18 February, 2024 | First Sunday of Lent

 Reading : Gn 9:8-15 | Reading 2 : 1 Pt 3:18-22

A reading from the Gospel according to Saint Mark.

The Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert,

and he remained in the desert for forty days,

tempted by Satan.

He was among wild beasts, and the angels ministered to him.

After John had been arrested, 

Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God: 

"This is the time of fulfillment. 

The kingdom of God is at hand.

Repent, and believe in the gospel." 

The Gospel of the Lord.

 Reflection:

In today’s Gospel, the desert marks the beginning of Jesus’ battle with Satan; the ultimate test will be in Jesus’ final hours on the cross. In a similar way, our Lenten observances are only a beginning, a preparation for and a reinforcement of our ongoing struggle to resist the temptations we face in our daily lives. During Lent, we are led by the Holy Spirit to remember the promises of Baptism in which we promised to reject sin and to follow Jesus. Just as Jesus was ministered to, by the angels, God also supports us in our struggle against sin and temptation.  

When sin entered the world, the peace of the Garden of Eden was disturbed and so were the relationships between God and human beings, and humankind and nature. Jesus went into the wilderness to restore the brokenness and to reconcile humankind with God and   nature. He fought off the devil’s temptations.  So too ,our spiritual exercises of prayer, fasting and almsgiving are  weapons to develop an inner strength to resist temptations.

Activity:

Spend more time in prayer, and enjoy the loving company of Jesus.