Sunday Readings
“Without the burden of afflictions, it is impossible to reach the height of grace. The gift of grace increases as the struggle increases.”
-St. Rose of Lima
You rejoice when the rain waters the earth and the plants and flowers in your field grow and blossom. Why do you find prayer, fasting, and good works, which make you grow in virtue and Grace a burden to bear?
My Dearest Friends in Christ,
Welcome to the Season of Lent, the Season of Grace and Repentance. May our prayers, fasting, and almsgiving this Season renew our innermost being, transform our lives and draw us closer to Christ our Savior who suffered and died for our sins.
In our liturgical life, we have many seasons, each highlighting a significant and symbolic aspect of the mysteries of our redemption. Lent is one of those seasons in the Church’s life when we declare war on sin to experience the outpouring of Grace for our redemption. Just as the seasons of nature maintain order in nature, so do the seasons of the Church maintain order in our spiritual life and journey.
The history of a people has significant or special moments that mark a turning point, or a culmination of their collective struggles, successes, and achievements. For the Israel of old, the Passover Feast was a significant point in their history as God’s people. As Christians and the people of the new Israel, the Lenten Season is a very significant part of the history of our salvation. It is a time we relive the very mysteries that brought us salvation. Without the Lenten season, the history of our redemption is incomplete. Hence Lent is a Season of Seasons.
In this special Season of Grace, we need these spiritual instruments to tap into the Grace of the Season: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Fasting, is learning to change our attitude towards others and all of creation. It is a turning away from the temptation to “devour” everything simply to satisfy our pleasures. Fasting prepares us to suffer for love, which can fill the emptiness of our hearts. When we fast we kill the pride that accumulates within us, like fat deposits do in our muscles. We become lighter and humbler to allow God to take control. Prayer teaches us to abandon idolatry and the self-sufficiency of our ego, and to acknowledge our need for God and His Mercy. Almsgiving is that spiritual instrument whereby we escape from the insanity of hoarding everything for ourselves in the illusory belief that we can secure a future that does not belong to us. Be generous to the poor, let go of what has been lying unused in your bank account, wardrobe, bedroom, kitchen, or office. Someone out there needs them.
We have all sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God(cf. Rom 3:23), so we need this Season to make reparation for our sins. If you say you are without sin then you don’t need this Season. Yet, I strongly encourage you to refer to 1 John 1:8. If you do, then take it seriously because this opportunity may not come by again. Do not take this Season as usual. This might be your last. Seek God now. He is still near and can be found.(cf. Isaiah 55:6)
The readings of today, especially the Gospel of Luke, narrate the temptation of Jesus. The devil was trying to prevent Jesus from accomplishing His mission of saving mankind from the bondage of sin. First, he tempted Jesus to use His Divine Power for Jesus’ own convenience; second, with the temptation to become the political Messiah of Jewish expectations, and lastly to avoid suffering and death.
The temptations in the life of Jesus came at a time when Jesus was most vulnerable to fall. It came at a time when He was preparing for a great mission. The devil is a great timer. He knows when we are weak and vulnerable to fall. He knows when we are about to embark on a mission that will benefit others. He knows what we are desperately in need of and tempts us with that. That is why a powerful and prayerful preparation, a desert experience, is needed to strengthen our body and soul against the temptations and allurements of the modern world, lest we fall so cheaply or get distracted from our mission. We are not immune to temptations. If God was tempted then we too must be put to test. The assurance is this, God will never tempt us nor allow us to be tempted beyond our strength. Will He permit us to be tempted? Sure! But why? Here are the five reasons given by the Fathers. i) so that we can learn by experience that with God we are indeed stronger than the tempter; ii) to prevent us from becoming conceited over having God’s gifts; iii) that the devil may receive proof that we have completely renounced him; iv) that by the struggle we may become even stronger, and v) that we may realize how precious is the Grace we have received.
Like Jesus, every one of us is tempted. We are tempted to seek sinful pleasures, easy wealth, or a position of authority. We are drawn to the use of unjust or sinful means to attain good ends. Jesus sets a model for conquering temptations through prayer, penance, and the effective use of the ‘‘Word of God.” Temptations make us true warriors of God by strengthening our minds and hearts. We are never tempted beyond the strength God gives us. In his first letter, St. John assures us: “The One Who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4) Hence, during Lent, let us confront our evil tendencies with prayer (especially by participating in the Holy Mass), with penance, and with the meditative reading of the Bible. Knowledge of the Bible prepares us for the moment of temptation by enabling us “…to know Jesus more clearly, to love Him more dearly and to follow him more nearly, day by day.“ –William Barclay
Please Keep these in Mind
a)to participate in the Mass each day or at least a few days in the week; b) to set aside some part of our day for personal prayer; c) to read some Scripture alone or, better still, with others; d) to set aside some money that we might spend on ourselves for meals, entertainment or clothes and give it to the poor; e) to abstain from smoking or alcohol; f) to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation during Lent and to participate in the “Stations of the Cross” on Fridays or any day set aside by your Parish; g) to visit the sick and those in nursing homes and to do some acts of charity, kindness, and mercy every day during Lent.
May this Lenten season bring you abundant graces from God as you struggle to overcome sin and believe in the Gospel.
I keep you and your family always in my prayers. ©Clem C. Aladi (2024)
