This season of Lent is a special time in the life of the Church. We are starting it with Jesus, who went into the desert for 40 days, and we are going through this desert experience of the 40 days of Lent with Him. We are primarily focused on learning from Jesus how to be strong in the face of temptation and overcome sin and not repeat our past sins.
Today’s readings surround this theme of temptation and overcoming the same.
In the first reading, we heard about the fall of our first parents, Adam and Eve, following their temptation by the devil, who was deceptive and trickish in his incitements. The responsorial psalm is our acknowledgment that we have sinned against God. It is easy to say that our first parents sinned, but sometimes forget that we sin daily. So it is our prayer in supplication for pardon, for we are sinners.
In the second reading, St Paul showed us that Jesus is the second Adam, the new man from whom humanity has received a new life of grace and forgiveness of sins.
The gospel reading is about how Jesus overcame his temptations after his 40 days fast. Every antic and tactic that the devil employed did not get to him. In the three temptations, He conquered the concupiscence (desire) of the flesh, the eyes, and the pride of life.
By overcoming the temptations that came to him, Jesus shows us that we, too, can overcome all temptations that come to us. He has set us free from the captivity of the evil one. He has set an example we must follow when facing the human dilemma of choosing between good and evil. We must remember that Jesus knew what it was to be tempted and sympathizes with us in the temptations that assail us.
With Jesus by our side, we can overcome temptations as he did, reject sin, and resist the tempter. As we go with Him during this season of Lent, may we be enriched by God’s grace to overcome our temptations. Amen.