By Fr. Andrew Kelly
FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT – MARCH 9, 2014
Years ago (1957-1963) there was a television game show called “Who Do You Trust?” This is what Sunday’s Gospel (Matthew 4:1-11) is all about. Who does Jesus trust? Who does the believing community trust?
Jesus was committed to complete fidelity to the Father’s will. The tension in Sunday’s Gospel hinges upon whether Jesus will trust the Father in every circumstance of Jesus’ life.
As the story develops, Jesus is proven to be totally radically committed. There will be no magic show (“…command these stones to become loaves of bread.”); no celebratory spectacular displays of daredevil (“If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down…); no idolatrous fakery (“All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me…”).
As the Lenten season begins the believing community is asked: “Who do you trust?” Will the community be so committed to the Father’s will that it will rid all magic, spectacular displays and fakery from its life? Will the community find its joy, peace, security and meaning as Jesus did? “Worship the Lord your God, and serve only God.”
Come Easter Sunday, will the believing community truly be living “…by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”?
(Father Andrew Kelly is a retired priest of the Diocese of Davenport.)
Scripture Readings for March 9-16
Sunday
Gn 2:7-9; 3:1-7
Rom 5:12-19 or Rom 5:12, 17-19
Mt 4:1-11
Monday
Lv 19:1-2, 11-18
Mt 25:31-46
Tuesday
Is 55:10-11
Mt 6:7-15
Wednesday
Jon 3:1-10
Lk 11:29-32
Thursday
Est c:12, 14-16, 23-25
Mt 7:7-12
Friday
Ez 18:21-28
Mt 5:20-26
Saturday
Dt 26:16-19
Mt 5:43-48
Sunday
Gn 12:1-4a
2 Tim 1:8b-10
Mt 17:1-9
