Kulandai Albert csc –
Readings: Gen 2:7-9; 3:1-7; Rom 5:12-19; Mt 4:1-11
Today we are in the first Sunday of Lent. The liturgy of the word invites us to reflect on God’s mercy which is greater than our sins.
The first reading is about the fall of our first parents. They disobeyed God and lost their holiness and went far away from God. The second reading speaks about the rise of humanity from sin through Jesus Christ. Through Adam’s fall death came to humanity, through Christ’s sacrifice life came to humanity. Christ died once and for all.
Therefore, if we have faith in Jesus, we have life in Jesus. The gospel reading is about the temptation of Jesus. He was led by the spirit into the wilderness. There he was tempted by Satan. The third temptation is about worshiping the Lord our God alone.
In 2Sam 24: 14 king David says, “I am in great distress; let us fall into the hand of the Lord, for his mercy is great; but let me not fall into human hands”. When we sin, we fall into the hands of the world and are deceived by Satan. But when we turn back to God from our fallen state, we receive life because his mercy is great. Very often we come across in the Bible that the sinners receive mercy when they repent, even if it is at the last hour. Temptations lead us to sinful deeds.
Temptations are facts of life, we cannot wish them away, but we can always turn away from them by turning towards the Lord. May this season of lent enable us to fix our gaze on the merciful face of the Lord and derive strength to defeat the temptations that cause us to
get engaged in sinful thoughts and deeds.