First Sunday of Lent. - 9th March '14
First Reading.Gen. 2:7-9, 3:1-7.
God created man in His own image and likeness. But man disobeyed Him. And as a result suffering and death entered the world.
Second Reading.Rom.5: 12-19.
Suffering and death entered the world because of the disobedience of one man, Adam. But the obedience of another man, Jesus opened for us the avenue of salvation once again.
Gospel.
Reflection.
Today is the First Sunday of Lent - (9th March '14). The season of Lent begins with Ash Wednesday. The highlight of this day is the imposition of Ash on the forehead with the words, “remember you are dust unto dust you shall return.”(Gen.3:19) These words reminds us not only what is in store for our mortal remains but also that we should rise from our pathetic state of sin and suffering and strive for victory with Christ through the Cross. Certainly this is not a time for mere external symbolism of repentance with long faces and sulky moods, but is a time for renewal and change so that we may at least partially share in the sacrificial death of Christ by renouncing what we possess.
The first reading makes it clear that sin entered the world through the disobedience of man. However, the grace of God over powered the evil effects of sin and the true repentance of man is the stage on which the dominance of God’s grace over evil is manifested.
In the second reading we are reminded that our salvation was not won easily. It was earned by Jesus the hard way by emptying himself of His divinity to become one like us except sin, and His obedience to God’s will at the cost of His own life. Jesus had to face many temptations before He became victorious on the Cross.
In today’s Gospel we see how Jesus was tempted soon after His Baptism This only proves that baptism is no shield against the power and the temptations of the devil. Baptism cleans us of our original sin and those sins up to the time of baptism, but in the rest of our lives we have to fight temptation with the help of our own faith and the grace of God.
For some people these temptations are totally connected with their personal life and faith. But there are others who think that these temptations are connected with his or her ministry. All of us face temptations perhaps in contrasting shapes and forms, and there is no escape for them.
In the wilderness of life where avenues are obscured personal need may come to the forefront. Amidst tormenting loneness we may be tempted to satisfy personal need by making use of our powers, abilities, talents, opportunities…etc.
We could also be tempted to put God to the test. When we are sick or jobless, when our children are ungrateful or when the employer exploits our goodness, we lose our faith and turn to other gods and faiths.
Again we may be tempted to possess worldly wealth as much as possible in this life; as possessions are the slandered by which people gage our wealth, power and status. Therefore they will do anything and everything to gain the things of the world. This is devil-worship in disguise.
In the temptations of Jesus one thing is clear how Christ made use of the scriptures to tackle the devil. But we must not forget the fact that in the second temptation Satan too quoted scripture. This means that the devil could make use of the scriptures to tempt us too. Therefore it needs lot of faith, holiness, adherences to the true scriptures and prayer to fight the temptations of life.
Aid Story.
A leaf lived attached to the trunk of a hardy tree. The leaf young, beautiful and happy, fluttered by the wind, the robust tree fed it with its sap. One day the wind caressed it and whispered; what are you doing my beautiful one, attached to such an ugly tree? Do you want to come with me? I will take you among the flowers.” The leaf didn’t give in, but the wind came back again and again and kept repeating. “Come, come” finally, the beautiful young leaf accepted the invitation. After twinges of pain on parting, the leaf was carried off by the wind. How it danced among beautiful flowers; soon however the wind abandoned it. The party had ended. The poor leaf begged the wind to make it dance or at least take it back to the trunk. It waited in vain. The wind turned a deaf ear, busying itself only in pulling off other leaves and abandoning them in the mire.
Aid Story 2.
Once, a man came and settled down in a village. He came to the wine store every day and ordered three beers. Soon he was known as the three beer man. The bar keeper asked the man why he took three beer every day. The man said, “I have two brothers who live one in America and the other in Australia. We promised one another that we would always order an extra two beers whenever we drink as a way of keeping up the family bond.” Then one day the man comes and orders and drinks only two beers. The word flies around town. Prayers are offered for the soul of one of the brothers. The next day, the bartender says to the man, “Folks around here, me first of all, want to offer condolence to you on the sudden death of your brother. You know the two beers and all….” The man ponders this for a moment, then replies, “you will be happy to hear that my two brothers are alive and well. It’s just that I, myself, have decided to give up drinking for lent. That is why only two beers.”
Fr. Ciswan De Croos.
Let Mary never be far from your lips and far from your heart. Following her, you will never sink into despair. Contemplating her, you will never go wrong.
(St. Bernadine of Siena)
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