Saturday, February 21, 2015

 

1st SUNDAY OF LENT

February 22, 2015 – 1st SUNDAY OF LENT

Cycle B, Violet

 

Gn 9: 8-15 / 1 Pt 3: 18-22 / Mk 1: 12-15

 

First Reading: Gn 9: 8-15 

     God spoke to Noah and his son, "See I am making a covenant with you and with your descendants after you; also with every living animal with you: birds, cattle, that is, with every living creature of the earth that came out of the ark. I establish my covenant with you. Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth."

     God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I make between me and you, and every animal living with you for all future generations. I set my bow in the clouds and it will be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember the covenant between me and you and every kind of living creature, so that never again will floodwaters destroy all flesh.

 

Second Reading: 1 Pt 3: 18-22

     Remember how Christ died, once and for all, for our sins. He, the just one, died for the unjust in order to lead us to God. In the body he was put to death, in the Spirit he was raised to life, and it was then that he went to preach to the imprisoned spirits. They were the generation who did not believe when God, in his great patience, delayed punishing the world while Noah was building the ark in which a small group of eight persons escaped through water. That was a type of the baptism that now saves you; this baptism is not a matter of physical cleansing but of asking God to reconcile us through the resurrection of Christ Jesus. He has ascended to heaven and is at the right hand of God, having subjected the angels, Dominations and Powers.

 

Gospel: Mk 1:12-15

     Then the Spirit drove him into the desert. Jesus stayed in the desert forty days and was tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, but angels ministered to him. After John was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee and began preaching the Good News of God. He said, "The time has come; the kingdom of God is at hand. Change your ways and believe the Good News."

 

Reflection:

     Sometime in 1988 Jimmy Swaggart, a well-known American TV preacher, confessed on public TV his infidelity to his wife, his son and his daughter-in-law. This ended his multi-million dollar world-wide TV preaching ministry. One may then ask, "What tempts one to risk all and basically achieve nothing?" There are also some in positions of power and influence who do not let their power and influence change their lives: the President of Uruguay lives with his wife in a small farm, drives an old Volkswagen and donates most of his salary to the poor.

     The First Sunday of Lent tells us how Jesus handled temptations and how the devil and the powers of evil operate.

     Jesus starts his public ministry by prayer and fasting in the desert for forty days. Jesus is both God and man; the devil is able to tempt him as man. The Gospel reading from Mark tells us that "he was tempted by Satan." Matthew (Mt 4: 1-11) and Luke (Lk 4: 4-13) give fuller details of Jesus being tempted by Satan. Satan tempted him to lead him away from the plan and will of the Father; Satan even makes use of Scripture to divert Jesus from the Father's will; Jesus repels the devil with another Scripture passage.

     From the desert Jesus begins his preaching, "The time has come; the kingdom of God is at hand. Change your ways and believe the Good News." He tells the people that the long-awaited redemption is at hand, that they should reform their ways and lives.

     What are the temptations met by today's followers of Christ? One would be the worship of false gods: most obvious is the cult of money and wealth. Though money and wealth are not in themselves evil, the fascination, pursuit and enjoyment of money and wealth could easily lead to evil. We need and commend hard work; we need resourceful, creative fund managers and wise investors. But we do not need greedy entrepreneurs, dishonest businessmen and public servants and those willing and ready to trample rights of others in their pursuit of money and success. We must always remember that money and wealth should be used for us and all others to live good lives.

     It is also so easy to misuse and abuse otherwise useful and needed gadgets and tools. We can waste so much time and money on computers and the internet. Computers and the internet are very useful and helpful; yet they should not control our lives.

     Science and technology are not a replacement for God and religion. Advances in science and technology can tempt us to forget and ignore God, prayer and our faith.

     Lent is a special season of grace in the Church to help us transform our lives and ourselves in response to Christ's urgent message that "the kingdom of God is at hand. Change our ways and believe in Good News." It is a grace-filled season to join our Lord in his ministry, passion and death and to prepare for his glorious and joyful resurrection.

   

   

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER DIARY INTENTIONS:

 

BIRTHDAY

AUGUSTO BENGZON

  CHE B. CONCEPTION

  

OTHER INTENTIONS:

For the successful surgery, healing and recovery of Iris Santos Lasin.

 

For the successful operation, speedy recovery and complete healing of Agnes Bacani

 

Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our prayers and for those who need our prayers the most. 

 

Have a good day!

 

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