Cycle A - Year II:  

1 March 2020: First Sunday of Lent

(Liturgical Color: Violet)

Readings:

First Reading:        Genesis 2:7-9, 3:1-7

Second Reading:   Romans 5:12-19

Gospel:  Please Read  Matthew 4:1-11

"Overcoming temptations!"

The liturgical journey in the Season of Lent began last Ash Wednesday with the imposition of blessed ashes on the forehead of the faithful, and today is the First Sunday of Lent.  Violet is the color for Lent (the lighter shade of violet to distinguish it from the violet used  for the Season of Advent).  The recitation or singing of the "Gloria" is also omitted during Masses in the Season of Lent.

The Gospel narrative is about the forty days and forty nights of fasting and praying of our Lord Jesus Christ in the desert, before the start of His public ministry.  At the end of this fasting and praying, Jesus was tempted by the devil who tried to convince Him to set aside His humanity and disobey God's plan of our redemption.  The story of the temptation of Jesus is told in the form of a dialogue between Jesus and the devil which makes use of quotations from the Book of Deuteronomy.  As the story told, Jesus overcame Satan's temptation by declaring thus:  "The Lord, your God, shall you worship and Him alone shall you serve."

Now Jesus was really tempted. By definition temptation is something that appeals to us.  In our times, we also face our own temptations.  In a way temptations are a necessary part of our spiritual life.  But it can also be an opportunity to stand up for our faith and show God that we are fit to be used by Him to proclaim God's kingdom here on earth.  In the Old Testament God tested Abraham to prove his faith.  The Israelites were also tested in Egypt before God delivered them from their enemies.

We know of course that God Himself tempts no one (see James 1:13) but sometimes temptations are permitted to remind us that we are weak, sinful creatures living under the sting of original sin.

The temptation of Jesus in the desert reminds us that Satan is real and very much active in our world, tempting us with power, wealth and fame to deceive and win our souls.  So that when we are so much focused on building our material strength and treasures on earth, we often neglect to charge our spiritual power.  And there are warnings that in our generation the devil will become very active to win souls through corrupt political leaders who greed for power and wealth.

So then, how do we overcome temptations in daily living?  Well, our Lord Jesus gives us His Holy Spirit to be our strength, guide and consoler in times of temptation and testing by the evil one.  And Jesus is ever ready to pour out His Spirit upon us so that we may have the spiritual strength and courage to resist sin and reject the lies and deceits of the enemy, Satan.

Here's a helpful tip by my late professor-priest in Moral Theology in dealing with temptation:  Never trust our moral capacity to resist sin and temptation.  And so, at the very first sign of temptation the best defense is always to run away immediately.  Because we are up against Satan who was a fallen angel and thus more powerful than us ordinary humans.

The Lenten Season invites us to journey with our Lord Jesus Christ for forty days in the desert, to renew our lives through repentance and conversion.  This is our fitting preparation to welcome Easter in our lives, and share in our Lord's Resurrection as well, with its promise of hope and new life with our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

This Sunday is also National Migrants' Sunday.  Let us pray that our migrant Filipinos resist the temptation of materialism and become instead the instrument to spread the Good News through their love and support of their respective families.

A blessed Sunday to us all.  And thank you for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!