Sunday Meditation: The Temptations in the Desert

Today we start the Sunday Gospel readings for the season of Lent, and today is the First Sunday of Lent.  To fully understand the situation, we must go back several weeks to the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord.  Jesus has been baptized in the Jordan and directly goes into the desert to fast.  This parallels the Israelites passage through the Red Sea and spendong forty years in the desert where they face all sorts of temptations.  Jesus too at the end of forty days is faced with the devil who gives Him three temptations.  The Israelites failed in their temptations.  Jesus does not.

 

Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan

and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days,

to be tempted by the devil.

He ate nothing during those days,

and when they were over he was hungry.

The devil said to him,

“If you are the Son of God,

command this stone to become bread.”

Jesus answered him,

“It is written, One does not live on bread alone.”

Then he took him up and showed him

all the kingdoms of the world in a single instant.

The devil said to him,

“I shall give to you all this power and glory;

for it has been handed over to me,

and I may give it to whomever I wish.

All this will be yours, if you worship me.”

Jesus said to him in reply,

“It is written

            You shall worship the Lord, your God,

                        and him alone shall you serve.”

Then he led him to Jerusalem,

made him stand on the parapet of the temple, and said to him,

“If you are the Son of God,

throw yourself down from here, for it is written:

            He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,

 and:

            With their hands they will support you,

            lest you dash your foot against a stone.”

Jesus said to him in reply,

“It also says,

            You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.”

When the devil had finished every temptation,

he departed from him for a time.

~Lk 4:1-13

 

Fr. Joseph Mary of the Capuchin Franciscans in his sharp-pointed way explains the passage.

 

For the more pastoral homily, I want to introduce readers of my blog to Fr. Vincent Bernhard O.P. who seems to be doing the daily homilies at Our Sunday Visitor during Lent for Fr. Patrick Biscoe O.P.  I met Father Vincent at a Lay Dominican retreat this past October.  Fr. Vincent gave a wonderful spiritual talk on the nature of religious study, one of the four pillars of Dominican life.  The talk went along the line of eating the words.  It is impossible to reproduce but it was quite memorable.  At the end of Fr. Vincent’s homily, Fr. Briscoe makes an appearance to tell us he has moved to New York City.  I hope I can run into him at some Dominican event.  Here is Fr. Vincent’s homily. 

The desert as trial and triumph is not unique but I think the desert as creation and healing is uniquely insightful.

 

 

Sunday Meditation: “When the devil had finished every temptation, he departed from him for a time.”

 

 

Finally I want to provide a spiritual talk by Fr. Boniface Hicks OSB on the Lenten journey.  I have found Fr. Boniface very moving as he opens up our heart and the heart of Jesus.

 

For a hymn, let’s turn to John Michael Talbot’s “The Desert / Separated From All.”