1st Sunday of lent year A

1st Sunday in lent year A

Temptations outside the desert.

On this 1st Sunday of lent year A, we reflect on how, why and which temptations can lead us to sin. We reflect also on the best strategies to overcome temptations as Christians today because every person here on earth is faced with temptations.

Before all else, let us have an overview of today’s Sunday readings. The first reading reminds us of how the original sin came into the world through Adam and eve who disobeyed God’s command. The second reading reminds us that even though we are sinners, Jesus Christ came to reconcile us with God and to save us from the original sin. Finally, in the Gospel passage, Jesus Christ encountered temptations 3 times in the desert but he overcame them by remaining faithful to God’s will.

How can we Understand Lenten period? It is a period that lasts 6 weeks with 46 days from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday. But we are supposed to Fast and pray for 40 days during lent? How do we arrive at 40 days of lent? When you count the days from ash Wednesday to the first Sunday of lent, there are 46 days. Now, from the First Sunday up to the 6th Sunday which is Palm Sunday, we therefore have 6 weeks times 7 days of a week to get 42 days. Now, let us take the 4 days that is from Ash Wednesday to the first Sunday of lent, add them to 42 days to get 46 days of lent in total. How do we get 40 days then? we take 46 days of lent in total minus the 6 Sundays because we don’t fast on Sundays, therefore we get 40 days. Of course, 40 is a very symbolic number in the Bible that means A generation, trials, preparations, and temptations for example, the people of Israel endured and experienced hardships while in the desert.

On this 1st Sunday of lent year A, we heard from the first reading that our parents in faith were just tempted once by Satan and they fell, whereas in the gospel passage, Jesus was tempted 3 times during his stay in the desert for 40 days and 40 nights, but he did not fall short of the glory of God. This shows that temptations are the sources of sin for man.

Let us now look at the 3 ways in which Jesus was tempted in the desert and what we can learn from it.

1. To change a stone into bread. When Jesus was hungry while in the desert, he was asked by Satan to change a stone in to bread to eat. This shows that Jesus is truly human because he felt hungry and the way he responded to Satan with some scriptural evidence, it shows that he is truly Divine too. In the first reading, when Adam and eve were tempted by the serpent, they ate the forbidden fruit. Another incidence would be, when the people of Israel were in the Desert, when they experienced hunger for food, they murmured and regretted why they left Egypt to come and die in the desert because of hunger. During this Lenten period, we are reminded to hunger and thirst for the word of God, to thirst to do charity work, to thirst to bring peace in our families, to thirst for justice for the unloved in our societies. During the way of the cross, let us meditate and pray that God’s grace enkindles the thirst in us to do his will in our life.

2. To throw himself from the top of the temple. The gospel text reports that Jesus was taken up on the top of the temple, then told by Satan to throw himself down because the angels would protect him against all injuries. On this, Jesus refused. What does it teach us today? Sometimes those who have wealth or money think that they can do anything in life without injuring themselves, but the truth of the matter is that in oppressing others, you end up bearing the consequences of their outcry. The higher you go in life, the humbler and loving you are expected to be. The final temptation to Jesus while in the desert is

3. Climbing on top of the mountain to see the glories of the world but own them if he could only worship Satan. For example, there are some people who will give you many gifts in life but they would also want to manipulate you. For Jesus, he refused by quoting a scriptural passage to Satan who left him. When Satan had left, the scripture says “the angels came and ministered to him”. Very beautiful ending of this story about temptations of Jesus. What does it mean to us? You have big kingdoms on earth but if you don’t have Christ as your king, you are not in the kingdom of God. As Christians today, how do we resolve the issues of land in our societies today? How many families perish because of wealth sharing?

On this 1st Sunday of lent year A, which spirit are we called to cultivate in our Christian life during this Lenten period?

1. We are tempted through our senses, our minds and our talents or skills. For example, a good accountant who uses his skills to forge some documents. During this Lenten period, refrain from misusing your skills to do bad but rather use it to build the common good for everyone in the society.

2. Temptations are trials to purify and solidify our faith in our Christian life. Jesus showed us an example by overcoming all temptations. Finally,

3. Sacrifice or create more time during this lent to be with God, with your family and to be with one another.

To conclude, on this 1st Sunday of lent year A, we are invited to pray more, to do fasting and to do charity to others including having more time with one another. May the grace of God accompany us during this Lenten period. AMEN.

HAVE A BLESSED SUNDAY!!!!!!