A Good Start in Transforming the Self

First Sunday of Lent Mar 9
First reading Genesis 2:7-9,3:1-7
The Lord God fashioned man of dust from the soil. Then he breathed into his nostrils a breath of life, and thus man became a living being.
The Lord God planted a garden in Eden which is in the east, and there he put the man he had fashioned. The Lord God caused to spring up from the soil every kind of tree, enticing to look at and good to eat, with the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the middle of the garden.
Now the serpent was the most subtle of all the wild beasts that the Lord God had made. It asked the woman, ‘Did God really say you were not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?’ The woman answered the serpent, ‘We may eat the fruit of the trees in the garden. But of the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden God said, “You must not eat it, nor touch it, under pain of death.” ‘ Then the serpent said to the woman, ‘No! You will not die! God knows in fact that on the day you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods, knowing good and evil.’ The woman saw that the tree was good to eat and pleasing to the eye, and that it was desirable for the knowledge that it could give. So she took some of its fruit and ate it. She gave some also to her husband who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened and they realised that they were naked. So they sewed fig-leaves together to make themselves loin-cloths.

Psalm                                                                            Psalm 50:3-6,12-14,17

Have mercy on us, O Lord, for we have sinned.

Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness.

  In your compassion blot out my offence.

O wash me more and more from my guilt

  and cleanse me from my sin.

Have mercy on us, O Lord, for we have sinned.

My offences truly I know them;

  my sin is always before me

Against you, you alone, have I sinned;

  what is evil in your sight I have done.

Have mercy on us, O Lord, for we have sinned.

A pure heart create for me, O God,

  put a steadfast spirit within me.

Do not cast me away from your presence,

  nor deprive me of your holy spirit.

Have mercy on us, O Lord, for we have sinned.

Give me again the joy of your help;

  with a spirit of fervour sustain me,

O Lord, open my lips

  and my mouth shall declare your praise.

Have mercy on us, O Lord, for we have sinned.

Second reading                                                        Romans 5:12-19

Sin entered the world through one man, and through sin death, and thus death has spread through the whole human race because everyone has sinned. Sin existed in the world long before the Law was given. There was no law and so no one could be accused of the sin of ‘law-breaking’, yet death reigned over all from Adam to Moses, even though their sin, unlike that of Adam, was not a matter of breaking a law.

  Adam prefigured the One to come, but the gift itself considerably outweighed the fall. If it is certain that through one man’s fall so many died, it is even more certain that divine grace, coming through the one man, Jesus Christ, came to so many as an abundant free gift. The results of the gift also outweigh the results of one man’s sin: for after one single fall came judgement with a verdict of condemnation, now after many falls comes grace with its verdict of acquittal. If it is certain that death reigned over everyone as the consequence of one man’s fall, it is even more certain that one man, Jesus Christ, will cause everyone to reign in life who receives the free gift that he does not deserve, of being made righteous. Again, as one man’s fall brought condemnation on everyone, so the good act of one man brings everyone life and makes them justified. As by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by one man’s obedience many will be made righteous.

Gospel                                                                        Matthew 4:1-11

Jesus was led by the Spirit out into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, after which he was very hungry, and the tempter came and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to turn into loaves.’ But he replied, ‘Scripture says:

Man does not live on bread alone

but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’

The devil then took him to the holy city and made him stand on the parapet of the Temple. ‘If you are the Son of God’ he said ‘throw yourself down; for scripture says:

He will put you in his angels’ charge,

and they will support you on their hands

in case you hurt your foot against a stone.’

Jesus said to him, ‘Scripture also says:

You must not put the Lord your God to the test.’

Next, taking him to a very high mountain, the devil showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour. ‘I will give you all these’ he said, ‘if you fall at my feet and worship me.’ Then Jesus replied, ‘Be off, Satan! For scripture says:

You must worship the Lord your God,

and serve him alone.’

Then the devil left him, and angels appeared and looked after him.

Reflection by Mark Vertido

In the following Sundays of Lent, we shall read accounts on the transformation of life that God wants us to have. But I will not spoil yet the other Sunday readings and focus first on the readings of this Sunday.

The context of the Gospel reading this Sunday happened actually after Jesus was baptized by His own cousin, John the Baptist, in the Jordan River. After being baptized, he went on a deserted place to “put to the test by the devil.” After forty days and nights of fasting and prayer, it is expected that Jesus is already famished and weak in body for He is human also, aside from being divine.

And so the devil came and tempted Him three times by testing His divinity to turn stones into bread; by teasing Him to throw Himself from the peak of the Temple that angels may come and rescue Him; and by promising Him to Lord over all the nations if He bows down to the devil. If the Son of God Himself could be tempted, are humans more vulnerable to be tempted and commit sin? And we have seen many instances of temptation in our lives and our society from the cheating during examinations to get a high grade into stealing public funds for selfishness.

In the first reading, it is clearly seen how Eve and Adam was tempted by the serpent. But we can also see in the account that the temptation by the serpent just uncovered the actual desires of Adam and Eve. Indeed, we are tempted not only because the devil wants it so but also because in the deepest corners of our hearts we desire such things and a stimulus is only needed so that the response is activated.

The temptation of Jesus in the desert happens also before He has started His public ministry and His work of Salvation that sinners may receive the grace of God. Thus, it reminds us of the importance of recollections and retreats before venturing into the changes that will happen in our lives. Before continuing our plans and goals, we need to prepare ourselves by looking into our Self and being aware of it because the Self may become the very temptation that we need to overcome. It is actually a time for a prayerful discernment like Jesus to eliminate our false beliefs and motives in doing a certain step in our journey. And this was done by many Christians throughout history.

Just recently, I was again in a time for discernment for the things I need to do in my life so I needed to go for a weekend with the Lord for there were questions that I needed to answer before I agree to continue what I need to do. And so with the help of prayers and God, I was able to come to a very important decision for my life. There were many temptations came but through the grace of God, I have seen my intentions because of the openness of my heart to listen to the Lord and receive the grace of God.

So in the changes that will come to our life, from the old to a transformed one, let us always ask God to give us an open and discerning heart. Let us give some time for silence and space for God to fix things for us and to set straight what He truly wants of us for in the end He will also send us His “angels to serve us.” And the Lenten Season is always a good time for us to transform ourselves!

Prayer

As we continue reflecting and transforming ourselves, let us be reminded by the plea of the Psalmist to God to wash him first from all sin.

 https://soundcloud.com/marky-vertido/have-mercy-on-me-god-arnel-dc