reading we hear the confession of faith of the believers of Christ.
8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”
Quoted from Deuteronomy 30:14
(that is, the word of faith that we preach), 9 for, if you confess with your mouth
One must verbalize the basic Christian confession of faith and mean it.
that Jesus is Lord
The Creedal (if not baptismal) formula of the early Palestinian Church (see also 1 Corinthians 12:3; Philippians 2:11).
and believe in your heart
An inward faith is required; one that will guide the whole person. Note that a verbal assent to that faith is also required.
that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
The activity of the Father in Christ’s resurrection. In the opening line of our reading was a quotation from Deuteronomy “the word is near you” – Jesus is the word; this is how the Jews will escape presumption – sacrifices which will not lead to salvation.
10 For one believes with the heart and so is justified,
Righteous – made right with God; innocent of any charges, made (not declared, but actually made) pure.
and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.
The whole process, from its beginning in faith, through the whole Christian life of the works of love on earth, to its completion in heaven. Protestants look at being saved as the initial step – like getting into Noah’s ark of salvation – not the whole journey. Faith, which leads to righteousness, for the Catholic is one of the three theological virtues (faith, hope, love), faith being intellectual belief. To Luther, faith meant accepting Christ with your whole heart and soul. Catholics use salvation in a bigger sense and faith in a smaller sense than do Protestants. We must be careful to define our terminology when we deal with others so as not to confuse them.
11 For the scripture says, “No one who believes in him will be put to shame.”
Quoted from Isaiah 28:16
12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek;
All have the opportunity to share alike in the new uprightness through a common faith.
the same Lord is Lord of all, enriching all who call upon him.
Jesus, the risen Lord of Jew and Greek (Romans 9:5; Philippians 2:9-11). In the Old Testament those who “call upon the name of the Lord” denoted sincere and pious Israelites; in the New Testament it is transferred to Christians.
13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Quoted from Joel 2:32
Gospel - Luke 4:1-13
So far, we have heard the ancient creed of Israel, and the creed of the early Palestinian Christian Church, now we hear of Jesus’ temptation. The three temptations of Jesus are the same three temptations which were Israel’s downfall during their desert experience: they complained about the manna, they worshiped the golden calf, and they tested God. In each case, Jesus shows what they should have done.
4:1 Filled with the holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan
This occurs immediately after Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist where the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in the form of a dove.
and was led by the Spirit
Does not lead Him into temptation, but is the sustaining power with Him during temptation.
into the desert
This is perhaps a reference to the Judean wilderness – the exact location is unknown. In Luke 8:29 and 11:24 the desert is a place of demons.
2 for forty days,
Forty is the number of change, transition. Forty days of rain in the flood, 40 years from Egypt to the promised land, 40 days from private life to public ministry, 40 days from resurrection to ascension.
to be tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days,
Moses fasted for 40 days on Mount Sinai and Jesus does likewise.
and when they were over he was hungry. 3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God,
Both here and in verse 9 Jesus is called “son of God” by Satan: a reference to His baptism (Luke 3:22) and Adam, son of God (Luke 3:38).
command this stone to become bread.” 4 Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone.’”
Deuteronomy 6:13
5 Then he took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a single instant.
No mountain is high enough to see all kingdoms in the world, this must have been a vision.
6 The devil said to him, “I shall give to you all this power and their glory; for it has been handed over to me,
John’s idea also is that the world is under the power of the Devil (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; Luke 22:53; Acts 26:18).
and I may give it to whomever I wish. 7 All this will be yours, if you worship me.” 8 Jesus said to him in reply, “It is written: ‘You shall worship the Lord, your God, and him alone shall you serve.’”
Deuteronomy 6:13; 10:20; Exodus 23:24.
9 Then he led him to Jerusalem,
It is in Jerusalem that Jesus completes His mission, His exodus. In Jerusalem Satan seizes Judas (Luke 23:3); in Jerusalem the powers of darkness are mightily at work (Luke 22:53). Jesus’ entire ministry is presented by Luke as a journey leading to Jerusalem – our journey is to the heavenly Jerusalem (Revelation 21:2).
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, 10 for it is written: ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,’
Satan quotes Psalm 91:11.
11 and: ‘With their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone.’”
Satan quotes Psalm 91:12.
12 Jesus said to him in reply, “It also says, ‘You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.’”
Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6:16.
13 When the devil had finished every temptation, he departed from him for a time.
During His ministry Jesus will encounter many temptations and the powers of evil who know who He is (Luke 4:41; 8:29) and He will vanquish them. Jesus will overcome hostility to His mission by obedient faith and will liberate mankind held captive by the devil (Acts 10:38).
Closing Comment:
Satan knows Holy Scripture better than any Christian and uses selective quotation to try and influence the outcome. Holy Scripture is not a collection of individual verses to be selected from in order to make a point. Holy Scripture is the story of the making of God’s family and must always be used in the context intended by the original human author and the Holy Spirit. In order to establish the context, sometimes reading the five verses before and after the verse selected is not sufficient. Notice that Jesus, in this reading, refers to different books than those quoted by Satan in order to establish the context of Satan’s quotation. Holy Scripture never contradicts itself and individual verses should be used very carefully.
St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, Picayune, MS http://www.scborromeo.org
FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT
SUNDAY, MARCH 10, LUKE 4:1-13
(Deuteronomy 26:4-10; Psalm 91; Romans 10:8-13)
KEY VERSE: "You shall worship the Lord, your God, and him alone shall you serve" (v.8).
TO KNOW: After Jesus' Baptism (Lk 3:22), he was led by the Spirit into the desert where he fasted and prayed for forty days. There Jesus was tempted by Satan, just as the people of Israel were tested for forty years (Dt 8:3). The first temptation echoed Israel's failure to trust God in the desert when they were hungry. Jesus knew real hunger during his fasting, but he refused to turn stones into bread. Instead he put his trust in God. The second temptation was the desire to attain earthly power and glory. Again Jesus resisted this enticement; he came, not as a king, but as God's suffering servant. The third test was for Jesus to display his power by throwing himself over the Temple parapet, trusting that God's angels would protect him. Jesus' real power was his ministry to the poor, the sick and suffering. In each trial, Jesus showed that he was the faithful Son who refused to succumb to the attraction of power, prestige and position. Satan was defeated and retreated until the final test when Jesus conquered evil on the cross.
TO LOVE: As I begin this Lenten Season, am I striving to overcome sin in my life?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to turn to you in all of my temptations.
SUNDAY, MARCH 10, LUKE 4:1-13
(Deuteronomy 26:4-10; Psalm 91; Romans 10:8-13)
KEY VERSE: "You shall worship the Lord, your God, and him alone shall you serve" (v.8).
TO KNOW: After Jesus' Baptism (Lk 3:22), he was led by the Spirit into the desert where he fasted and prayed for forty days. There Jesus was tempted by Satan, just as the people of Israel were tested for forty years (Dt 8:3). The first temptation echoed Israel's failure to trust God in the desert when they were hungry. Jesus knew real hunger during his fasting, but he refused to turn stones into bread. Instead he put his trust in God. The second temptation was the desire to attain earthly power and glory. Again Jesus resisted this enticement; he came, not as a king, but as God's suffering servant. The third test was for Jesus to display his power by throwing himself over the Temple parapet, trusting that God's angels would protect him. Jesus' real power was his ministry to the poor, the sick and suffering. In each trial, Jesus showed that he was the faithful Son who refused to succumb to the attraction of power, prestige and position. Satan was defeated and retreated until the final test when Jesus conquered evil on the cross.
TO LOVE: As I begin this Lenten Season, am I striving to overcome sin in my life?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to turn to you in all of my temptations.
RITE OF ELECTION
During the rite of election the Church formally announces the names of those who will soon celebrate the sacraments of initiation at the Easter Vigil. Usually the rite of election takes place at the cathedral with the bishop on the First Sunday of Lent. These individuals enter the cathedral as "catechumens" and leave as "elect." "Election" refers to the idea of "the chosen people" in Israel’s covenant with God. Christians believe that God continues to choose people, now through the covenant of baptism. The key moments of the rite is the testimony by the godparents that the catechumens are worthy to be initiated. The entire assembly may also join the affirmation. Next the bishop invites the catechumens to sign the book of the elect. In some dioceses, this action has already taken place in parishes during the rite of sending, and the books are presented to the bishop at this point. Finally, during the act of election, the bishop declares that the catechumens are members of the elect, to be initiated at the Easter Vigil.
Sunday 10 March 2019
1ST SUNDAY OF LENT.
Deuteronomy 26:4-10. Psalm 90(91):1-2, 10-15. Romans 10:8-13.
Luke 4:1-13
Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble – Psalm 90(91):1-2,
10-15.
‘Jesus was led by the Spirit in the wilderness.’
God had called Jesus to leave his home and to begin a public
life of self-giving and service. From the very start, the forces of evil tried
to dissuade him. His response to each temptation was the same – he refused to
rely on material things, or power, or his ability to impress others. He relied
on God alone.
This is the same thing God’s people learned, as we see in the
first reading. The more they grew in numbers, the more they threatened the
rulers of Egypt, who responded with oppression and persecution. In their
misery, they called on God, and, relying on his power and strength, they were
rescued out of Egypt and led to the Promised Land.
Lord, when we are tempted, help us to rely not on our own
strength, but rather to trust in you and your power, by which all things can be
overcome.
Saint Dominic Savio
Saint of the Day for March 10
(April 2, 1842 – March 9, 1857)
 |
| Stained glass of Saint Dominic Savio in the Fatima Chapel | Langen near Brekenz, Austria | photo by Reinhard Müller |
Saint Dominic Savio’s Story
So many holy persons seem to die young. Among them was Dominic
Savio, the patron of choirboys.
Born into a peasant family at Riva, Italy, young Dominic joined
Saint John Bosco as a student at the Oratory in Turin at the age of 12. He
impressed Don Bosco with his desire to be a priest and to help him in his work
with neglected boys. A peacemaker and an organizer, young Dominic founded a
group he called the Company of the Immaculate Conception which, besides being
devotional, aided John Bosco with the boys and with manual work. All the
members save one, Dominic, would, in 1859, join Don Bosco in the beginnings of
his Salesian congregation. By that time, Dominic had been called home to
heaven.
As a youth, Dominic spent hours rapt in prayer. His raptures he
called “my distractions.” Even in play, he said that at times, “It seems heaven
is opening just above me. I am afraid I may say or do something that will make
the other boys laugh.” Dominic would say, “I can’t do big things. But I want
all I do, even the smallest thing, to be for the greater glory of God.”
Dominic’s health, always frail, led to lung problems and he was
sent home to recuperate. As was the custom of the day, he was bled in the
thought that this would help, but it only worsened his condition. He died on
March 9, 1857, after receiving the Last Sacraments. Saint John Bosco himself
wrote the account of his life.
Some thought that Dominic was too young to be considered a
saint. Saint Pius X declared that just the opposite was true, and went ahead
with his cause. Dominic was canonized in 1954. His Liturgical Feast Day is
October 9.
Reflection
Like many a youngster, Dominic was painfully aware that he was
different from his peers. He tried to keep his piety from his friends lest he
have to endure their laughter. Even after his death, his youth marked him as a
misfit among the saints and some argued that he was too young to be canonized.
Pope Pius X wisely disagreed. For no one is too young—or too old or too
anything else—to achieve the holiness to which we all are called.
Saint Dominic Savio is the Patron Saint of:
Choirboys
Juvenile delinquents
Juvenile delinquents
Lectio Divina: 1st Sunday of Lent (C)
Lectio Divina
Sunday, March 10, 2019
The temptations of Jesus.
Victory by means of prayer and the Bible
Luke 4:1-13
Victory by means of prayer and the Bible
Luke 4:1-13
1. LECTIO
a) Initial Prayer
Oh Lord, at the beginning of this Lenten time You invite me to
meditate, once more, on the account of the temptations, so that I may discover
the heart of the spiritual struggle and, above all, so that I may experience
victory over evil.
Holy Spirit, “visit our minds” because frequently, many thoughts proliferate in our mind which make us feel that we are in the power of the uproar of many voices. The fire of love also purifies our senses and our heart so that they may be docile and available to the voice of Your Word. Enlighten us (accende lumen sensibus, infunde amorem cordibus) so that our senses may be ready to dialogue with You. If the fire of Your love blazes up in our heart, over and above our aridity, it can flood the true life, which is fullness of joy.
Holy Spirit, “visit our minds” because frequently, many thoughts proliferate in our mind which make us feel that we are in the power of the uproar of many voices. The fire of love also purifies our senses and our heart so that they may be docile and available to the voice of Your Word. Enlighten us (accende lumen sensibus, infunde amorem cordibus) so that our senses may be ready to dialogue with You. If the fire of Your love blazes up in our heart, over and above our aridity, it can flood the true life, which is fullness of joy.
b) Reading of the Gospel:
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.
c) Moment of prayerful silence:
To listen, silence is necessary: of the soul, of the spirit, of
the senses, and also exterior silence, with the purpose of listening to what
the Word of God intends to communicate.
2. MEDITATIO
a) Key for the reading:
Luke, with the refinement of a narrator, mentions in 4:1-44 some
aspects of the ministry of Jesus after His baptism, among them the temptations
of the devil. In fact, he says that Jesus, “Filled with the Holy Spirit, left
the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert, for forty days” (Lk
4:1-2). Such an episode in the life of Jesus is something preliminary to His
ministry, but it can also be understood as the moment of transition from the
ministry of John the Baptist to that of Jesus. In Mark such an account of the
temptations is more generic. In Matthew, it is said that Jesus “was led by the
Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil” (Mt 4:1), these last words
attribute the experience of the temptations to an influence which is at the
same time heavenly and diabolical. The Lukan account modifies Matthew’s text in
such a way as to show that Jesus, “filled with the Holy Spirit”, leaves the
Jordan on His own initiative and is led by the Spirit into the desert for forty
days, where “He is tempted by the devil” (4:2). The meaning which Luke wants to
give to the temptations of Jesus is that those were an initiative of the devil
and not a programmed experience of the Holy Spirit (S. Brown). It is as if Luke
wanted to keep clearly distinct the person of the devil from the person of the
Holy Spirit.
Another element to be kept in mind is the order in which Luke
places the temptations: desert – sight of the kingdoms of the world –
pinnacle of Jerusalem. In Matthew, instead, the order varies: desert
– pinnacle – high mountain. Exegetes discuss which is the
original disposition, but they have not arrived at a unanimous opinion. The
difference could be explained beginning with the third temptation (the
culminating one): for Matthew the “mountain” is the summit of the temptation
because in his Gospel he places all his interest on the theme of the mountain
(we just have to remember the Sermon on the Mount, the presentation of Jesus as
“the new Moses”); for Luke, instead, the last temptation takes place on the pinnacle
of the temple of Jerusalem because one of the great interests of his Gospel is
the city of Jerusalem (Jesus in Luke’s account is on the way toward Jerusalem
where salvation is definitively fulfilled) (Fitzmyer).
The reader can legitimately ask himself, “In Luke, just as in
Matthew, were there possible witnesses to the temptations of Jesus?” The answer
is certainly negative. From the account of Luke it appears clearly that Jesus
and the devil are completely alone. Jesus’ answers to the devil are taken from
Sacred Scripture; they are quotations from the Old Testament. Jesus faces the
temptations, and particularly that of the worship which the devil intends from
Jesus Himself, having recourse to the Word of God as bread of life, as
protection from God. The recourse to the Word of God contained in the book of
Deuteronomy, considered by exegetes as a long meditation on the law, shows
Luke’s intention to recall this episode in the life of Jesus with God’s
plan, who wishes to save the human race.
Did these temptations take place historically? Why do some,
among believers and non-believers, hold that such temptations are only some
fantasy about Jesus, some invention of a story? Such questions are extremely
important. Certainly, it is not possible to give a literal and unsophisticated
explanation, or perhaps to think that these could have happened in an external
way. Dupont’s explanation seems to offer an alternative: “Jesus speaks about an
experience which He has lived, but translated into a figurative language,
adapted to strike the minds of His listeners” (Les Tentations de Jesus au
Desert, 128). More than considering them as an external fact, the temptations
are considered as a concrete experience in the life of Jesus. It seems to me
that this is the principal reason which has guided Luke and the other
evangelists in transmitting those scenes. The opinions of those who hold that
the temptations of Jesus are fictitious or invented are deprived of foundation,
neither is it possible to share the opinion of Dupont himself, when he says
that these were “a purely spiritual dialogue that Jesus had with the devil”
(Dupont, 125). Looking within the New Testament (Jn 6:26-34; 7:1-4; Heb
4:15;5,2;2,17a) it is clear that the temptations were an evident truth in the
life of Jesus. The explanation of Raymond Brown is interesting and can be
shared: “Matthew and Luke would have done no injustice to historical reality by
dramatizing such temptations within a scene, and by masking the true tempter by
placing this provocation on his lips” (the Gospel According to John, 308). In
synthesis we could say that the historicity of the temptations of Jesus or the
taking root of these in the experience of Jesus might be described with a
“figurative language” (Dupont) or “dramatized” (Raymond Brown). One must
distinguish the content (the temptations in the experience of Jesus) from its
container (the figurative or dramatized language). It is possible that these
two interpretations are much more correct than those which interpret them in a purely
literal sense.
However, these intellectual interpretations, that this episode
in Jesus’ life as transmitted to us through the gospel, are “dramatizations” or
speaking figuratively, also fall short and can be misleading. In the book “On
Heaven and Earth,” Pope Francis, the then-Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, said,
“I believe that the devil exists” and “his greatest achievement in these times
has been to make us believe he doesn’t exist.” As for the existence of the devil,
theologian Monsignor Corrado Balducci points out that "Satan is mentioned
about 300 times in the New Testament, much more than the Holy Spirit.”
In a week we will celebrate Jesus' Transfiguration on the
mountain. This is not an abstract dramatization, but rather that Moses and
Elijah appeared and the three disciples actually heard the voice of God, yet to
accept that the Son of God might actually and verbally turn away Satan, we find
it incredulous. In Pope Francis' Apostolic Exhortation Gaudete Et Exsultate,
we read: "Hence, we should not think of the devil as a myth, a
representation, a symbol, a figure of speech or an idea" (161).
Without witnesses to the event, Dupont and Brown resort to
examining the event in terms of modern empirical standards. Yet, turning to
Gaudete Et Exsultate again, we read "We will not admit the existence of
the devil if we insist on regarding life by empirical standards alone, without
a supernatural understanding. It is precisely the conviction that this malign
power is present in our midst that enables us to understand how evil can at
times have so much destructive force." (160) This represents the old
Gnostic desire to shape events according to what the human intellect can easily
and completely grasp, and to replace divine mystery with something more easily
understood or identified with. While the three temptations do have symbolic
meaning, it should not detract from its realism as well. "Evil is not only
an abstract idea or the absence of good. Evil is a person, Satan: the Evil One.
Satan is the angel who opposes God and who desires to disrupt the power of God
in our lives." - Bishop James Conley, Southern Nebraska Register.
Jesus himself identifies Satan as someone He has seen: “I saw
Satan fall like lightning from heaven” (Lk 10:18). “The prince of this world is
coming,” he says, “against me he can do nothing” (Jn 14:30), as well as in Jn
16:11 and Jn 12:31. By claiming that the evangelist must be
"dramatizing" these events, or merely using figurative descriptions,
Dupont and Brown enter into a form of rationalism that denies how Jesus spoke
at other times. From a literary style point of view, we would not expect every
event to be transmitted as a quotation, nor would we expect Him to return to
the disciples saying "guess what happened to me in the desert..." In
that age, with its cultural and religious obsession with sin and Satan, this
direct exchange would have been treated respectfully as it was passed down. We
cannot directly infer it to be figurative merely because it isn't a direct
quotation or is without human witnesses.
The temptations do share a common theme though, one of division.
To separate Jesus from the Father, from His disciples, and from His mission
should He accept his (Satan's) proposals. In his address to new bishops in
missionary territories in 2016, Pope Francis advised: "Divisions are the
weapon that the devil has most at hand to destroy the Church from within.”
These divisions are at play today once we move our understanding of gospel
events from faith to rationalism or pragmatism.
Father Raniero Cantalamessa, OFM Cap, the Pontifical Household
preacher, puts it well in his 1st Lenten homily in 2008: If many people find
belief in demons absurd, it is because they take their beliefs from books, they
pass their lives in libraries and at desks... How could a person know anything
about Satan if he has never encountered the reality of Satan, but only the idea
of Satan in cultural, religious and ethnological traditions? They treat this
question with great certainty and a feeling of superiority, doing away with it
all as so much "medieval obscurantism." But it is a false certainty.
It is like someone who brags about not being afraid of lions and
proves this by pointing out that he has seen many paintings and pictures of
lions and was never frightened by them. On the other hand, it is entirely
normal and consistent for those who do not believe in God to not believe in the
devil. The episode of Jesus’ temptations in the desert that is read on the
First Sunday of Lent helps us to have some clarity on this subject.
First of all, do demons exist? That is, does the word “demon”
truly indicate some personal being with intelligence and will, or is it simply
a symbol, a manner of speaking that refers to the sum of the world’s moral
evil, the collective unconscious, collective alienation, etc.? Many
intellectuals do not believe in demons in the first sense. But it must be noted
that many great writers, such as Goethe and Dostoyevsky, took Satan’s existence
very seriously. Baudelaire, who was certainly no angel, said that “the demon’s
greatest trick is to make people believe that he does not exist.” - Translation
by Joseph G. Trabbic .
St Teresa, who battled Satan, and St John of the Cross, firmly
believed in Satan as a being, as did Pope Paul VI: "one of the greatest
needs is the defense from that evil which is called the Devil. Evil is not
merely a lack of something but an effective agent, a living spiritual being,
perverted and perverting. A terrible reality, mysterious and frightening..."
Thus, we don't have to abandon a literal or historical view of
these events merely because it defies our modernist senses. Moreover, it would
be overly presumptive to redefine Luke's narrative, of an interaction between
the Son of God and the Prince of Evil, as something that must have occurred on
merely human terms or in the imagination.
To continue:
Luke intends to remind us in these scenes that the temptations
were addressed to Jesus by an external agent. They are not the result of a
psychological crisis or because He finds Himself in a personal conflict with
someone. The temptations, rather, lead back to the “temptations” which Jesus
experienced in His ministry: hostility, opposition, rejection. Such
“temptations” were real and concrete in His life. He had no recourse to His
divine power to solve them. These trials were a form of “diabolical seducing”
(Fitzmyer), a provocation to use His divine power to change the stones into
bread and to manifest Himself in eccentric ways.
The temptations end with this expression: “Having exhausted
every way of putting Him to the test, the devil left Jesus (4:13). Therefore,
the three scenes which contain the temptations are to be considered as the
expression of all temptations or trials which Jesus had to face. But the
fundamental point is that Jesus, insofar as He is the Son, faced and overcame
the “temptation”. Furthermore, He was tested and tried in His fidelity to
the Father and was found to be faithful.
A last consideration regarding the third temptation. In the
first two temptations the devil provoked Jesus to use His divine Sonship to
deny His human finiteness, to avoid providing for Himself bread like all men,
requiring from Him an illusory omnipotence. In both of these, Jesus does not
respond, saying, “I do not want to!”, but appeals to the law of God, His
Father: “It is written… it has been said…” A wonderful lesson. But the devil
does not give in and presents a third provocation, the strongest of all: to
save Himself from death. In one word, to throw Himself down from the pinnacle
meant a sure death. The devil quotes scripture, Psalm 91, to invite Jesus to
the magic and spectacular use of divine protection, and in the last instance,
to the denial of death. This passage in the Gospel of Luke launches a strong
warning: the erroneous use of the Word of God can be the occasion of
temptations. How is that? My way of relating myself to the Bible is placed in
crisis especially when I use it only to give moral teachings to others who are
in difficulty or in a state of crisis. We refer to certain pseudo-spiritual
discourses which are addressed to those who are in difficulty: “Are you
anguished? There is nothing else you can do but pray and everything will be
solved”. This means to ignore the consistency of the anguish which a person has
and which frequently stems from a biochemical fact or a psycho-social
difficulty, or a mistaken way of placing oneself before God. It would be more
coherent to say: Pray and ask the Lord to guide you in having recourse to the human
mediation of the doctor or of a wise and knowledgeable friend so that they can
help you in lessening or curing you of your anguish. One cannot propose
biblical phrases, in a magic way, to others, neglecting to use the human
mediation. “The frequent temptation is that of making a bible of one’s own
moral, instead of listening to the moral teachings of the Bible.” (X.
Thévenot).
An additional key to the reading:
However, both sides of this argument tend to be too simplistic,
and just as it would be mistaken to advise a hungry person to just pray for a
meal to appear, it is just as erroneous to reduce St John of the Cross' Dark
Night to a mere psycho-social difficulty, as well as St Terese's visions, or St
Paul of the Cross or St Teresa of Calcutta's difficulties. We are then left
with the task of discerning between these two recourses. St Ignatius of Loyola,
who himself experienced suffering on both physical and spiritual levels, offers
much guidance on discernment in these matters. A spiritual director can also
help. Satan uses division to separate us from God, and Gnosticism, pragmatism,
rationalism, and empiricism all have elements that drive us to decide
"this I can do" and "this other maybe God could help",
letting us decide, in a typically ever growing circle, that we can do without
God, and relegating Him out of our lives.
The contemporary world expects God to come like earthquakes and
thunder, rolling in to fix things. If that were so, there would be no
opportunity for faith and no free will. God speaks as in a small whispering
sound (1 Kings 19:11-12), and when we don't hear it, we think He hasn't
answered. Even more relevant would be to pray for guidance on where help or
consolation is to be found, whether it be spiritual or physical, including
recourse to the sacraments, Eucharistic Adoration, or the Rosary as well as finding
a friend. Every hardship can be an opportunity to increase one's faith, even if
it means doing some of the work oneself. "Amen, I say to you, if you have
faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from
here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you" (Mt
17:20).
In this time of Lent I am invited to get close to the Word of
God with the following attitude: a tireless and prayerful devotion to the Word
of God, reading it with a constant bond of union with the great traditions of
the Church, and in dialogue with the problems of humanity today.
3. ORATIO
a) Psalm 119:
How blessed are those whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of Yahweh!
Blessed are those who observe His instructions,
who seek Him with all their hearts,
who walk in the law of Yahweh!
Blessed are those who observe His instructions,
who seek Him with all their hearts,
Let us renew ourselves in the Spirit
And put on the new man
Jesus Christ, our Lord,
in justice and in true sanctity. (St. Paul).
And put on the new man
Jesus Christ, our Lord,
in justice and in true sanctity. (St. Paul).
and, doing no evil,
who walk in His ways.
You lay down Your precepts
to be carefully kept.
who walk in His ways.
You lay down Your precepts
to be carefully kept.
Let us follow Jesus Christ
and serve Him
with a pure heart and good conscience. (Rule of Carmel)
and serve Him
with a pure heart and good conscience. (Rule of Carmel)
May my ways be steady
in doing Your will.
Then I shall not be shamed,
if my gaze is fixed on Your commandments.
in doing Your will.
Then I shall not be shamed,
if my gaze is fixed on Your commandments.
Let us follow Jesus Christ
and serve Him
with a pure heart and good conscience. (Rule of Carmel)
and serve Him
with a pure heart and good conscience. (Rule of Carmel)
I thank You with a sincere heart
for teaching me Your upright judgments.
I shall do Your will;
do not ever abandon me wholly.
for teaching me Your upright judgments.
I shall do Your will;
do not ever abandon me wholly.
Let us renew ourselves in the Spirit
And put on the new man
Christ Jesus, our Lord,
created according to God the Father
in justice and in true sanctity. Amen (St. Paul).
And put on the new man
Christ Jesus, our Lord,
created according to God the Father
in justice and in true sanctity. Amen (St. Paul).
b) Final Prayer:
Lord, we look for You and we desire to see Your face, grant us
that one day, removing the veil, we may be able to contemplate it.
We seek You in Scripture which speaks to us of You and under the veil of wisdom, the fruit of human searching.
We look for You in the radiant faces of our brothers and sisters, in the marks of Your Passion in the bodies of the suffering.
Every creature is signed by Your mark, every thing reveals a ray of Your invisible beauty.
You are revealed in the service of the brother, You revealed Yourself to the brother by the faithful love which never diminishes.
Not the eyes but the heart has a vision of You, with simplicity and truth we try to speak with You.
We seek You in Scripture which speaks to us of You and under the veil of wisdom, the fruit of human searching.
We look for You in the radiant faces of our brothers and sisters, in the marks of Your Passion in the bodies of the suffering.
Every creature is signed by Your mark, every thing reveals a ray of Your invisible beauty.
You are revealed in the service of the brother, You revealed Yourself to the brother by the faithful love which never diminishes.
Not the eyes but the heart has a vision of You, with simplicity and truth we try to speak with You.
4. CONTEMPLATIO
To prolong our meditation we suggest a reflection of Benedict
XVI:
“Lent is the privileged time of an interior pilgrimage toward the One who is the source of mercy. It is a pilgrimage in which He Himself accompanies us through the desert of our poverty, supporting us on the way toward the intense joy of Easter. Even in the “dark valley” of which the Psalmist speaks (Psalm 23:4), while the tempter suggests that we be dispersed or proposes an illusory hope in the work of our hands, God takes care of us and supports us. […] Lent wants to lead us in view of the victory of Christ over every evil which oppresses man. In turning to the Divine Master, in converting ourselves to Him, in experiencing His mercy, we discover a “look” which penetrates in the depth of ourselves and which can encourage each one of us.”
“Lent is the privileged time of an interior pilgrimage toward the One who is the source of mercy. It is a pilgrimage in which He Himself accompanies us through the desert of our poverty, supporting us on the way toward the intense joy of Easter. Even in the “dark valley” of which the Psalmist speaks (Psalm 23:4), while the tempter suggests that we be dispersed or proposes an illusory hope in the work of our hands, God takes care of us and supports us. […] Lent wants to lead us in view of the victory of Christ over every evil which oppresses man. In turning to the Divine Master, in converting ourselves to Him, in experiencing His mercy, we discover a “look” which penetrates in the depth of ourselves and which can encourage each one of us.”
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