Readings for Sunday, Lent 1 Year C - March 6, 2022
Image Credit: Photo by Bernd Dittrich on Unsplash
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Please listen to the audio recordings of the Mass – (Readings, prayers and homily), for the First Sunday of Lent. Year C - Sunday, MARCH 6, 2022 by clicking this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/faith-hope-and-love-ep-354-lent-1c-2022/s-FjRfLdm3ifs?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing
(EPISODE: 354)
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(Fr Paul Kelly)
The message, by Saint Paul (in the second reading) is really beautiful.... Especially where he says: "God's word is very near to you... It is on your lips and in your heart."
And it is important that God's word resides equally in both places. Not only on our lips but truly making its home in our hearts. Completely filling our hearts with its life-giving message.
In the gospel, the word of God is clearly in Our Lord's heart and mind, and soul and being... and also on his lips...
By contrast, the devil knows the Word of God and can quote it easily. It is indeed only on his lips. It is most certainly not in his heart, and he does not live this word that he speaks so glibly and he certainly does not love the Word. It is scenes like this gospel that surely inspired William Shakespeare to write: "The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose. An evil soul producing holy witness Is like a villain with a smiling cheek, A goodly apple rotten at the heart!" {William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice. Act I, Scene III}
Taking our cues from the Gospel today, we see Our Lord fasting and praying for forty days in the wilderness. There is a long tradition in Christianity, and it begins with the way Our Lord deals with temptation and with the devil in this week's Scripture. The tradition can be summed up like this: "Never enter into discussion with the tempter." Christ does not enter into long dialogues with temptation or with the adversary. He swiftly and efficiently dismisses the wiles of temptation and does not dwell on it. The evil one is the father of lies, so why lend an ear to distortion and falsehood.
And so, whether this Lent is about the extra things we do or the things we give up, let us do it with the deliberate intention of not permitting those conversations with Temptation to go very far in our lives. If there is fuel for values inconsistent with the good news of Jesus lying around in our daily routines, we should judiciously remove it. And if idle time itself is the "match that most often gets struck," we can strive to fill those spaces with good works, prayer, and healthier conversations.
Temptation may keep on talking, but if we're not giving it a hearing, it will go off to find a more appreciative and receptive, less discerning audience. Sadly, in this world, there is any number of people around who might like the company of the kind of flattery and sweet nothings that we witness being tried (quite unsuccessfully) on Christ in today's gospel.
In Lenten time, one not infrequently hears a person say: "I am going to try harder. I am going to put more effort, more willpower into not 'falling down' in those areas of weakness or sin that I struggle with time and time again. .... As commendable as this is, the danger is that it is actually focusing more and more attention on the areas we are trying to overcome. Giving it attention and in some ways entering into dialogue with temptation. Also, isn't this just patching up the fortress walls where they have already been breached? ... It would be more effective to work on the inside of the home so that if the enemy breached the outer perimeter once again, and entered, he would find no quarter. There would be nowhere to hide or to stay. No way ahead, only room for retreat.
Instead of desperately putting our energy into putting up more defences and focusing with fear on areas we desperately hope will not overtake us again, and if the defences fail, despite all our best willpower and attention, we are left utterly vulnerable and defeated. Better than, increasing our willpower, we can build up an inner immunity, (filled with everything positive), to the point that we are so full of the good things of God's virtues and grace that they completely crowd out anything harmful and there is no room for it to take hold inside.
"As we begin Lent we make our resolutions to practice some form of self-denial – often fostering particular good habits for our lives, such as intentionally taking more time and space for prayer, and giving of our resources to the poor and the needy.
But, Lent is not primarily about what WE do – It is more importantly about what GOD is doing. And how we cooperate with God's activity in our lives.
Basically, it is about "Opening ourselves up to God's love and being humble enough to admit our need for God, and our need to change….even if it would be easier and more comfortable to leave things as they are.
Our Lord was never content with just leaving things where they are... He lovingly chose to move out of his comfort zone to focus on what really matters.
After Jesus is baptized, he is led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where he experiences our human temptations to pre-empt the Heavenly Father's place in our lives. He feels the allure of being self-serving; of gaining worldly power over others; and of controlling or dominating things around him, (worldly understanding of the word).
But Our Lord displays true greatness by being attentive to his heavenly Father's word in scripture and confessing his faith that the Father has first place in his life. Temptation leads to losing our sense of priorities; and putting God down the list of our priorities.
Although Jesus is God the Son, he is also fully human and he was truly tempted just as we all are. Because he knows what temptation is like and overcomes it, he can empathise and help us in our temptation and YES, we too can overcome it, through re-ordering our life, our priorities, and our heart.
It is good at this time of Lenten reflection to ask ourselves in prayer:
Do I remember to offer God the first fruits of my own efforts?
Do I nurture the virtue of gratitude in my heart?
Jesus rejects Satan's temptations of immediate gratification, power, and safety. How am I doing in regard to these temptations in my own life?
What help do I find in the traditional practices of Lent: prayer, fasting, practical help to the needy?
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References:
Fr Paul W. Kelly
William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice. Act I, Scene III, Prepare the Word;
(February 10, 2008—First Sunday of Lent), https://preparetheword.com ).
Image: Photo by Bernd Dittrich on Unsplash
First Sunday of Lent. Year A (Sunday, February 26, 2023) (EPISODE: 354)
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The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all..
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{{Hi}}. Welcome. everyone, we gather - Listen to God's Word and contemplate the sacraments.
Brothers and sisters, the Lord is full of love and mercy. And so, as we prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries, let us acknowledge our sins.
Lord Jesus, you healed the sick: Lord, have mercy//Lord Jesus, you forgave sinners: Christ, have mercy//Lord Jesus, you give us yourself to heal us and bring us strength: Lord, have mercy.
May Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.
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GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (Romans 5:12-19). Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ, king of endless Glory. No one lives on bread alone. But on every word that comes from the mouth of God.
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Memorial Acclamation
3. Save us, Saviour of the world, for by your Cross and Resurrection you have set us free.
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PREFACE: Sundays Ordinary IV
Ep II
(theme variation: have Mercy )
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{Cheers and thanks everyone for this time of prayer and reflection - I hope you have a blessed week. }
Go forth, the Mass is ended.
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Archive of homilies and reflections: http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au
To contact Fr. Paul, please email: paulwkelly68@gmail.com
To listen to my weekly homily audio podcast, please click this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks
You are welcome to subscribe to Fr Paul's homily mail-out by sending an email to this address: paulkellyreflections+subscribe@googlegroups.com
Further information relating to the audio productions linked to this Blog:
"Faith, Hope and Love - Christian worship and reflection" - Led by Rev Paul Kelly
Prayers and chants — Roman Missal, 3rd edition, © 2010, The International Commission on English in the liturgy. (ICEL)
Scriptures - New Revised Standard Version: © 1989, and 2009 by the NCC-USA. (National Council of Churches of Christ - USA)
"The Psalms" ©1963, 2009, The Grail - Collins publishers.
Prayers of the Faithful - " Together we pray" by Robert Borg'. E.J. Dwyer, Publishers, (1993) . (Sydney Australia).
"Quiet Time." Instrumental Reflection music. Written by Paul W Kelly. 1988, 2007. & This arrangement: Stefan Kelk, 2020.
Lenten Hymn: "Have Mercy," inspired by Psalm 50(51). Music by Paul W. Kelly. Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2020. https://www.airgigs.com/user/stefankelk
[ Production - KER - 2022]
May God bless and keep you.
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