Ask God

First Sunday of Lent

22 February 2026

 

First Reading: Genesis 2:7-9; 3:1-7

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 51:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 17

Second Reading: Romans 5:12-19

Gospel: Matthew 4:1-11

 

Reflection

By: Grace B. Madriñan

 

“It is written: One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.” - Matthew 4:4

If I were to undergo a temptation in the desert, I would definitely fail at the first temptation. Imagine being hungry and being offered bread!? I love bread! 

We are truly grateful indeed that Jesus is Lord and the Son of God! Though born human, He did not let his humanity prevail. Otherwise we will be doomed in our sins and salvation is farther from reach.

Today’s Gospel shows us one of the reasons why Jesus is born to this world. He came to show us clearly that temptation can be overcome. He did not come as God but as a friend or a brother telling us that He too suffered, He too was tempted yet prevailed.  

Recalling one of the Facebook posts I saw, it tells of a father’s experience in one of the summer camps with his daughter. As part of the exercise, the father was told only three instructions to be said to his blindfolded daughter and he can repeat it as many times as he likes. In the first instance, the father was told to let go of his daughter. Then in the second instance, he was told not to talk to their daughter unless the daughter remembered one of the instructions and used it. During the trek, the daughter was led to a ditch but she remembered one of the instructions and said, “Dad, are you there?” The father was then allowed to respond, “Yes I am here” The father and daughter finished the trek successfully since the daughter remembered the instructions his father gave to her, “I will never leave you. You can ask me anything. You should only listen to the sound of my voice.”

I believe we should do the same in moments of temptation. We should remember that 

“God will never leave us” 

“We can ask God for anything” 

“We should only listen to the sound of His voice”.

Prayer

Father God, there is a lot of noise around us and we are tempted in every way. We need to only remember that Jesus overcame every sin and every temptation. Continue to accompany and speak to us so we too may avoid sin and temptation. Amen.

Never Deserted

First Sunday of Lent 10 March 2019
First reading Deuteronomy 26:4-10

When the priest takes the basket from your hand and sets it down before the altar of the Lord your God, you shall make this response before the Lord your God: “A wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous. When the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us, by imposing hard labour on us, we cried to the Lord, the God of our ancestors; the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. The Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with a terrifying display of power, and with signs and wonders; and he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. So now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground that you, O Lord, have given me.” You shall set it down before the Lord your God and bow down before the Lord your God.

Second reading                                                         Romans 10:8-13

Now what does Scripture say? “The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with he heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.

The scripture says, “No one who believes in him will be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. For, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Gospel                                                                         Luke 4:1-13

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.” Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone.'”

Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And the devil said to him, “To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.'”

Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying 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 protect you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.'” Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'” When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.

Reflection

By Bernard M. Borja

We are filled to be emptied. For in our emptiness, we feel immensely the loving embrace of
God. Because through Him we are emptied, and through Him we are filled again.

Being full of love does not really mean it will always be happy moments. A couple cannot grow together in relationship if they did not go through challenges that they need to overcome. But just as the strength of a house is tested by storms and adversities, it cannot stand for long if its foundation is not built on a rock. And when all is poured out through love just to overcome such obstacles, the same love strengthens the couple to continue on their journey and face new challenges.

Having a full stomach does not mean a person cannot indulge more than he can. Many times I have been in unlimited buffet parties and I can say that not only during those times I have eaten past my gut’s capacity. If in those moments I remember that one of my core values is having good health, I would not have fallen into the urge of over-indulging.

We are all filled with good things. Everything that came out of God has always been good. But oftentimes, we focus on the bad things and let those things fill us up. Every time we let this happen, we forget that we are made up of good things. And this may be one of the reasons we fall into temptation. In our emptiness, we seek temporary solutions to make us feel consoled. But as we do this, we instead find ourselves in desolation because we forget to trust the Lord who emptied us and who will fill us again.

Jesus trusts God the Father and let the Spirit lead Him because Jesus knows that even though He will grow weary in His journey in the desert, He is rooted in the reality that He has been full of the Holy Spirit even before He went into the wilderness. Though being fully divine but also fully human, He believes that the same Spirit will protect Him from falling into the temptations of the devil. He does not forget that He will never be deserted especially in times of trials.

I remember a line from the film “Goyo” (a biopic history film shown months ago), which was said to the main protagonist several times by people closest to him every time he tends to slip away from his principles: “Tandaan mo kung sino ka (Remember who you are).” If only we always remind ourselves that we are a child of God, that He will always be with us, and that He has filled us up with His Spirit, we can overcome the adversities and emptiness of life. Though the devil comes back to tempt us in every opportune moment, let us always remember that we are built and protected by the love of God just like a house built on a rock.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we praise You for showing us the wonders that we never deserve. Send us your Spirit, Lord, and fill us with Your love and mercy as we continue our journey and face more challenges that will help us grow closer to You. In our emptiness, help us to find our way back to You, to be filled again with Your overflowing grace. With our dearly beloved mother Mary, we pray that in every opportune moment, we will be drawn closer to you. In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen. 

Alone in the Wilderness

1st Sunday of Lent  18 February 2018

First reading: Genesis 9:8-15 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, “As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals, and every animal of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark. I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.            Second reading:  1 Peter 3:18-22 For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison, who in former times did not obey, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water. And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you – not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him. Gospel: Mark 1:12-15 The Spirit immediately drove Jesus out into the desert. He was in the desert forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him. Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.” Reflection by Carlo Alexis Malaluan  … the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. What spirit drives me in the things I do? Is my heart a home for the Spirit? Could the Holy Spirit be inviting me to take more quiet space? My friends, these are the questions that are posed by today’s Gospel befitting enough as we begin our observance of the holy season of Lent. Wilderness connotes two different things: emptiness and intimacy. In the wilderness, one might find the loneliness and solitude – it is a terrifying image of abandonment. But the Lord who makes things anew gave a new meaning to wilderness. In the Bible, the ‘wilderness’ is a place of revelation and of intimacy with God. God is found in emptiness as well as in fullness. Wilderness has become a sacred space and God is inviting us to fully commune with Him. But as we try to commune with God, seeking to be closer to Him in this sacred space, the enemy wants to distract us and make us stray away from the fullness of this encounter. Mark’s Gospel depicts Jesus as divine but also deeply human. Only God could be so human as to endure temptation. He was too, just like any of us, tempted in every way. He felt the influence of the devil and was tested. Each time we feel that we are tempted, let us always call upon the mercy of the Lord who in His humanity experienced such. May we strive our best to avoid the pits of hell and live in accordance with the will of God. Jesus enters the wilderness for one purpose only: to find God, to seek God and to belong to Him totally. Jesus finds God's path for Him in the wilderness. Only then does He come into Galilee and proclaim the Good News. Let us also enter our own wilderness, no matter how dry, how empty, how desolate, how sorrowful it may seem and try to find God there. It is easy to find God in triumph and in blissful moments but to find God in the midst of trials, in moments when He seems to be silent is more fruitful. When we think we can no longer hear God, let us seek for His voice and He will answer us. He will come to us in our search and with His tender voice, he will say:  I am ever with you. We are not alone in our wilderness. We are in constant journey with God. We are in communion with God.

Prayer

Lord, come with me into my wilderness. Speak to my preoccupied heart. Allow me to know what You want me to do so that I can share Your Good News with others. Amen.

God Has a Plan

The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary   8 December 2017

First reading

Genesis 3:9-15, 20

But the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” He said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.” He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate.”

Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent tricked me, and I ate.” The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you among all animals and among all wild creatures; upon your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.”

The man named his wife Eve, because she was the mother of all living.                

Second reading

Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love.

He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he lavished on us.

With all wisdom and insight he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory.

Gospel

Luke 1:26-38

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel as sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, you relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.”

Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

Reflection

by Jessa Janelle Padilla

How obedient are we? How do we handle temptations?

Temptations are all around us and they test our obedience. Sometimes we fall into temptations just like Adam and Eve in our first reading from the Book of Genesis. They have fallen into the temptation of the serpent and ate the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. They have disobeyed God and have been punished.  And because of what happened, Eve became the mother of all the living.

Today, we celebrate the Solemnity of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, our Principal Patroness here in the Philippines. The mother of our Savior and Son of God, Jesus Christ. Eve and Mary differ from each other. Eve disobeyed God and committed sin but Mary obeyed God’s will and conceived Jesus in her womb. She is free from sin.

In the letter of Saint Paul to the Ephesians it states that “In him we were also chosen, destined in accord with the purpose of the One who accomplishes all things according to the intentions of his will, so that we might exist for the praise of his glory, we who first hoped in Christ’. The verse confirms that we are not born for nothing but we are born to fulfill and accomplish what God destined us to become. We all have our purpose and mission in this world. Let us be obedient to fulfill it and pray to overcome temptations.

Mary was prepared by God from the moment she was conceived in her mother’s womb, Anne. She was conceived immaculately and born free from any sin, worthy to be the mother of Jesus.

We may not have been immaculately conceived like Mary, but God has plan for us and His plan is better than our plan. We should trust Him and never lose hope. Hope will light a fire in our hearts to continue persevering and keep moving forward to achieve a better version of ourselves. We should also be like Mary who said Yes to God’s plan for her. In today’s situation, I admit that it is not easy to answer Yes to any call but let us discern, pray, and put our trust to God so that answering Yes to a call will become easy for us. Let us imitate Mary’s example as an obedient servant of God, with full of grace, and a good mother.  Let us make her our role model. Let us follow the will of God, leading us to holiness, leading us to Jesus who will come to save us!

Prayer

Oh most blessed Lady of the Immaculate Conception, you are full of grace. In you we lift up all our desires. You are the best example of being an obedient servant of God, may we become more like you. Shower us, your children, with your grace.  Light our way towards the crib of Bethlehem.

O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you. Amen.

Desert

First Reading: GN 2:7-9; 3:1-7

The LORD God formed man out of the clay of the ground  and blew into his nostrils the breath of life,  and so man became a living being.

Then the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and placed there the man whom he had formed. Out of the ground the LORD God made various trees grow  that were delightful to look at and good for food,  with the tree of life in the middle of the garden  and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the animals that the LORD God had made.

The serpent asked the woman, "Did God really tell you not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?" The woman answered the serpent:  "We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden;  it is only about the fruit of the tree  in the middle of the garden that God said, 'You shall not eat it or even touch it, lest you die.'"

But the serpent said to the woman: "You certainly will not die! No, God knows well that the moment you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods who know what is good and what is evil." The woman saw that the tree was good for food,  pleasing to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it;  and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her,  and he ate it.

Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked;  so they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.

Responsorial Psalm: PS 51:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 17

Second Reading: ROM 5:12-19

Brothers and sisters:

Through one man sin entered the world, and through sin, death, and thus death came to all men, inasmuch as all sinned— for up to the time of the law, sin was in the world,  though sin is not accounted when there is no law. But death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin after the pattern of the trespass of Adam,  who is the type of the one who was to come. But the gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one, the many died,  how much more did the grace of God  and the gracious gift of the one man Jesus Christ  overflow for the many. And the gift is not like the result of the one who sinned.

For after one sin there was the judgment that brought condemnation; but the gift, after many transgressions, brought acquittal. For if, by the transgression of the one, death came to reign through that one,  how much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of justification  come to reign in life through the one Jesus Christ.

In conclusion, just as through one transgression condemnation came upon all, so, through one righteous act, acquittal and life came to all. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners,  so, through the obedience of the one,  the many will be made righteous the many will be made righteous.

Verse Before The Gospel MT 4:4B

One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.

Gospel: MT 4:1-11

At that time Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry. The tempter approached and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread." He said in reply,

"It is written: One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God."

Then the devil took him to the holy city, and made him stand on the parapet of the temple, and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down.

For it is written:

He will command his angels concerning you and with their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone." Jesus answered him, "Again it is written, You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test." Then the devil took him up to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their magnificence, and he said to him, "All these I shall give to you,  if you will prostrate yourself and worship me." At this, Jesus said to him, "Get away, Satan!

It is written:

The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve."

Then the devil left him and, behold, angels came and ministered to him.

Reflection 
By Grace B Madrinan

 “At that time Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil..” – Matthew 4:1

In today’s Gospel, Jesus was “led” to the desert. He was led to a setting away from convenience, separated from the crowd.  Jesus was really brought to a situation where any man would certainly fail.  Imagine a man in the middle of nowhere, exposed to hunger and thirst, exposed to every kind of danger under the scorching heat of the sun, or even cold during the night.  But Jesus is no ordinary man. He is the Son of God, so He passed the test in flying colors despite desperate efforts of the devil.

Ironically in today’s world, we are experiencing the same temptations. But no, we are no longer led to the “desert” like it used to.  We do not need to be separated from the crowd; we are already isolated even in the midst of the crowd. The devil did not even have to offer us anything or be creative with his tactics to lure us. He went unnoticed in what seemingly harmless social media.

If we are not careful, some content in social media can condition our minds into believing that some behavior are acceptable or “cool”. We are made to think that pursuing what is convenient is not a sign of selfishness but love for self.

Unlike the temptations in Jesus’ time, the temptation of our times did not come as obvious as offer for wealth or power.  It comes in a form of little things that seems negligible. Like telling your boss you are sick just so you can go for an extended weekend on the beach, or bribing the traffic enforcer so you can get to the office on time. We failed on small temptations, how much more then if we are faced with bigger ones?


“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.” – Luke 16:10

Prayer

Father, there are too many distractions that keep us from Your love. May we be able to decipher the lure of this world in order to surpass all temptations. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Rooted in Love

First Sunday of Lent 14 February 2016

First reading   Deuteronomy 26:4-10

Moses said to the people: ‘The priest shall take the pannier from your hand and lay it before the altar of the Lord your God. Then, in the sight of the Lord your God, you must make this pronouncement:
  ‘“My father was a wandering Aramaean. He went down into Egypt to find refuge there, few in numbers; but there he became a nation, great, mighty, and strong. The Egyptians ill-treated us, they gave us no peace and inflicted harsh slavery on us. But we called on the Lord, the God of our fathers. The Lord heard our voice and saw our misery, our toil and our oppression; and the Lord brought us out of Egypt with mighty hand and outstretched arm, with great terror, and with signs and wonders. He brought us here and gave us this land, a land where milk and honey flow. Here then I bring the first-fruits of the produce of the soil that you, the Lord, have given me.”
  ‘You must then lay them before the Lord your God, and bow down in the sight of the Lord your God.’

Psalm                                                                            Psalm 90:1-2,10-15

               

Second reading                                                         Romans 10:8-13

Scripture says: The word (that is the faith we proclaim) is very near to you, it is on your lips and in your heart. If your lips confess that Jesus is Lord and if you believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, then you will be saved. By believing from the heart you are made righteous; by confessing with your lips you are saved. When scripture says: those who believe in him will have no cause for shame, it makes no distinction between Jew and Greek: all belong to the same Lord who is rich enough, however many ask his help, for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Gospel                                                                       Luke 4:1-13

Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit through the wilderness, being tempted there by the devil for forty days. During that time he ate nothing and at the end he was hungry. Then the devil said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to turn into a loaf.’ But Jesus replied, ‘Scripture says: Man does not live on bread alone.’
  Then leading him to a height, the devil showed him in a moment of time all the kingdoms of the world and said to him, ‘I will give you all this power and the glory of these kingdoms, for it has been committed to me and I give it to anyone I choose. Worship me, then, and it shall all be yours.’ But Jesus answered him, ‘Scripture says:
You must worship the Lord your God,
and serve him alone.’
Then he led him to Jerusalem and made him stand on the parapet of the Temple. ‘If you are the Son of God,’ he said to him ‘throw yourself down from here, for scripture says:
He will put his angels in charge of you
to guard you,
and again:
They will hold you up on their hands
in case you hurt your foot against a stone.’
But Jesus answered him, ‘It has been said:
You must not put the Lord your God to the test.’
Having exhausted all these ways of tempting him, the devil left him, to return at the appointed time.

Reflection

By Pietro S. Albano

I note that Valentine’s Day this year coincides with the First Sunday of Lent. I like to think of Lent being spelled as L-O-V-E, because during this season we remember and celebrate God’s love which led Him to the cross to save us from sin.  Love is at the core of Christ’s teaching and, more often than not, is tried and tested.

Tell this stone to turn into a loaf. Like Jesus, we too would confront that temptation of turning something worthless to something ‘good’. If we love our family,  would we provide for their needs from money gained illegally? If we love our country, would we sell our votes for candidates who would advance their own agenda once elected? Man does not live by bread alone.

I will give you all this power and splendour…do homage, then, to me  and  it shall be yours.’ Imagine people looking up to you and you looking down on them. Imagine treating others at your own whim!  If we love others, would we do that? Shouldn't we roll up our sleeves, kneel down, and wash others’ tired and dirty feet? You must do homage to the Lord your God, him alone you must serve.

Throw yourself down from here… The desire to go beyond our limits lurks along our journey.  If we have been advised to avoid certain foods because of a medical condition and still indulge in these, that’s going beyond our limits.  If we argue with an already annoyed spouse or partner, that’s going beyond our and their limits! And if we abuse ourselves and others, we don’t love them do we?  Do not put the Lord your God to the test.

Jesus was tempted, but He did not give in to the lures of the devil.  Instead, He saw temptations as avenues to get more rooted in the Father’s love . This Lent, let us be more like Jesus  who loved us till the end.

Prayer

Merciful Father, led by Your Spirit, may we also confront the many temptations that beset our love for You and others.  We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Live Good

 

“ Repent, and believe in the gospel ”

First Reading: Genesis 9:8-15

God said to Noah and to his sons with him:  “See, I am now establishing my covenant with you  and your descendants after you  and with every living creature that was with you: all the birds, and the various tame and wild animals  that were with you and came out of the ark. I will establish my covenant with you,  that never again shall all bodily creatures be destroyed by the waters of a flood;  there shall not be another flood to devastate the earth.”

God added: “This is the sign that I am giving for all ages to come, of the covenant between me and you and every living creature with you:  I set my bow in the clouds to serve as a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth,  and the bow appears in the clouds, I will recall the covenant I have made between me and you and all living beings,  so that the waters shall never again become a flood  to destroy all mortal beings.”

Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9.

Second Reading: 1 Peter 3:18-22

Beloved:

Christ suffered for sins once,  the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous, that he might lead you to God. Put to death in the flesh,  he was brought to life in the Spirit. In it he also went to preach to the spirits in prison, who had once been disobedient while God patiently waited in the days of Noah during the building of the ark, in which a few persons, eight in all, were saved through water. This prefigured baptism, which saves you now.

It is not a removal of dirt from the body but an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him.

Gospel: Mark 1:12-15

The Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert, and he remained in the desert for forty days, tempted by Satan. He was among wild beasts, and the angels ministered to him. After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God: “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

Reflection
By Grace B. Madriñan

I fear this would happen.  Barely a week after the bliss we experienced from Pope Francis’ visit last January 17 to 19, we were bombarded by the bad news left and right as if trying to snatch us back to the negative pit we used to be in. The evil one has been working double time to erase every hope; every faith restored and reclaim the souls he has lost during the Pope’s visit. 

And who would not be crushed by the death of 44 SAFs (Special Action Force members of the Philippine National Police)? I could not even look at the face of the fallen heroes, all the more look at the families left behind. If it pains me this much, how much more for the people who knew them -- for the sons and daughters who looked up to them, for the wives who have loved them, for the mothers who have nursed them in their arms?

For a moment, it seemed fitting to be angry, to curse and to point fingers. If I were in their shoes, I could have burned bridges with my wrath. I could have summoned all the forces of nature to strike lightning to where the enemies are.  But that would not change anything. Much worse, I would be giving the evil one a fair chance to win.

Jesus is no different from us.  Jesus wept (John 11:35), He also felt anger when He “entered the temple area and drove out all those engaged in selling and buying (Matthew 21:12)” and even tempted by the demon in the desert (Matthew 4:1). He could have given in and chosen the easy, painless route. But Jesus demonstrated how to live good in this world without avoiding the bad, and rise above the temptations.

Prayer

Father, in this world where injustice seems to dominate the media, there is a greater temptation to be angry and on the finger-pointing mode.  Please teach us to judge fairly and not to be hasty with our actions. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.