Posted: 2/16/2013 5:23:09 PM EDT
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First Reading:
Deuteronomy 26:4-10 4. And the priest, taking up the basket from your hand, shall place it before the altar of the Lord your God. 5. And you shall say, in the sight of the Lord your God: ‘The Syrian pursued my father, who descended into Egypt, and he sojourned there in a very small number, and he increased into a great and strong nation and into an innumerable multitude. 6. And the Egyptians afflicted us, and they persecuted us, imposing upon us the most grievous burdens. 7. And we cried out to the Lord, the God of our fathers. He heard us, and he looked with favor upon our humiliation, and hardship, and distress. 8. And he led us away from Egypt, with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, with a mighty terror, with signs and wonders. 9. And he led us into this place, and he delivered to us the land flowing with milk and honey. 10. And because of this, I now offer the first fruits of the land which the Lord has given to me.’ And you shall leave them in the sight of the Lord your God, and you shall adore the Lord your God. Psalm: Psalms 91:1-2,10-15 (cf. 15b) Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble. You who dwell in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty, say to the LORD, “My refuge and fortress, my God in whom I trust.” Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble. No evil shall befall you, nor shall affliction come near your tent, For to his angels he has given command about you, that they guard you in all your ways. Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble. Upon their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone. You shall tread upon the asp and the viper; you shall trample down the lion and the dragon. Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble. Because he clings to me, I will deliver him; I will set him on high because he acknowledges my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in distress; I will deliver him and glorify him. Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble. Second Reading: Romans 10:8-13 8. But what does Scripture say? “The word is near, in your mouth and in your heart.” This is the word of faith, which we are preaching. 9. For if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and if you believe in your heart that God has raised him up from the dead, you shall be saved. 10. For with the heart, we believe unto justice; but with the mouth, confession is unto salvation. 11. For Scripture says: “All those who believe in him shall not be confounded.” 12. For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek. For the same Lord is over all, richly in all who call upon him. 13. For all those who have called upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Gospel: Luke 4:1-13 1. And Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan. And he was urged by the Spirit into the wilderness 2. for forty days, and he was tested by the devil. And he ate nothing in those days. And when they were completed, he was hungry. 3. Then the devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, speak to this stone, so that it may be made into bread.” 4. And Jesus answered him, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’ ” 5. And the devil led him onto a high mountain, and he showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, 6. and he said to him: “To you, I will give all this power, and its glory. For they have been handed over to me, and I give them to whomever I wish. 7. Therefore, if you will worship before me, all will be yours.” 8. And in response, Jesus said to him: “It is written: ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and you shall serve him alone.’ ” 9. And he brought him to Jerusalem, and he set him on the parapet of the temple, and he said to him: “If you are the Son of God, cast yourself down from here. 10. For it is written that he has given his Angels charge over you, so that they may guard you, 11. and so that they may take you into their hands, lest perhaps you may hurt your foot against a stone.” 12. And in response, Jesus said to him, “It is said: ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’ ” 13. And when all the temptation was completed, the devil withdrew from him, until a time. Overview of the Gospel: • In this Sunday’s reading, Jesus has just come from being baptized by John the Baptist. It was here that the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove descended upon him, and God’s voice from heaven identified him as his beloved Son (Luke 3:21 and following). • Immediately after this he was led by the Spirit (Mark 1:12 says he was driven) into the desert to be tempted by Satan. His fasting for 40 days calls to mind many significant Old Testament events that also involved 40 days—Noah in the ark (Genesis 7:12), Moses on Mt. Sinai (Exodus 24:18), and Jonah in Nineveh (Jonah 3:4). • Jesus’ temptation mirrors that of notable Old Testament figures (Adam, Moses, the Israelites in the wilderness) who were also tempted. The difference is that Jesus is successful in resisting, atoning for the failure of those who came before. • Jesus shows that he can empathize with us in that he was subject to temptation just as we are (see Hebrews 2:18; 4:15). He also shows us how to resist the devil. Questions: • Why were the temptations directed at Jesus immediately after he was affirmed by God at his baptism (Luke 3:22)? • In each temptation, what was its appeal? Its price? How does Jesus resist them? How are the three temptations similar? Different? • What does it mean to you that all the power and glory of the kingdoms of the world have been given to Satan (verses 5-6. See also John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11)? • If the devil had three shots at you, what temptations would he use? What resources does God give to help us resist? • In verse 12, Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6:16. What does it mean to “tempt the Lord, your God”? How is that different from “taking a step out in faith”? What is your own experience in this regard? • In the First Reading, on the verge of their entry into the Promised Land, Moses reminds the Israelites of all that God has done for them to bring them to this point. How are they to show their gratitude to God once they have taken possession of the land? How do you show gratitude to the Lord for all the good he has done for you? How do you “give to God what belongs to God” (Matthew 21:22)? |
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• What does it mean to you that all the power and glory of the kingdoms of the world have been
given to Satan (verses 5-6. See also John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11)? Yep! These few lines really jumped out at me at tonight's readings during the Vigil Mass. Here's the way I read all this: Earthly (temporal) power is not godly; it is not spiritual. God has seen to it that earthly rulers exercise merely physical dominion and control over their subjects. Jesus refers to Satan as the "ruler of this world." Christ recognizes Satan as the present ruler of the world. However, Satan does not rule alone. He has a whole army of fallen angels, called demons, at his disposal. St. Paul refers to these evil rulers in his letter to the Ephesians. "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12). So when we look at these three passages from John: Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. Jn 12:31 I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me, Jn 14:30 and and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. Jn 16:11, I realize that God has permitted (or suffered, as it were) Satan to be in change of this material, earthly realm, PENDING JESUS' RETURN! And that's the key to it--Satan rules here on earth, until Jesus comes again. That's why we are here--to know, honor, love and serve God; to make this earth a better place pending our Lord's return. In profound mysterious ways, Satan has a part to play in God's redemptive plan. The Devil is in control down here, until the second coming. A few of my personal observations: can you imagine fasting for 40 days, being so weakened by hunger-and then being confronted by pure evil--the essence of supreme malevolence and meeting it head on and utterly denying it and therefore defeating it? plus, can't you see in our Lord and Savior that power that says: "You're done for Satan; you loose! We win in the end! I and the Father and the Holy Spirit knew from the beginning that we made time that we would defeat you and redeem mankind!" And yet another point leaps out at me: Satan--the Father of Lies--fell from grace and God's holy presence in heaven 'like a lightening bolt' for his disobedience. And where did he land? Yep--The Adversary fell right down on earth, where he trys to entice and snatch souls away from God's love. So Jesus' earthly incarnation--literally his bodily "walk among us" shows us the way and path to salvation. Our blessed Lord is entirely obedient to the Father, even unto death to love and to save us all and redeem a fallen humanity. WHAT POWER! 
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