March 05, 2017
First Sunday of Lent
Jesus is led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. Troubled -- one may ask: “Will a parent lead a child into harm’s way to fail?†We misunderstand the word “tempt†as only leading someone to sin. In the Bible it can be a “testing†to be faithful. The Hebrew people are tested in the desert before they can enter the Promised Land. At his baptism at the Jordan River, Jesus sees the Spirit of God descending like a dove upon him and hears the voice of God: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.†Now in the desert Jesus is “tested†to be an obedient son unlike Every Man & Woman (Adam and Eve) who are deceived.
Jesus is “tested†by Satan to use his power to satisfy his own hunger; to do something sensational to impress the crowd; and to gain the kingdoms of the world by compromising with the devil. It is a sin we read or hear about everyday: the abuse of power! Jesus remains faithful as God’s beloved Son.
Lent is a special season when we embrace the spiritual disciplines of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. But Lent is very much about baptism! Catechumens are preparing to be initiated during the Easter Vigil. The “testing†for us is whether or not we are willing to renew our baptismal promises by renouncing evil; professing our Catholic faith; and committing ourselves to follow Jesus even when the path leads to the cross.
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8th Sunday Ordinary
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Second Sunday of Lent
