READ
First reading: Dt 26:4-10
Second reading: Rom 10:8-13
Gospel: Lk 4:1-13
UNDERSTAND | By Father Greg Friedman, OFM
Knowing your roots–it’s become an obsession for many of us.
There’s a wealth of resources available for researching one’s family history; people enjoy knowing about their ancestors and where they came from. When we learn about our family’s past we can appreciate the cultural riches our ancestors brought to us, their descendants.
In today’s first reading, Moses makes knowing the family history a part of the worship of Israel–and so it is to this day. As part of every Seder service, Jewish families retell the story of the Exodus from Egypt. We Catholics also bring our “family history” into our liturgy. Our Lenten season chooses some of the most basic stories of faith to remind us where we’ve come from. More importantly, these stories lead us directly to Jesus, and the story of our redemption in his death and resurrection. Today, as we hear of the Lord’s temptations in the desert, let’s let this very human portrait of Jesus remind us of how we’re called to respond in times of temptation: To depend upon God’s grace, and allow it to support and sustain us. It’s the living story of our faith, our Baptismal commitment, which we reaffirm in this Lenten season.
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DISCUSS | By Father Dan Kroger, OFM
In the first reading, what does Moses instruct the Israelites to thank God for?
In this week’s second reading, Paul reminds his readers of the importance of faith. Why is faith important?
According to the Gospel, where did Jesus go after he was baptized by John and what happened there?
ACT | By Susan Hines-Brigger
Get yourself a journal or notebook and use it to write down your thoughts regarding your Lenten practice. Write what you are going to do or give up. What do you hope to learn during these 40 days?
