First Sunday of Lent
As we begin Lent, we are first asked to consider the experience of Jesus as he was tempted in the desert, tempted as we all are but also not like us in how Jesus confronted his temptations. And so, we are led to see that Jesus was indeed like us, tempted in the same way we are. There was nothing different about Jesus in that. But where we go wrong—how we deal with the temptations that come our way—is what makes the difference. He made the right choices when faced with difficult situations, choices that kept him on the right track with God and with his fellow Jews. That’s the key, perhaps, keeping one foot in front of the other along the path to God. We tend to stray and wander, attracted by the sights along the way and, at time, making choices that will not get us where we want to go, where Jesus went. We say to ourselves, “After all, I’m only human.” But so was Jesus—human like us in the tempting but then unlike us in our weakness. Jesus saw the same sights and experienced the same temptations. However, he just kept to the way that leads to God. Maybe that is what he meant when he said, “I am the way,” letting us know that, like him, we need to keep on putting one foot in front of the other along the way to God.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, keep us to the way. Help us to walk your path, hard as it may be. Like you, may we face our trials successfully, and like you endure to the end whatever comes our way, never giving up or giving in. This we pray through Jesus our Lord, who showed us the way. Amen.
Fr. David Theroux, S.S.E. ’70, Professor of Religious Studies
First Reading: Genesis 2:7-9, 3:1-7
Psalm 51:3-6, 12-13, 17
Second Reading: Romans 5:12-19
Gospel: Matthew 4:1-11
