1st Sunday of Lent Cycle A
At that time Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert
to be tempted by the devil. Mt 4:1–11.
Love is like a balloon that you have to let go. As the song Heaven Knows puts it: “If you really love her, you gotta set her free. And if she returns in time, I know she’s mine.”
In the same line of thought, God loves us so much that He also sets us free to choose Him or not. Thus we are tempted to do good or evil, like when He allowed Satan to tempt Job.
Temptation is not a sin if you do not fall into following it. There is no need to confess one’s temptation as long as one does not fall into it. It is part of our being human because God gave us freedom to do what we will out of His love for us. Adam and Eve were tempted and so was Jesus. The difference is that while the Adam disobeyed and sinned; Jesus obeyed and won. Because of the first Adam sin entered the world; but because of the Second Adam life. Rom 5:12-19
Pope Francis warns us that temptation always starts small . Usually it begins as a thought inside us that gradually builds up until it comes out in hurtful words and finally in painful action. It gets stronger and infects us all over. In the end we even justify our words and actions defective as they may be.
We should do what Adam and Eve did not, that is we should never enter a conversation with the devil because he is the king of lies. Satan started asking Eve “Is it true that God forbid you to eat any fruit?” Eve answered “No, only the fruit of the tree in middle of the garden.” Gn 2:7-9; 3:1-7
If however we eventually fall, we must ask forgiveness because the Lord is kind and merciful. We answered in the Responsorial Psalm: Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Often times we think only of our sins forgetting God’s kindness and love for sinners. This Lent besides your failings, think more of God’s love.
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