Shikrot Mpwi - Sunday Synopsis with Fr. Justine J. Dyikuk

First Sunday of Lent, Year A – March 1, 2020

Readings: Genesis 2:7-9;3:1-7; Responsorial Psalm Ps 51:3-4.5-6ab12-13.14 and 17(R.3a); Romans 5:12-19 or Romans 5:12.17-19 & Gospel Matthew 4:1-11.

Theme:  Fighting Temptations!

“My child, when you come to serve the Lord, prepare yourself for testing” (Sirach 2:1).

Sunday Synopsis

Friends in Christ, today’s first reading (Genesis 2:7-9;3:1-7) discloses the story of the abysmal fall of man. In the second reading, St. Paul reassures that although sin came to the world through one man, Adam salvation has been brought through one man, Jesus. The gospel (Matthew 4:1-11) amplifies the message of the two readings by inviting us to emulate Jesus, the bearer of the New Covenant who although was subjected to testing by Satan was able to give faith a fighting chance through wrestling the devil with the four interior empires of mindset, heartset, soulset and healthset to demonstrate that he is truly the Son of God.

Introduction

Beloved in Christ, Ash Wednesday ushered us into another Lenten Season – a Holy Season which invites us to prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Our liturgy presents us with the fall of Adam and the temptation of Jesus. The two narratives indicate that there are four interior empires which we must use wisely if we want to succeed in our spiritual journey. These are - mindset, heartset, soulset and healthset. Titled “Fighting Temptations,” this reflection shall scan through the readings for appropriate pastoral lessons. 

Background and Summary of the Readings

The first reading (Genesis 2:7-9;3:1-7) discloses the story of the abysmal fall of man. It narratives how Adam and Eve were deceived by the devil to eat the forbidden fruit. It also narrates how the tempter misled Eve who in turn convinced her husband to eat from the tree of life. Because they saw that the tree was pleasing to the eyes, they eat it. The text further reveals that they soon realized that they were naked and sewed fig-leaves to make lion-cloths for themselves.    

In the second reading (Romans 5:12-19), St. Paul reassures that although sin entered the world through one man, Adam, salvation has been brought through one man, Jesus. He emphasized that   Jesus will cause everyone to reign in life who receives the free gift that he does not deserve, of being made righteous. He surmised that just as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by one man’s obedience many will be made righteous.  

In today’s gospel reading (Matthew 4:1-11), Jesus the bearer of the New Covenant is being subjected to testing in the desert. Jesus is given three tests. In the instance, the devil tempted him to turn stones into bread but Jesus responded that “Man does not live on bread alone but by everyone word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” In the second test, Jesus was tempted to prove that he is God’s son by jumping from the pinnacle of the Temple because it is written that his angels would guard him lest he dash his foot against a stone (Cf. Psalm 91/90:11). Jesus replied: “You must not pit the Lord your God to the test.” In the third temptation, the devil promised Jesus all the kingdoms of the earth if only He would worship him. We are told that Jesus stood his ground by saying “You must worship the Lord your God and serve him alone.” At that, he gave the enemy a good fight through the four interior empires to demonstrate that he is truly the Son of God.

Four Types of Interior Empires

The cerebral author of the blockbuster book The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, Robin Sharma tells us that there are four Interior Empires wherein lies the DNA of greatness. These are:

Mindset (Psychology): This has to do with how we dispose our minds psychologically to what happens to us on the inside. This relates to our readings today because the mind is the epicenter for temptations. That is where we can either nurse or fight temptations.  

Heartset (Emotionality): Like the mind, the heart is the engine room for good or bad. It is therein that we either nurture positive or negative emotions.  

Soulset (Spirituality): This pertains to our spirituality. The soul is what would account for our lives on earth. As such, how we feed it matters. The food for our souls include reading the Word of God, daily reception of the Holy Eucharist, patronizing the sacrament of reconciliation, prayer, fasting, almsgiving et al.     

Healthset (Physicality): This is where the battle of life is fought and either won or lost. All the other sets depend on healthset. You have to enjoy good health to have a sound mind, guided emotions and strong spirituality. As such, during this Lenten period, disciplining the body in terms of food and drink, exercise and leisure is crucial to fighting temptations. After all, experts have suggested that cutting down on sugar, dairy products and meat is key to living a healthy life. We have to be alive to worship God.  

Pastoral and Practical Lessons

1. Have Custody of the Eyes: The temptation of Adam and Eve in the first reading and that of Christ in the gospel urges us to fight the lust of the eyes towards material possessions and other mundane-goodies of this world which often puts us in trouble.

2. Avoid the Sins of the Flesh: The temptation of Eve in the Garden and that of Christ in the wilderness challenges us to guard against the passions of the flesh such as gluttony, masturbation, fornication, adultery, bestiality, homosexuality and lesbianism.  

3. Resist the Pride of Life: Just as the devil wanted Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit to become like God, Satan wanted Jesus to demonstrate his power by jumping from the pinnacle of the Temple – this calls the Christian to reject anything that leads to arrogance, ostentation, presumption and useless boasting.

4. Imitate the New Adam: The message of St. Paul in the second reading calls us to imitate Christ the New Adam who pleads for us in order to become the righteousness of God.

5. Use Your Gifts Wisely: The first temptation to turn stones into bread reminds us that fasting and prayer are ancient spiritual artilleries for fighting the devil on the one hand and also urges us to use our God-given gifts, talents and abilities for others on the other hand like Jesus who suspended his need for food for our sake.

6. Worship God Alone:  In a world where many are seeking short-cuts offered by the devil to make it life through worshipping the devil, Jesus wants us to acknowledge him by avoiding the worship of false gods and being steadfast to the end.

7. Be Grounded in Scriptures: Since Jesus was able to resist Satan because he was grounded in the Word of God, we are charged to make the Living Word of God the menu of our dailies lives so as to withstand the tempter.

8. Finish Well: Our liturgy reminds us that it is not how well you start that matters but well you end - This is because, Judas Iscariot started well as a disciple but ended badly by betraying his Master and hanging himself; Adolf Hitler began well in a catholic school by wanting to become a Priest but gave into the demons which gave birth to the Holocaust; we are told that both Joseph Stalin and Karl Marx were seminarians who began well but gave up - at the beginning of Communism, Stalin murdered about thirty million Russians. Always remember that: “They who endure to the end shall be saved’ (Matthew 24:13).

Summary Lines

1. The first reading discloses the story of the abysmal fall man.

2. In the second reading, St. Paul reassures that although sin entered the world through one man, Adam salvation has been brought through one man, Jesus.

3. Just as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by one man’s obedience many will be made righteous.

4. In today’s gospel (Matthew 4:1-11) reading, Jesus the bearer of the New Covenant is being subjected to testing in the desert.

5. He gave the enemy a good fight through the four interior empires to demonstrate that he is truly the Son of God.

Conclusion

Friends in Christ, you may have been knocked down; you may have been betrayed by a dear friend; you may have experienced the death of a loved one; you may be fighting a deadly disease; you may be in a financial crisis; your family and friends may have turned their backs on you and life may be treating badly. You know what? These are all temptations. You have power is on the inside to develop a robust mindset, heartset, soulset and healthset. Don’t forget that although God allows us to be tempted, He does not tempt us. The bible says: “For everything in the world - the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life - comes not from the Father but from the world” (1 John 2:16). John makes it clear when he said, anything that produces the pride of life comes from a love of the world and “if anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15). May God help us in our struggle with evil throughput this Lent Season and beyond even as we practice our annual Lenten observances of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Amen – March Unto the Mountains of Grace in this Month of March!