First Sunday of Lent - Year A
March 5, 2017
Gospel: Mt 4:1-11
At that time Jesus was led by the Spirit into the
desert to be
tempted (1) by the devil. He fasted (2) for forty days and forty nights, and
afterwards he was hungry. The tempter (3) approached and said to him, "If you are
the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread." He said
in reply, "It is written: One does not live on bread alone, but on every
word that comes forth from the mouth of God."
Then the devil took him to the holy city, and made him
stand on the parapet
(4) 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 with their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against
a stone." Jesus answered him, "Again it is written, You shall not put
the Lord, your God, to the test." Then the devil took him up to a very
high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their
magnificence, and he said to him, "All these I shall give to you, if you
will prostrate
(5)
yourself and worship me." At this, Jesus said to him, "Get away, Satan!
It is written: The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you
serve."
Then the devil left him and, behold, angels came and
ministered to him.
http://www.usccb.org
The difficult words
(1)To be tempted is to be tested or challenged to
see whether one chooses good or evil.
(2)To fast is to give up certain foods, to eat less as a
sacrifice to God.
(3)The tempter, the one who tests others, is
the devil.
(4)A parapet is a ledge along a rooftop,
like the place where soldiers would stand on top of a castle wall.
(5)To prostrate is to bow down in respect.
This week’s spotlight
The desert
The desert is an important place in the Bible. It is a
quiet place to meet God, to think deeply, and to have a change of heart. It can
also be a place of hunger thirst, or attack from some dangerous creature. The
desert is thus a symbol for those times in life when our faith is tested. Though such times are difficult,
they actually help us grow closer to God. Lent is our yearly retreat to the
desert.
Neither "Glory to God' nor "Alleluia!"
During Lent, we leave out the "Glory to God"
and "Alleluia" at Mass. We will miss them! That doesn’t mean that
Lent has to be sad. It means that Lent is a quiet time of prayer in preparation
for a new and greater joy at Easter: Just as we need variety in our food, our
work, and our play, so we need a change of seasons in our prayer. When Easter
comes, we can pray and sing these words filled with renewed joy!
Reflection
It's not easy to obey!
The Gospel says that the Holy Spirit led
Jesus into the desert. He had just heard the Father’s voice at his baptism:
“This is my beloved Son.” Now Jesus hears a different voice, a voice that
questions the Father’s words: “If you are the Son of God...” Jesus knows that
the devil is tempting him to doubt the Father’s love, to forget his mission,
and to disobey God. Jesus isn’t fooled. He knows that the Father loves him, and
that the devil is a liar.
We sometimes feel like we are in the
desert. We, too, are tempted to listen to a voice inside that says: “You are
bad; no one loves you.” The same voice tempts us to believe that we will find
happiness if we disobey God. These are lies. Jesus didn’t fall for them, and
neither should we.
Learn to tell the difference between God’s
voice and the other voices. Let’s listen to God’s voice alone and obey his
commandments with joy.
Discussion questions
1.Where does Jesus go for forty days and forty nights?
2.How does Jesus show his love for God?
3.How does the devil try to tempt Jesus?
4.Does Jesus give in to temptation?
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, I thank
you for this communion in the body and blood of
Jesus. We do not live on bread alone, but on your Word. Strengthen our trust in
your love, and our courage in the face of temptation.
This week…
Listen to the word of God
Take a Bible and choose any of
the four Gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John. Each evening until Easter,
read a little bit about the life of Jesus. Do you notice the man ways in which
Jesus listens and obeys?
Don't be bossy
Jesus saved us by listening to
the Father and obeying his will in everything. We, too, are called to listen
and obey. This week, don't give orders to your little brothers or sisters or
the younger children at school. Instead of being bossy, try to listen to what
they have to say.
Crossword Puzzle
Source: usccb.org
- Magnifikid - sermons4kids.com – rclblectionary.com
–usccb.org/bible/readings-audio.cfm