First Reading : Deut. 26:4-10
Ps. 91:1-2,10-11,12-13,14-15
Second Reading : Rom 10:8-13
Gospel: Lk 4:1-13
Temptations are intimately associated with our day to day life. No
human being is exempted from being tempted.
The creation account in the Book of Genesis exposes the temptation to
which our first parents yielded in the Garden of Eden and its
consequences. The list of temptations
can be exhaustive and endless. Temptation for forbidden food and drinks that
can cause even health problems; temptation
for bodily pleasures, temptation for gossiping; temptation to cover up the
faults and failures; temptation to seek
after and postings and positions that will bring power and prestige while
avoiding hardships and sufferings; temptations to associate with the rich and the
powerful; temptation to go after things that can grant instant gratification;
temptation to be always connected with social media; temptation to disobey
etc., etc...
Gospel reading of today in
the Holy Mass taken from Luke 4: 1-13 speaks of the three temptations that
Jesus undergone in the desert after 40 days of prayer and fasting as the
preparation for his public ministry entrusted to him by his heavenly Father
that he is going to carry out according to His plan and the will. The devil uses this occasion to trap Jesus to
his side proposing sneaky ways and easy methods whereby Jesus could easily
access to food, power and prestige.
Jesus defeated the devil and his proposals with the power that he gained
from his forty days of intimacy with his Father and set a model to us not to go
after easily available ways and means that can provide with instant
gratification going against the will of God. To withstand and overcome the
temptations coming from our enemy the devil in our daily life intimacy with the
Lord and the Word of God are the sure means. Peter says, “Like a roaring lion your
adversary the devil prows around, looking for someone to devour (1 Pet 5:8) and
Paul admonishes to “Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his
power. Put on the whole armour of God so
that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Eph 6:10-11). Let this season of Lent be a time of intimacy
with the Lord and thus we can know and do the will of God in our lives defeating
the trap of the devil.
By - Fr. Maria Arul CMF
arulcmf@gmail.com
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