First Sunday of Lent – Year C
February 14, 2016
Gospel: Lk 4:1-13
Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the
Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days, to be tempted (1)
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 (2) 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 (3) 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 (4)." When the devil had finished every temptation, he
departed from him for a time.
The difficult words
(1) To tempt means to try to persuade a
person to do something that is not good.
(2) To worship means to bow down in prayer and
praise as if to God.
(3) A parapet is a ledge along a rooftop,
like the place where soldiers would stand on top of a castle wall.
(4) To put someone to the test means to challenge someone to
prove something, or to try to trick him.
This week’s spotlight
Neither "Glory to God"
nor Alleluia
Not singing "Glory to God" or Alleluia is a little like going
without food. At the end of a fast, we are very hungry and food has a renewed
flavor. In the same way, we go without singing joyful songs of praise during
Lent so that the joy of the resurrection that bursts forth at Easter really has
the taste of something new. On Easter morning, the bells will ring as we
joyously sing God's glory with the Gloria.
The desert
The desert is an important place in the Bible. It is sometimes also
called the wilderness. It is a place that makes a person think and pray. It is
also a scary place, and this makes people who go there put more of their trust
in God, because there is little or no food, water; or shelter. A person who
goes into the desert often finds himself or herself in silence, alone with God.
In monasteries, monks and nuns isolate themselves for a period of time in order
to pray more intensely. During these times, it is said that they go into the
desert. For all of us, Lent is also a time "in the desert "a time to
put away distractions, to pray, and to trust more in God.
Reflection
Tempted to the easy way
Jesus faces temptation in the desert. He is tempted to use his power as
God to turn stones to bread and to jump off the temple rooftop without getting
hurt. He is tempted to take an easy kingdom of power and riches instead of
facing suffering for the kingdom of love. We can face the same temptations when
we want our lives to be easy. We can think of prayer as a way to make God give
us what we want. That's not how it works. Prayers are not magic words. God is a
person, not a force that we can use as we wish. God doesn't make deals with us.
He loves us! He gives us what we need because he cares about us, and he
wants us to trust in his love. Our power as Christians doesn't come from the
magic to get things the easy way, but from the faith that surrenders everything
to God, from the love that faces difficulties with courage and hope. Lent is a
time to face our temptations, a time to rediscover that God is with us -
especially when things aren't easy.
Discussion questions
1.Where did the Spirit lead Jesus to to be tempted?
2. How long did Jesus fast?
3. What were the three things that the devil
tempted Jesus to do?
4. Was Jesus
tempted by the devil?
5. Why can’t the
devil tempt Jesus?
Praying after Communion
After
receiving Holy Communion,
you can say this prayer silently to yourself. If you
have not yet
received your First Communion, you can still say this prayer because of your desire to
receive Jesus.
Father, through Jesus, in
communion with the whole Church, I thank you for coming into my heart. May this
communion in the body and blood of Jesus strengthen me to face temptation. Help
me to go through Lent with a spirit of love and sacrifice.
This week...
Meet God in the desert
Jesus went to the desert alone to
pray and prepare for his mission. This week, try to spend a few minutes alone
in silence each day. Pray to God in your heart and entrust all your cares to
him.
Crossword Puzzle
