Pastor's Message

1st Sunday of Lent

"Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil."  Matthew 4.1

           Last Wednesday we began our Lenten penitential journey with a Mass where we had the imposition of ashes. The ashes reminded us how fragile earthly life is and directed us to Christ, who, with his passion and resurrection, rescued us from the slavery of sin and death.

          St. Paul, in the second reading, that day, called us to, “the acceptable time;” A time of reconciling ourselves to God. Lent is the acceptable time; A time of receiving the Grace of God with greater openness.

          In this Acceptable time, the Church calls us to a time of prayer; because in prayer, we abandon ourselves totally into the hands of God and from Him, we await the true peace. The Church also call us, to a time of fasting: for in fasting, we show our prevalence for God, Our Creator rather than the Created; And we prepare our Hearts to receive God’s greatest gift and privileged sign of his Kingdom; His Son.

          Lent is also a time of Charity; A time of works of Mercy and justice; when we participate in the Love of God, who provides for his every son and daughter created in his own Image. Isaiah 58: 1-9; “Why do you say we fast and you do not see it, afflict ourselves and you do not take note. Lo, on your fast you carry out your own pursuits, … your fast ends up in quarreling and fighting; Is this the fasting I wish? This is the Fasting that I wish, release those bound unjustly, set free the oppressed, share your bread with the hungry shelter the homeless.”

         Today, the Gospel narrates to us the Temptations of Jesus.  Let us remember that the Temptations followed Christ’s Baptism by John, the Baptist. Jesus; He who was without sin, accepted the Baptism of John, a Baptism of Repentance, as an Act of acceptance of the Mission and Will of the His Father. In His Baptism, The Holy Spirit, descended on Him and anointed Him for the Mission. The Father approved this Act of Acceptance in His Proclamation; “This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased.”

          After Baptism, we read Jesus was led by “the Spirit into the Desert to be tempted by the Devil.” The desert was a place of hardship; the Israelites had experienced this. The desert also is a place where the Israelites encountered God and became a Nation. Israel however miserably failed God; Jesus on his side, is the faithful Israelite, who overcame every temptation of the Devil. Jesus, vanquishes the power of evil through the Spirit and obedience to the Father.

          In this penitential journey, in preparation to celebrate the festivities of our salvation, every disciple of Christ is called to be attentive to the Presence of God, in his Creation and Liturgies, as Christ offers himself as a revelation of the Father. Let us pray for an increase of faith and trusting reliance in God’s graciousness, that leads to victory. Let us stay alert and awake.

          The Gospel reading today ends; “When the Devil had finished every test, he departed from him, to return, at an opportune time.”