The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today warn of the danger of self-serving actions to separate ourselves from the invitation to life from God and the fellowship of our friends and family.
The reading from the Book of Genesis describes the First Sin and Its Punishment.
* [3:1] Cunning: there is a play on the words for “naked” (2:25) and “cunning/wise” (Heb. ‘arum). The couple seek to be “wise” but end up knowing that they are “naked.”
* [3:5] Like gods, who know: or “like God who knows.” (Genesis, CHAPTER 3, n.d.)
Psalm 51 is a prayer for Cleansing and Pardon.
* [Psalm 51] A lament, the most famous of the seven Penitential Psalms, prays for the removal of the personal and social disorders that sin has brought. The poem has two parts of approximately equal length: Ps 51:3–10 and Ps 51:11–19, and a conclusion in Ps 51:20–21. The two parts interlock by repetition of “blot out” in the first verse of each section (Ps 51:3, 11), of “wash (away)” just after the first verse of each section (Ps 51:4) and just before the last verse (Ps 51:9) of the first section, and of “heart,” “God,” and “spirit” in Ps 51:12, 19. (Psalms, PSALM 51, n.d.)
The reading from the Letter of Paul to the Romans contrasts Adam and Christ.
* [5:12–21] Paul reflects on the sin of Adam (Gn 3:1–13) in the light of the redemptive mystery of Christ. Sin, as used in the singular by Paul, refers to the dreadful power that has gripped humanity, which is now in revolt against the Creator and engaged in the exaltation of its own desires and interests. But no one has a right to say, “Adam made me do it,” for all are culpable (Rom 5:12): Gentiles under the demands of the law written in their hearts (Rom 2:14–15), and Jews under the Mosaic covenant. Through the Old Testament law, the sinfulness of humanity that was operative from the beginning (Rom 5:13) found further stimulation, with the result that sins were generated in even greater abundance. According to Rom 5:15–21, God’s act in Christ is in total contrast to the disastrous effects of the virus of sin that invaded humanity through Adam’s crime.
* [5:12] Inasmuch as all sinned: others translate “because all sinned,” and understand v 13 as a parenthetical remark. Unlike Wis 2:24, Paul does not ascribe the entry of death to the devil.
* [5:20] The law entered in: sin had made its entrance (12); now the law comes in alongside sin. See notes on Rom 1:18–32; 5:12–21. Where sin increased, grace overflowed all the more: Paul declares that grace outmatches the productivity of sin. (Romans, CHAPTER 5, n.d.)
The Gospel of Matthew describes the Temptation of Jesus in the desert.
* [4:1–11] Jesus, proclaimed Son of God at his baptism, is subjected to a triple temptation. Obedience to the Father is a characteristic of true sonship, and Jesus is tempted by the devil to rebel against God, overtly in the third case, more subtly in the first two. Each refusal of Jesus is expressed in language taken from the Book of Deuteronomy (Dt 8:3; 6:13, 16). The testings of Jesus resemble those of Israel during the wandering in the desert and later in Canaan, and the victory of Jesus, the true Israel and the true Son, contrasts with the failure of the ancient and disobedient “son,” the old Israel. In the temptation account Matthew is almost identical with Luke; both seem to have drawn upon the same source. (Matthew, CHAPTER 4, n.d.)
Susan Naatz comments that the church in her wisdom has been preparing us for Lent the past few weeks with readings from Genesis describing our creation and gospel passages which encourage us to be salt and light for the world. God’s great love has created us, and God has expectations about how to live life well. But it will not be perfect.
Is God calling an audible in our life and are we ready to listen? Lent is a powerful time for us to lengthen our relationship with God, self, and others. Lent is an invitation to focus on prayer, fasting, being salt and light for others and taking time to examine any places where we may have fallen away from God. It’s an opportunity for new life and in the words of today’s psalm we pray, A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Let’s not miss the audibles. (Naatz, 2023)
Don Schwager quotes “On the Snare of the Devil,” by Ambrose, 339-397 A.D.
"The devil said to Jesus: 'If you are the son of God, command that these stones become bread' (Luke 4:3). Here we learn that there are three principal weapons that the devil likes to carry in order to wound our souls. They are gluttony, arrogance and ambition. Here begins the weapon with which he has already been victorious. We likewise should begin to be victorious in Christ in the very same area in which we have been defeated in Adam - we should be wary of gluttony. The devious trap is set for us when the table is laid for a royal banquet - it is bound to weaken our defences.
"See what weapons Christ uses to defeat the power of the devil. He does not use the almighty power he has as God - what help would that be to us? In his humanity he summons the help common to all - overlooking bodily hunger and seeking the word of God for nourishment.
"Whoever follows the Word is no longer attached to earthly bread, because he receives the bread of heaven and knows the divine is better than the human, the spiritual is better than the physical. Therefore, because such a person desires the true life, he looks for that which fortifies the heart by means of its invisible substance." (excerpt from On the Gospel of St. Luke, 4, 17) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Genesis 2:7-9; 3:1-7 comments that this is the temptation that has always plagued humanity. Like gods, we want to be in control. We want to decide what’s right and wrong. We want the power, honor, and glory that belong only to the Lord.
This Lent, ask the Spirit to help you recognize where you are being tempted to rebel against God. It may be something subtle, like persisting in a bad habit. Or it may be something more obvious, like resisting God’s will in a difficult situation.
Don’t get discouraged if you see signs of rebellion. Instead, let the words of St. Paul in today’s second reading encourage you: through Jesus’ death and resurrection, we have all received an “abundance of grace” (Romans 5:17). That grace can help you overcome any temptation—including the temptation to be your own god! This Lent, just keep asking for God’s grace, and trust that it will never run out.
“Jesus, give me the grace to submit to you in all things.” (Meditation on Genesis 2:7-9; 3:1-7, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler comments that before encountering the serpent, Eve has already considered the forbidden tree as shown by her exaggeration of the prohibition. Paul contrasts sin and grace and the compassion of God that refuses retaliation. Jesus resists the temptation to use His Power in a self serving manner. Friar Jude notes the different ending of Matthew in a mountain and Luke at the Temple.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, considers the Desert Mystics foundational contributors to his lineage of faith. Early Christianity set the foundation for what we would now call contemplation. Both Thomas Merton and Henri Nouwen recognized the importance of this early, desert form of Christianity. It is a unique window into how Jesus was first understood, before the church became an imperial, highly organized, competitive religion. Eastern Orthodox theologian John Chryssavgis writes of the powerful stories shared by desert Christians in their spiritual teaching.
The Fathers and Mothers who lived in the desert of Egypt remind us of the importance of story-telling, which we have for the most part forgotten in our age. Listening to their stories and sayings, meditating on them in silence and subsequently telling them to others, helped our ancestors to live humanely, to be more human, to remain truly alive.… The stories from the Egyptian desert are more than just a part of the Christian past. They are a part of our human heritage: they communicate eternal values, spiritual truths. Theirs is a silence of the deep heart and of intense prayer, a silence that cuts through centuries and cultures. We should stop to hear that heartbeat. [1] (Rohr, 2023)
The Spirit reminds us that our imperfection is counterbalanced by the continuous love of God as we confront the daily temptations to place self interest above fullness of life.
References
Genesis, CHAPTER 3. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved February 26, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/genesis/3
Matthew, CHAPTER 4. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved February 26, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/4?1
Meditation on Genesis 2:7-9; 3:1-7. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved February 26, 2023, from https://wau.org/meditations/2023/02/26/618553/
Naatz, S. (2023, February 25). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved February 26, 2023, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/022623.html
Psalms, PSALM 51. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved February 26, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/51?3
Rohr, R. (2023, February 26). The Wise Storytellers — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved February 26, 2023, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/the-wise-storytellers-2023-02-26/
Romans, CHAPTER 5. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved February 26, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/romans/5?12
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Jesus Fasted and Was Tempted by the Devil. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved February 26, 2023, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2023&date=feb26
No comments:
Post a Comment