Reading I
Moses spoke to the people, saying:
“The priest shall receive the basket from you
and shall set it in front of the altar of the LORD, your God.
Then you shall declare before the Lord, your God,
‘My father was a wandering Aramean
who went down to Egypt with a small household
and lived there as an alien.
But there he became a nation
great, strong, and numerous.
When the Egyptians maltreated and oppressed us,
imposing hard labor upon us,
we cried to the LORD, the God of our fathers,
and he heard our cry
and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression.
He brought us out of Egypt
with his strong hand and outstretched arm,
with terrifying power, with signs and wonders;
and bringing us into this country,
he gave us this land flowing with milk and honey.
Therefore, I have now brought you the firstfruits
of the products of the soil
which you, O LORD, have given me.’
And having set them before the LORD, your God,
you shall bow down in his presence.”
Gospel
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 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 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 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.”
When the devil had finished every temptation,
he departed from him for a time.
Reflection
For the season of Lent, we accompany Christ on His forty-day fast in the desert, which we read about in today’s Gospel. Jesus was preparing for His mission, and Lent is our season of preparation for Christ’s death and resurrection. The Lenten practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving are tailored to purify the desires that so often get the best of us, so we can better unite ourselves to Christ in His total self-giving sacrifice.
Just as Satan tells Jesus to transform stones to bread while He is fasting, the Devil attempts to draw us away from our holy resolutions by offering pleasures. Fasting fortifies us against this temptation by refiningour desire for pleasure. By abstaining from lawful goods, such as various foods or entertainment, we learn how to put our desire for pleasure in its place. Fasting reminds us that “man does not live on bread alone” and gives us practice in saying “no” so that we are always ready to reject sin.
The Devil also tempts Jesus to turn away from God and receive “all the kingdoms of the world.” Again, Satan uses the same tactic on us. He appeals to our desire for possessions and power to justify sin.Almsgiving heals our excessive desire for possessions. Rather than letting ourselves be controlled by our desire to amass wealth or status, we focus on showing generosity to others. Instead of prioritizingpersonal gain, we focus on building up others. Remembering that everything we possess is given to us by God, we echo the words from our first reading and offer up “the firstfruits of the products of the soilwhich you, O LORD, have given me.”
Lastly, Satan tempts Jesus to be prideful. He suggests that Jesus end His life before the appointed time and test that God would send angels to save Him. The Devil likewise caters to our pride—tempting us towards self-obsession rather than self-giving love. Prayer addresses our pride.Rather than presuming our own importance, we commit time and attention to praising and abiding with a Being who is infinitely greater than ourselves. Prayer deepens our relationship with God, and it brings us into humble self-gift, rather than prideful self-inflation.
On this First Sunday of Lent, I invite you to commit or recommit to some form of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Join me in asking Our Lord to give us the grace to grow closer to Him by these practices. As we walk with Jesus in the Desert, let us seek to be better lovers of our neighbors and Our Maker.
Please be assured of my prayers for you before Our Lord, present in the Most Blessed Sacrament.
+ Bishop Schlert
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