The First Sunday of Lent (Deut. 26:4-10/Rom. 10:8-13/ Lk. 4:1-13)

We begin the First Sunday of Lent this Sunday!

The Church invites us to think about the great fundamental facts of Redemption and Salvation God gave to all who believe in Him as God.

The Church wants us to reflect on the relationships between God and the People of the Old Testament, between God and His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, and between God and ourselves.

The word of the Liturgy we hear reminds us of these relationships.

The first reading in today’s lesson shows the relationship between God and the Old Testament people.

It recalls that after Israel had gone down into Egypt where the Peoples were mistreated and enslaved. God brought the people of Israel out of slavery in the exodus in order to lead them into the promise land.

The exodus was the great saving event of the Old Testament. God revealed himself thereby as Savior of His People.

Before the Israel People entered the promise land, however, they wandered in the desert for forty years! There they faced grave temptation, and for the most part they failed God. They were selfish, thinking only of themselves and their own welfare.

They wanted God to feed them, and even after he did so miraculously they were not satisfied.

They murmured against God and wanted to put him to the test, to have him prove his might and his power. They lacked trust. And despite all that God had done for them, many fell into idolatry and worship false gods.

Jesus came as the new Israel, the chosen one of God.

In his person he summed up the whole purpose and meaning of the chosen people, and fulfilled and completed all that they should have been and more.

Jesus was led into the desert, and then he spent, not forty years, but forty days. There he underwent temptations similar to those of the Israelites.

The devil tempted Jesus to put God to the test to have God prove his might and his power by saving Jesus from destruction in a leap from a parapet of the Temple.

The devil even tempted Jesus to idolatry by saying: “Prostrate yourself in homage before me and the world shall be yours.”

Jesus after forty days and nights into the desert won victoriously. Let us take this Lenten Season to think about who we are and who Jesus is? Whatever we can do on earth we finally must be human beings no more no less.

We humbly must worship God who has power on earth and in heaven. Jesus wants to teach us the good lesson that God is God who loves all mankind. And became empty himself for all of us.

May Jesus help us to be closer to Him and love him more so that after forty days of Lent we hopefully can do better and follow only Jesus Christ who is God.

He came to save those who believe in him and gave us Salvation from his Death and Resurrection.

St. Michael Catholic Church is located at 1004 W. Gentry in Henryetta.

All are welcome.