Daily Reflection – Feb 14, 2016
Sunday 14 February 2016
First Reading: Deuteronomy 26:4-10
Responsorial Psalm:
Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble
Psalm 90(91):1-2, 10-15
Second Reading: Romans 10:8-13
Gospel Reading: Luke 4:1-13
Today’s Note: First Sunday of Lent
Today’s Saint: St Valentine, St Cyril and St Methodius
Gospel Reading:
Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan
and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days,
to be tempted by the devil.
He ate nothing during those days,
and when they were over he was hungry.
The devil said to him,
“If you are the Son of God,
command this stone to become bread.”
Jesus answered him,
“It is written, One does not live on bread alone.”
Then he took him up and showed him
all the kingdoms of the world in a single instant.
The devil said to him,
“I shall give to you all this power and glory;
for it has been handed over to me,
and I may give it to whomever I wish.
All this will be yours, if you worship me.”
Jesus said to him in reply,
“It is written:
You shall worship the Lord, your God,
and him alone shall you serve.”
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, for it is written:
He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,
and:
With their hands they will support you,
lest you dash your foot against a stone.”
Jesus said to him in reply,
“It also says,
You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.”
When the devil had finished every temptation,
he departed from him for a time.
Reflection:
Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
At the beginning of Lent, the reading from Deuteronomy calls us to be generous with the fruits of our labours and to remember the stranger, the widow, the orphan and those set apart for the service of the Lord. How can I give of the first fruits of my labours this Lent?
We also remember those who will be entering the Church at Easter who celebrate the Rite of Election today, the last of the rituals on their path to full communion. May we be encouraged by their example to renew our faith in this time of Lenten preparation. May we also offer our welcome to these new members of our community, safe in the knowledge that God’s love and mercy are rich enough for all, as St Paul writes in his letter to the Romans.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus is tempted by the devil in the wilderness. Despite his hunger, he refuses to give in to temptation. When our Lenten observance starts to get a bit tough, perhaps we can return to this reading to give us the inspiration to continue.
