Lent 1 Sunday C - Temptations
Gospel reading: Luke 4:1-13
Michel DeVerteuil
General comments
The story of Jesus’ temptation reveals to us the deepest thing about him: he had total trust in his heavenly Father. This is why the incident is placed at the very beginning of his public life. The evangelists are telling us that he chose this path and he would remain faithful to it through all the ups and downs of his ministry.
Telling the story in the form of ‘temptations’ does two things:
Michel DeVerteuil
General comments
The story of Jesus’ temptation reveals to us the deepest thing about him: he had total trust in his heavenly Father. This is why the incident is placed at the very beginning of his public life. The evangelists are telling us that he chose this path and he would remain faithful to it through all the ups and downs of his ministry.Telling the story in the form of ‘temptations’ does two things:
Lent 1 Sunday C - Liturgy
Greetings (See Second Reading)
May the Word of God be near you,
on your lips and in your heart.
May your lips confess here
that Jesus is our Lord and Savior.
May his grace be always with you.
R/ And also with you.
Introduction by the Celebrant
A. Jesus Went Through Our Temptations
People of God, you who are tempted to let consumers' goods make you their slave and prisoner, Jesus refused to be fascinated by them and he wants us to hunger for people, for prayer and for God. People of God, you who are tempted to impress people and to control them, Jesus came to bring the power of love and he tells you to serve God in people. People of God, you who are tempted to create your own idols and to make yourself the center of the world, Jesus wants us with him to worship only God. With him who overcame our temptations we confidently enter this Lent.
Ash Wednesday
1. From Fr. Tony Kadavil’s Collection
Introduction
Ash Wednesday (dies cinerum) is the Church’s Yom
Kippur or the “Day of Atonement.” Its very name comes from the Jewish
practice of doing penance wearing “sackcloth and ashes.” In the early
Church, Christians who had committed serious sins were instructed to do public
penance wearing sackcloth and ashes. Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are days of
full fast and abstinence. Fasting is prescribed to reinforce our penitential
prayer during the Lenten season. The prophet Joel, in the first reading,
insists that we should experience a complete conversion of heart and not simply
sorrow for our sins. Saint Paul in the second reading advises us “to become
reconciled to God.” Today’s gospel instructs us to assimilate the true spirit
of fasting and prayer.
5 Sunday C: You'll be Catchers of People
Michel DeVerteuil
General comments
The miraculous catch of fish was a historical event in the life of Jesus, but also a symbol of the deep conversion experiences which God grants us from time to time and which set us on a new course in our lives. These experiences usually occur at times when we feel we are stagnating – as spouses, parents, friends, church leaders, ministers, or managers in the work place.
4 Sunday C: Wanted: Prophets, Dead
Prophets comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable
*****
Michel DeVerteuil General comments
The incident related in today’s gospel story is a precious moment of grace for the people of Nazareth, one that we too experience from time to time – Jesus invites them and us to stop hiding behind their false identity and come to the truth of themselves.
We all need to feel special; the problem is how we go about fulfilling that need. The easy – but false – way is to take the short cut of finding our “specialness” in belonging to a group that considers itself superior to others. We find our “specialness” in our sex, race, colour, ethnic origin, nationality, or from the fact that we are married, are “old boys” or “old girls” of some school, university graduates, have a job, or own our homes.
3 Sunday C: Jesus' Mission
3rd Advent C from Padir Neylu
From Catholic Ireland:
Michel DeVerteuil General comments
The reflection below is on the second part of the reading – verses 16 to 21 –a story of how Jesus read the Bible and how he wants us his followers to read it (and teach it).
From Catholic Ireland:
Michel DeVerteuil General comments
The reflection below is on the second part of the reading – verses 16 to 21 –a story of how Jesus read the Bible and how he wants us his followers to read it (and teach it).
A true story, happened in 1892 at Stanford University
Herbert Hoover & Paderewski
A true story, happened in 1892 at Stanford University:…most of us only think “If I help them, what would happen to me?” The truly great people think, “If I don’t help them, what will happen to them?”
An 18-year-old student was struggling to pay his fees. He was an orphan, and not knowing where to turn for money, he came up with a bright idea. He and a friend decided to host a musical concert on campus to raise money for their education.
They reached out to the great pianist Ignacy J. Paderewski. His manager demanded a guaranteed fee of $2000 for the piano recital. A deal was struck and the boys began to work to make the concert a success.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)