February 26, 2023; 1st Sunday Lent; Year (A)

Readings: Gen. 2:7-9, 3:1-7; Rom. 5:12-19; Matthew 4:1-11

 

Fighting Temptation

1.    God created man and woman to live peacefully with him, the creator, and nature. The book of Genesis demonstrates God’s relationship with Adam and Eve. This story is about friendship, love, grace, abundance, disobedience, Sin, compassion, and forgiveness. Adam and Eve had everything in the garden: their needs were met without them working hard. They had a perfect friendship with God, who would come to the garden to walk with them in the evening and converse as they enjoyed the beauty of creation. Unfortunately, that relationship did not work out as God intended. The devil entered the garden and changed things around. Eve chose to listen to the devil and disobeyed God. She wanted to be like God. This temptation introduced disobedience, hatred, anger, finger-pointing, and Sin into the garden. Man became his own worst enemy. The harmony between God, man, and nature was destroyed, and man was cursed and driven out of the garden to till the ground and fend for himself. 

 

2.    During Lent, we are again allowed to look at our lives in relationship with God, humanity, and nature. On Ash Wednesday, we prayed: “Grant, O Lord, that we may begin with holy fasting this campaign of Christian service, so that, as we take up battle against spiritual evils, we may be armed with weapons of self-restraint.” Our journey into Lent began when God became man in the flesh at the incarnation. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, not to condemn the world but so that through him the world might be saved.” (Jn. 3:16). Without the fall, there would have been no need for redemption. According to St. Paul, “For just as through the disobedience of one person the many were made sinners, so through the obedience of one the many will be made righteous. The law entered so that transgression might increase, but grace overflowed all the more where Sin increased.” (Rom. 5:19-20). Paul reminds us again: “For our sake, God made him to be sin who knew no sin so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Cor. 5:21). “Sin,” therefore, “is an offense against reason, truth, and right conscience; it is a failure in genuine love for God and neighbor caused by a perverse attachment to certain goods. It wounds the nature of man and injures human solidarity. Sin is an offense against God: “against you, you alone have I sinned, and done that which is evil in your sight.” Sin sets itself against God’s love for us and turns our hearts away from it. It is disobedience, a revolt against God through the will to become “like gods,” It is the love of oneself, even the contempt of God. In this proud self-exaltation, Sin is diametrically opposed to the obedience of Jesus, which achieves our salvation.” (CCC 1849-1850).

 

3.    In today’s Gospel, we read of the temptation of Jesus in the desert. With this, Jesus teaches us how to act when we are tempted. Since the devil used his knowledge of the Bible to tempt Jesus, Jesus also used the Scripture to conquer the devil. He countered the devil and commanded him to get out of His sight. The best way to fight temptation is to fortify ourselves with the word of God. “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching the truth, rebuking error, correcting faults, and giving instruction for right living.” (2 Tim. 3:16). How comfortable are you with your Bible?

 

4.    The devil manipulated Eve and got the better of her: “Did God really tell you not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?” He cast doubts on God’s directives and offered her his logical explanation: “You certainly will not die! No, God knows well that the moment you eat of it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like gods who know what is good and what is bad.” (Gen. 3:4). On hearing that the woman turned away from God: she wanted to be like God. She thought of the benefits of the fruit: “The tree was good for food, pleasing to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom. So, she took some of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.” (Gen. 3:6). Sin is turning away from the creator towards creatures. That was precisely what the woman did. She was more comfortable in the company of the devil than with God. The devil always gets us at our weakest point. He attacks us when we are sick, hungry, lonely, sad, defenseless, depressed, jobless, moneyless, poor, and desperate. He comes with false, empty promises if only we would do his bidding.

 

5.    Jesus shows us today how to face temptation. We must be prayerful; we must fast and give in charity. We must know the Bible and develop new ways to counter the devil’s antics. Christ went into the desert to fast and pray for strength and a sense of direction. He surrendered his will to the will of God and fortified himself with the word of God. With this, he was able to face the devil. “One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God,” Again, it is written, “You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.” And finally, “Get away, Satan! It is written: The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve.” (Mt. 4:4,7,10). We fall into temptation when we do not know how to fortify ourselves. Lent gives us that golden opportunity to battle the devil. We must give alms, fast, and pray if we are to face the temptations of our daily lives. We must be humble, forgiving, compassionate, and merciful. May we enter this season with the desire to change for the better? Amen!

 

 

 

Assignment:

1.    How do you prepare for Lent? To fight the devil’s temptation, Jesus relied on the word of God. There are 40 days between today and Easter Sunday. Please read the Book of Proverbs, chapters 1 to 31, each day from March 1 to March 31. On Feb. 27 and 28, read Psalm 1 and Psalm 2. Then from April 1 to April 9, read Psalms 4, 5, 15, 25, 51, 91, 103, 115, and 150. There will be Bible classes on Wednesdays of Lent in the Church from 6:30 to 7:30 pm. The classes will be live-streamed.

 

2.    During Lent, we are encouraged to give alms. When we give alms, we see ourselves as God’s stewards entrusted with many blessings. Our gifts are meaningful when we give sacrificially. Please give to the 2023 Appeal for Catholic Ministries: Pay $200.00 today to reach our goal of $9702.00. Thank you. Please support the missions of the Missionary Society of Paul. Pick up a table calendar and give whatever you can each month to provide fresh water, feed the hungry, educate a child in the mission, or train a Seminarian for the missions. What you give up for Lent should benefit others.

 

3.    Do not forget your parish. Our stewardship is very low, as you can see in the bulletin. We need $3,000.00 a week to break even. Now we can hardly raise $1,500.00. Please increase your giving, if possible, and help us keep the Church warm. Let us be available to people around us. Share a smile with those you meet, and never forget to wish them well. May God bless and keep you now and always. Amen!

 

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

February 23, 2020; 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time; Year (A)

 

Readings: Lv. 19:1-2, 17-18; 1Cor. 3:16-23; Matthew 5:38-48

 

A Life of Holiness is a Must for all People

 

1.    According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “All Christians in any state or walk of life are called to the fullness of Christian life and to the perfection of charity.” (CCC 2013). All Christians must respond to this universal mandate. We are not called to be holy as we want but as holy as God is. Our understanding of holiness should be based on God’s way and not ours. “Not what I will but what you will.” (Mk. 14:36). The first reading calls us to “Be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy.”  We must respond to this call without any reservations. In his Introduction to the Devout Live, St. Francis de Sales reminds us, “Wherever we find ourselves, we not only may but should seek perfection.” He stressed: “At the creation, God commanded the plants to bear fruit each according to its kind, and he likewise commands Christians, the living branches of the vine, to bear fruit by practicing devotion according to their state in life.” We are created in the image and likeness of God to know, love, serve, and worship God in this world and to be happy with him in the next. Our existence on earth will only be meaningful if we see the face of God and live happily with him in heaven. Since our choices should be geared towards our dwelling place with God in heaven, we must live holy lives. 

 

2.    What is holiness? Holiness means sacredness or purity. It is often used to describe things that are consecrated or dedicated and set apart for the service of God. It is living in communication with God and others. It comes from God alone, so people and things can only be holy if they are related to God. Because of our desire to seek God and all that pleases Him, we must let go of everything to have a life with God. To this end, St. Paul states: “I even consider everything as a loss because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake, I have accepted the loss of all things, and I consider them so much rubbish that I may gain Christ and be found in him.” (Phil. 3:8-10). “In order to reach this perfection,” the Catechism teaches again, “the faithful should use the strength dealt out to them by Christ’s gift, so that …doing the will of the Father in everything, they may wholeheartedly devote themselves to the glory of God and to the service of their neighbor. Thus, the holiness of the people of God will grow in fruitful abundance, as is clearly shown in the history of the Church through the lives of so many saints.” (CCC 2013).

 

3.    The Gospel reading today makes sense when seen from the background of the call to holiness. The teaching of Christ in the Sermon on the Mount shows the Christian how to pursue a life of holiness. Responding to this call means, “You shall not bear hatred for your brother. Take no revenge and cherish no grudge.” (Lev. 19:18). “Offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one as well. Give to the one who asks of you and does not turn your back on one who wants to borrow. Love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you.”(Mt. 5:38-45).

 

4.    How do we respond to those who hate and wish us bad? Chris has taught us how to respond to those who hate us. “If you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” (Matt. 5:23-24). Christians do not look for anπ easy way out of pursuing a life of holiness because they have no alternative. They look for options because it is always right to do the right. Not doing the right is not an option! Christians know that by hurting others, they hurt themselves. We hurt ourselves when we are abusive, disregard, look down on, or act maliciously toward others. Bearing grudges, harboring grievances, and planning revenge is like holding a big fire in our hearts, waiting to ignite, burn, and consume ourselves and everything in its path. We must conquer hatred with love. 

 

5.    “When we hate our enemies, we give them power over us – power over our sleep…power over our blood pressure, power over our health and happiness. Our enemies would dance for joy if they knew how our hatred tears us apart. Our hatred is not hurting them at all. It only turns own days and night into a hellish turmoil.” (Anonymous) Jesus wants us to use the power of love and conquer our enemies. Our enemies would not be able to withstand the pressure of our love for too long. They will buckle under the enormity of our love; we are called to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. Love always releases a chain reaction of love. Responding with love toward those who hate us benefits both parties far more than a response of hate. We must answer the call to be holy as our heavenly Father is holy!

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP.

February 12, 2023; 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

Readings: Sirach 15:15-20; 1 Cor. 2:6-10; Matthew 5:17-37

 

God Created Us to Choose Him Always

1.    Today’s first reading reminds us, “If you choose, you can keep the commandments, they will save you; if you trust in God, you too shall live; he has set before you fire and water; to whichever you choose, stretch forth your hand. Before men are life and death, good and evil, whichever he chooses shall be given him.” (Sirach 15:15-17). In Deuteronomy, God told the children of Israel that if they kept his commandment, they would enjoy a long life in the promised land. He reminded them that his command was not complex for them to observe but that it was something very near to them, “Already in your mouths and your hearts; you have only to carry it out.” (Deut. 30:14). In verse 15, he says: “Today I am giving you a choice between good and evil, between life and death.” He gave them a choice between God’s blessing and God’s curse. To stress the seriousness of their choice, God invites, in verse 19, heaven and earth to witness the choice they were to make.

 

2.    The ability to choose what we want is God’s sacred gift to humanity. He gives us Free Will. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, Nos. 1730 reminds us that “God created man a rational being, conferring on him the dignity of a person who can initiate and control his actions. “God willed that man should be ‘left in the hand of his counsel,’ so that he might of his own accord seek his Creator, and freely attain his full and blessed perfection by cleaving to him.”  The gift of Free Will should enable us to choose the path that would lead us to God. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. We have often deviated from God, choosing ourselves rather than our Creator. We have used this gift of freedom many times to our detriment; to destroy and kill rather than to love, respect, and protect others. Yet, God still respects us and will never take that gift away from us.

 

3.    Today’s readings remind us of God’s intention to give us free will. “The eyes of God are on those who fear him; he understands man’s every deed. No one does he command to act unjustly, to none does he give license to sin.” Again, he reminds us, “If you obey the commandments of the Lord, your God, which I enjoin on you today, loving him and walking in his ways and keeping his commandments, statutes, and decrees, you will live and grow numerous, and the Lord, your God, will bless you in the land you are entering to occupy.” (Deut. 30:16). Our choices have repercussions and consequences; we are responsible for every choice. When we refuse to obey God’s Commandment, we do so to our detriment, and we will pay the price for it. “If, however, you turn away your hearts and will not listen but are led astray and adore and serve other gods, I tell you now that you will certainly perish…” (Deut.30:17-18). Though we have been given the gift of Free Will, we must necessarily choose what is right, always choosing wisely. We cannot afford to decide what is evil or what goes contrary to the will of God. 

 

4.    This brings us to today’s Gospel. Jesus is the fulfillment of the law. We must not only obey the law but personalize and internalize it. God gave us the law for a purpose, to guide our way of life on earth and ensure a peaceful cohabitation with others. The law of the Lord is a guide to the right decision. Therefore, the law of Moses finds its completion in Jesus. Hence, he says, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.” (Matt. 5:17). It is always in our best interest to obey the law of God. No wonder the Psalmist prays, “Instruct me, O Lord, in the way of your statutes, that I may exactly observe them. Give me discernment, that I may observe your law and keep it with all my heart.” (Ps. 119:33-34). 

 

5.    The law of God, fulfilled in Christ, makes us morally strong, upright, and honest. It gives us the right disposition to live a life of integrity and enables us to be honest and sincere and always to speak the truth. To this end, Mark Twain notes: “Speaking honestly is better. It takes a lot of stress out of our lives. If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything, but if you don’t tell the truth, you have to remember what you said.” Proverbs 10:9 stresses this point thus, “The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out.” Herein lies the punishment for those who make bad decisions and do not obey the law of love.

 

6.    The choice that we make places an obligation on us. If we make good and positive choices, we reap a bountiful benefit, but if we make bad choices, we will undoubtedly end up with harmful consequences. We must choose to forgive those who hurt us or be stuck with the toxic feeling of hatred each time we see the object of our apprehension. Christ wants to spare us this, so he instructs us to tread the path of reconciliation. He gives us simple rules or a manifesto of his kingdom – the beatitudes. He warns, “I tell you unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” Let us pray, once again, with the Psalmist: “Be good to your servant, that I may live and keep your words. Open my eyes, that I may consider the wonders of your law.” Amen.

 

                            Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP