Brothers and Sisters,

Today, we celebrate the first Sunday of Lent. Our Scripture readings of today remind us that none of us is free from temptations and testing times. The first Adam was tested and failed. The second Adam, Jesus, also was tested. But he withstood the test and remained faithful to who he was and to the purpose for which he came.   The Scripture readings of today also remind us of the gift of Grace that is always available to us, to enable us and empower us to walk faithfully even during testing and trying times. In the second reading of today (Romans 5:12-19) St. Paul reminds us of the abundance of Grace that is available to us. The grace of God and the gracious gift of Jesus overflow for all people. Sin has come through disobedience. Grace has overflowed through the obedience of Jesus, says St. Paul. Let us put our confidence in the Grace of God, especially during our difficult moments, as we continue our journey through life.

Today’s first Scripture reading speaks of man and woman living in a land of abundance in total communion with God, with themselves and nature (Genesis 2:7-9, 3:1-7). In the midst of such abundance of grace, they faced temptations, testing times and failed to be true to what God made them to be and lost their sense of God and of themselves as God’s special creatures made in His image. They made poor choices and lost the blessings they had. We too live in a land of abundance and are constantly being tested by the world around us. We are being challenged to make good and wise choices that reflect who we are. It is up to us to choose the call of God’s grace or yield to the temptations of the world around us.

The Gospel reading of today (Luke 4:1-13) speaks of Jesus being tempted in the wilderness, rising above the temptations to a new power and strength and coming to call people to repentance and new life in the Kingdom of God. We meet Jesus making a deliberate choice of method to fulfill his mission and rejecting methods contrary to God's Will. Jesus went to the wilderness to be alone. God had spoken to him.  He was given a Mission. He had to be alone with God and discern his plans before he began to fulfill his mission.

Certain things must be worked out alone with God. Certain times, a person must stop doing and start thinking and praying. Each person must give himself/herself a chance to be alone with God. Being alone with God, Prayerful discernment, Reflective Living, Solitude, etc. are all values that we must cherish and cultivate. Try to include a few quiet moments into your daily schedule for reflection and prayer during this season of Lent.

To read more of this Sunday’s reflection, please click on the links below…..