As we begin our Lenten journey, let us embrace the memory of how God delivered the Israelites from oppression and empowered Jesus to reject temptation related to hunger, power and irrational dependency on others. Also, let us be inspired by St. Paul to express our faith in thanksgiving and active service of others.
In the First Reading from Deuteronomy (26:4-10), we’re reminded of God’s saving actions and God’s delivering the Israelites into their own land, filled with abundance. We also heard that God moved the Israelites to express gratitude to God by offering the first fruits of their harvest. Just as God demonstrated merci-ful care via saving acts in the past, we believe that God continues to do so in our present day.
In the Gospel, St. Luke (4:1-13) reveals that Jesus, filled with the Spirit, rejected temptations relevant to his time and ours. Do we hunger for perishable things, power or fame, or dependency more on others than God? Let us be inspired by Luke’s faith-filled testimony and let us open ourselves to greater faith and reliance on God’s work in us.
In the Second Reading, St. Paul (Rom. 10:8-13) tells us that there’s no separation of the heart (our interior spirituality) and the mouth (our exterior actions) because our loving actions flow from our inner expression of our faith. What’s more, this applies to all peoples!
So, during this Lent, let us actively seek to deepen our faithful dependence on God through prayer and let us express that faith in thankful worship and loving care/service of others.
