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| Illustration by
Phil Younk |
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"No!” “No!” “No!” That’s what Jesus said three times. To whom was he talking?
In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus goes into the desert for 40 days to pray to God the Father and to fast (to eat little or nothing) before he begins his public teaching.
While Jesus is in the desert, the devil tries three times to tempt him to sin. He knows Jesus is hungry so he tells Jesus to turn the stone into bread; then in an instant he shows Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and tells Jesus he will give him all the power over these kingdoms if Jesus will worship him; then he takes Jesus to the top of the temple in Jerusalem and tells him to jump down because God will save him. Each time, Jesus says, “No!” and scolds the devil with quotes from Scripture. The devil leaves.
Jesus didn’t sin; he had obeyed God the Father no matter what.
While on earth, Jesus would often go away by himself to pray to his Father. He gave us his own prayer, the Our Father, to remind us God is our Father, too, and he will help us.
Lent has begun – 40 days the church sets aside from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday to prepare for the glorious feast of Easter. Lent is a time for more prayer, growth in learning about Jesus, sacrifice, and following Jesus by unselfishly opening our hearts to spread his love to others. Here are some examples:
Prayer: Pray the rosary. Pray the Stations of the Cross. Say thank you to God for his blessings. Pray for those people who help and care for you. Pray for missionaries. Pray for world peace. Pray for our military men and women serving in other countries far from home. Go to confession.
Learning about Jesus: Spend time each day reading about Jesus in the Bible to learn about Jesus’ travels, his miracles, his apostles, and the early church. In the Gospel stories, Jesus tells us again and again about God’s love for us. Also, read some of the lives of the saints and what they did to follow Jesus.
Sacrifice and Sharing: Avoid television for one day each week or even for one week. Give up playing video games during Lent. Donate some of your allowance to help stock your parish’s food pantry. Visit and help a sick neighbor. Spend some time with your younger brother or sister. Take care of your pet.
It’s not always easy to be good. But the responsorial psalm from today’s Mass can be our prayer when we are tempted: “Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.” Jesus’ grace and strength will help us!(Couture is a catechist at St. Aloysius Parish, West Allis.)
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