1st Week of Lent
26th February 2023 (Sunday) Readings and Reflection
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Reading of the Day
First Reading: Genesis 2:7-9; 3:1-7
The Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that Lord God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God actually say, 'You shall not eat of any tree in the garden'?" And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, 'You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die." But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin cloths.
Psalm 51:3-4, 5-6a, 12-13, 14 and 17 (R. see 3a)
R/. Have mercy, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Second Reading: Romans 5:12-19
Brethren: Just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. And the free gift is not like the result of that one man's sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.
Gospel : Matthew 4:1-11
At that time: Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread." But he answered, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, 'He will command his angels concerning you', and 'On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone." Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test." Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me." Then Jesus said to him, "Be gone, Satan! For it is written,'You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve." Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.
Daily Gospel Reflection
The Reflection by Fr. Thumma Mariadas Reddy MSFS{alertWarning}
Main Theme: Tempted and Tested and Proved!
Indicative: The Lord himself was tempted. This fact shows not his weakness but his solidarity with us. Thereby he also shows us the way to overcome them{alertSuccess}
1. The question of temptation is not centred on the number, sequence, or time of temptations. What is most important to note is that Jesus also was subjected to temptation. Hence, temptation is a human reality, part of human life, and fragility. To be tempted in itself is not wrong. And we need not feel uneasy or ashamed of being tempted, as some do. But what to do? How to face it? This is what matters.
2. According to St Francis de Sales, there are three phases in every temptation; proposal, entertainment, and consent (yielding to). The temptations of Jesus would be the model/sample of temptations. The devil knows how to play with human psychology (the ego). He provokes the false self-pride, challenging, "If you are the Son of God".
The three temptations are rather surface level with more basic underlying inclinations
First Temptation: “Change stones into bread and satisfy your hunger”
Two underlying temptations:
1) Using God-given power /gifts for lesser motives, self-interests, mere material/physical
2) Giving priority to the material/physical over the spiritual
Our task is to confront and overcome the temptations as Jesus did:
i) Refuse to use God-given talents for lesser gains. Jesus does not use his divine power to satisfy his hunger, to bring out physical satisfaction. He is hungry, and it appears perfectly legitimate to use his power to alleviate his hunger. But Jesus makes discernment among the priorities. He discerns that it is not worth using his higher power for something lower.
ii) Give priority to the spiritual (Word of God) - man does not live by bread alone. What nourishes a person is not the material but the spiritual. How often and how easily do we use our God-given talents, capacities, and resources, for self-interests or wrong ends or lower motives, or shallow profits? How many times do we readily give more importance to the physical and material concerns, over and above the spiritual?
Second Temptation: “Throw yourself down from heights and God will send His angels and protect you unharmed”
The underlying temptations:
1) Test God, 2) Show/display power, 3) Craving for recognition/cheap popularity; seeking self-glory
Jesus confronted these temptations and overcame them:
1) Trust God
2) No making show/display of power
3) No craving for recognition but humility; only seeking God’s glory
Very often we want and pressure God to act quickly in our favour, to grant us favours. We want Him to work wonders and miracles. We want Him to intervene immediately and spectacularly. If not, we easily become impatient, dissipated, and also are shaken in our faith.
It is not sure, when people pray, whether it is asking Him to do our own will and plans, or surrendering to His holy will. How many of our intercessions and petitions are directed mostly to temporary, temporal, and material benefits and worldly gains? How many of us really pray for growth in holiness and goodness, in virtues and values? How often do we use even the spiritual occasions for self-projection and self-promotion?
Third Temptation: “Bow down and worship me and I will give you power over everything in the world”
Underlying temptations
1) The temptation here is to dethrone God from one’s heart, from the centre of life
2) To be disloyal to God (defection)
3) Pressure/attraction of material/worldly riches, power, position
4) Short-cuts (Jesus was to win/save the world by the way of the cross)
How Jesus overcomes these temptations:
1) He ever enthrones God, only God at the centre: Nothing can be on the throne, can be at the centre, nothing can replace God on the throne of heart; Only God is the master and Lord. All worship and all serving/surrender to him alone
2) No being dominated or carried away by the worldly allurements and enticements
3) No disloyalty and no defection; never failing, ever faithful to God, come what may
4) No short-cuts for achieving the goal of salvation, but only through the loyal way, the way of the cross
As disciples, we also pass through the same road when we are tempted to dethrone God or to take shortcuts for achieving some good. But in the face of some difficulty or adversity, some testing and trying time for the sake of faith or good, how easily we fail in our patience and perseverance! In the face of some worldly gain and immediate advantage, that is clearly contrary to our loyalty to God and Christian values, how fast do we succumb to defection, without a prick of conscience or justifying our infidelity in the name of human frailty? When assaulted by some self-gratifying temptations, how easily do we yield and indulge in them? In our family life or work life or personal life or social life, in our plans, decisions, and actions, how often do we deny God the central and primary place, but make money or worldly concerns very central? How often do we compromise on God's ways and values, for the sake of some momentary or monetary gains?
Imperative: The greatness of our faith does not consist in not having temptations at all but confronting them and overcoming them with trust in God and surrender to Him, following the example of Jesus{alertSuccess}