This is how an Eskimo hunter kills a wolf. First, he coats his knife blade with animal blood then allows it to freeze. He then adds layer after layer of blood until the blade is completely covered. Then, he positions the knife blade up on the ground. 

The hungry wolf, unaware of the bait, licks it until his craving for blood is so great, he doesn’t notice the razor-sharp weapon cutting through his tongue. He doesn’t realize that his insatiable thirst for blood is already being satisfied by his own. In the dark, snowy night, he drinks to his own death.

How do we deal with temptation? Do we entertain its lures? Are we unaware of its traps? 

We are soldiers called to fight in full battle gear with the belt of God’s Word, breastplate of righteousness, shoes of the Gospel of peace, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6). As Christ’s followers, we must understand the severity of this battle. We cannot leave our souls to chance. Lallaine Gogna (lallygogna@yahoo.com)

reflect

I want to be the person who, when I wake up in the morning and set my two feet on the ground, the devil says, “Oh no, this human is up!”

Lord, let me not fall for the enemy’s schemes. Amen. 

St. Frances of Rome, religious, pray for us.

First Reading | Deuteronomy 26:4-10

The Jews will always remember what God has done for them with great joy. Their fervor and faith in God ought to be a reminder of how grateful we should be for the greater gifts we have received through Jesus. It is easy for ingratitude to become a part of the way we relate to God and we presume on His goodness and mercy. This is a terrible sin as it places us before God in the order of importance, something that should be anathema to us just as it would be anathema to the Jews.

⁴ Moses spoke to the people, saying: “The priest shall receive the basket from you and shall set it in front of the altar of the Lord, your God. ⁵ Then you shall declare before the Lord, your God, ‘My father was a wandering Aramean who went down to Egypt with a small household and lived there as an alien. But there he became a nation great, strong and numerous. ⁶ When the Egyptians maltreated and oppressed us, imposing hard labor upon us, ⁷ we cried to the Lord, the God of our fathers, and he heard our cry and saw our affliction, our toil and our oppression. ⁸ He brought us out of Egypt with his strong hand and outstretched arm, with terrifying power, with signs and wonders; ⁹ and bringing us into this country, he gave us this land flowing with milk and honey. ¹⁰ Therefore, I have now brought you the first fruits of the products of the soil which you, O Lord, have given me.’ And having set them before the Lord, your God, you shall bow down in his presence.”

Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 91:1-2, 10-11, 12-13, 14-15

R: Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.

¹ You who dwell in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty, ² say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” (R) ¹⁰ No evil shall befall you, nor shall affliction come near your tent, 11 for to his angels he has given command about you, that they guard you in all your ways. (R) ¹² Upon their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone. 13 You shall tread upon the asp and the viper; you shall trample down the lion and the dragon. (R) ¹⁴ Because he clings to me, I will deliver him; I will set him on high because he acknowledges my name. ¹⁵ He shall call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in distress; I will deliver him and glorify him. (R)

Second Reading | Romans 10:8-13 

No one who believes in Jesus will be put to shame. This is a truth of the Scriptures, one that we must learn to trust. If we prioritize being a disciple of Jesus, we can be assured that God will stand by us every step of the way. This is good news for us because we need every bit of help we can get.

⁸ Brothers and sisters: What does Scripture say? The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart—that is, the word of faith that we preach—⁹ for, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. ¹¹ For the Scripture says, No one who believes in him will be put to shame. ¹² For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all, enriching all who call upon him. ¹³ For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Gospel | Luke 4:1-13 

Jesus rejects the attempts of the devil to lure Him away from God and God’s will for His life. In today’s Gospel, He rejects each temptation by standing on the truth and the promises of the Scriptures—the Word of God. Let us call to mind the Scriptures appropriate to our situation such that we will not be seduced by the devil and lead us away from the purposes of God for us.

Gospel Acclamation

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

Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert ² for forty days, to be tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when they were over he was hungry. ³ The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” 4 Jesus answered him, “It is written, One does not live by bread alone.” ⁵ Then he took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a single instant. 6 The devil said to him, “I shall give to you all this power and their glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I may give it to whomever I wish. 7 All this will be yours, if you worship me.” ⁸ Jesus said to him in reply, “It is written: You shall worship the Lord, your God, and him alone shall you serve.” 9 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, 10 for it is written: He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you, 11 and: With their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone.” 12 Jesus said to him in reply, “It also says, You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.” 13 When the devil had finished every temptation, he departed from him for a time.

Reflect:

Do you have difficulty understanding Scripture?

Pray to the Holy Spirit to open your mind, heart, and soul to His Word.

Read the Bible in one year! Read REVELATION 15 - 18 today.

Preparing for Easter

The readings today invite us to trace our own personal history of salvation and recognize God’s hand in it so that we will look at this Lenten journey with a sense of hope. We have these three guiding principles:

First, Reliable Presence. God is ever present even when we cannot sense Him. Psalm 91 proclaims the Lord as our refuge, our fortress in whom we can place our trust. This Lenten season, we can spend quality time in silence reflecting on and tracing how God has been reliably present to us. This addresses our will—to seek God’s reliable presence and trust that He will meet us in our seeking.

Second, Accessible Word Paul exhorts the Romans to recognize God’s Word written in our hearts and mouths. We only have to call on His name. This Lenten season, we can contemplate God’s Word in our hearts and nurture it. This addresses our affect—to affectively nurture the Word of God in our hearts so that it becomes intricately interwoven in our lives and expressed in our words. 

Third, Heightened Awareness. Jesus is very much aware of the scheming ways of the enemy: even using the Word of God, by summoning the presence of God, and questioning the identity of Jesus. This Lenten season, we can ponder on how God operates in our lives and how the enemy triggers us in order to latch on our weaknesses. This addresses our intellect—to intellectually distinguish God’s loving ways of assuring us and the enemy’s malicious efforts to distract us from choosing it. 

We can make our Lenten preparation for Easter more meaningful by revisiting our intellect, our will, and our hearts—purifying and pruning them in orde to receive in a much fuller way the Lord of the resurrection during Easter. Fr. Bros Flores, SJ

reflection question

Are your heart, intellect, and will ready to receive the Lord this Easter? 

Lord Jesus, may You grant me the courage to confront my heart, intellect, and will so that I can free them for Your coming and reigning come Easter. Amen.

Today, I pray for: ____________________________________