| Bread From Heaven Meditations on the Sunday Gospel for the Year of the Eucharist |
| First Week of Lent Beginning Sunday February 13th, 2005 |
| The Word of the Lord |
At that time Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the
devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry.
The tempter approached and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command
that these stones become loaves of bread." He said in reply, "It is written: One
does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of
God."
Then the devil took him to the holy city, and made him stand on the parapet of
the temple, and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For
it is written: He will command his angels concerning you and with their hands they
will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone." Jesus answered him,
"Again it is written, You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test." Then the
devil took him up to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the
world in their magnificence, and he said to him, "All these I shall give to you, if you
will prostrate yourself and worship me." At this, Jesus said to him, "Get away,
Satan! It is written: The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you
serve."
Then the devil left him and, behold, angels came and ministered to him.
Matthew 4:1-11
devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry.
The tempter approached and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command
that these stones become loaves of bread." He said in reply, "It is written: One
does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of
God."
Then the devil took him to the holy city, and made him stand on the parapet of
the temple, and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For
it is written: He will command his angels concerning you and with their hands they
will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone." Jesus answered him,
"Again it is written, You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test." Then the
devil took him up to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the
world in their magnificence, and he said to him, "All these I shall give to you, if you
will prostrate yourself and worship me." At this, Jesus said to him, "Get away,
Satan! It is written: The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you
serve."
Then the devil left him and, behold, angels came and ministered to him.
Matthew 4:1-11
| THE BACKGROUND |
Jesus has just been baptized in the Jordan by John which marks the beginning
of his public ministry. The first thing he does is to go out into the wilderness as he
was led by the Spirit. The wilderness in the Scriptures is often a place of
confrontation with God and also with Satan. It is the place that is barren and so
the two stand in sharper contrast, God on one side, Satan on the other. Jesus is
preparing himself for his ministry by a time of fasting and praying. The time of 40
days reminds us of the 40 years that Israel was in the desert until they could be
led into the promised land by Joshua. Jesus (Joshua) is preparing to lead his
people, the new Israel, into the promised land, and he’ll do so by his victory over
Satan through the Cross.
of his public ministry. The first thing he does is to go out into the wilderness as he
was led by the Spirit. The wilderness in the Scriptures is often a place of
confrontation with God and also with Satan. It is the place that is barren and so
the two stand in sharper contrast, God on one side, Satan on the other. Jesus is
preparing himself for his ministry by a time of fasting and praying. The time of 40
days reminds us of the 40 years that Israel was in the desert until they could be
led into the promised land by Joshua. Jesus (Joshua) is preparing to lead his
people, the new Israel, into the promised land, and he’ll do so by his victory over
Satan through the Cross.
| Jesus the Apostles and You |
Although, no one is recorded as having been with Jesus in
the desert, for the sake of this exercise we’ll place
ourselves silently in the desert with him. It is important for
us to realize that Jesus was truly tempted, in every way
that we are, during this episode. Watch his face, contorted
from fasting, and from the pounding sun of the desert, as
Satan offers him relief through bread. Imagine the desire to
have it, and yet the greater desire in him to remain faithful
to the Father’s will. Imagine, standing on the pinnacle of
the Temple, looking down upon all of those people. Satan
tempts him to jump, knowing that he will be caught by the
angels, and men in seeing this will flock to him. But Jesus
knows that they will flock to him because of his power and
not in response to his love and so rejects it. Thirdly,
imagine the devil holding out to him all the people of the
earth, who are under his dominion and promises Jesus,
they will all be returned to you if you but honor me. Here is
a way to bring people to salvation without the Cross, but
Jesus knows the Father’s words: “You shall worship the
Lord alone.” And so in this last moment of agonizing
decision rejects Satan’s offer, drops to the ground
exhausted. Satan departs and the angels appear. Listen in
silence for Jesus has won a most important battle.
the desert, for the sake of this exercise we’ll place
ourselves silently in the desert with him. It is important for
us to realize that Jesus was truly tempted, in every way
that we are, during this episode. Watch his face, contorted
from fasting, and from the pounding sun of the desert, as
Satan offers him relief through bread. Imagine the desire to
have it, and yet the greater desire in him to remain faithful
to the Father’s will. Imagine, standing on the pinnacle of
the Temple, looking down upon all of those people. Satan
tempts him to jump, knowing that he will be caught by the
angels, and men in seeing this will flock to him. But Jesus
knows that they will flock to him because of his power and
not in response to his love and so rejects it. Thirdly,
imagine the devil holding out to him all the people of the
earth, who are under his dominion and promises Jesus,
they will all be returned to you if you but honor me. Here is
a way to bring people to salvation without the Cross, but
Jesus knows the Father’s words: “You shall worship the
Lord alone.” And so in this last moment of agonizing
decision rejects Satan’s offer, drops to the ground
exhausted. Satan departs and the angels appear. Listen in
silence for Jesus has won a most important battle.
| TALKING WITH GOD - Lord, help me to grasp what you went through in the desert. You were given three opportunities to avoid the Cross and to gather people in another way. By using your power to turn rocks to bread you could have filled the hungry bellies of the world, but then we would follow you simply because you met our physical needs. You could have gathered your people by performing miracles regardless of faith, but then we would have followed you because you dazzled us. You might even have gathered us by paying one moment of gratitude to Satan, but then you would have won us by compromise and not victory. Your love is so amazing that you chose, freely chose, to go to the Cross, so that we would be gathered not out of fear, awe, or compromise, but out of LOVE, out of the total victory of Love. Lord, help me to follow you. |
| Conversation Starters with God: Lord Jesus, there are decisions in my life that I make because I seem to be able to please both you and me. Help me to take my focus off myself, and to seek you alone. Help me not to count the cost to me, anymore than you didn’t count the cost of the Cross for me… Jesus, reveal to me the ways I choose to compromise rather than go for the total victory. What am I holding close to myself and not giving up for your sake? Lord, you were tempted to avoid suffering and gather us in another way but you refused. Help me to see where my avoidance of suffering is also leading me to avoid loving. Help me to love through the pain… |
| QUOTES ON THE EUCHARIST |
| Our Father THY WILL BE DONE A Meditation by St. Peter Julian Eymard Our Father Who are in Heaven in the heaven of the Eucharist, to You Who are seated on the throne of grace and love, be benediction, and honor, and power and glory for ever and ever! Hallowed be Your Name first in ourselves, through the spirit of Your humility, obedience, and charity. May we in all humility and zeal make You known, loved, and adored by all men in the Holy Eucharist, Thy Kingdom Come Thy Eucharistic kingdom. Rule Thou alone forever over us for Your greater glory through the power of Your love, the triumph of Your virtues, and the grace of a Eucharistic vocation in my state as a layman. Grant us the grace and mission of Your holy love so that we may be able to effectively extend Your Eucharistic kingdom everywhere and realize the desire you expressed: ‘I have come to cast fire on the earth; and what would I, but that it be kindled?’ Oh! that we might be the incendiaries of this heavenly fire! Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven Grant us the grace to find all our joy in wanting You alone, in desiring You alone, and in thinking of You alone. Grant that by denying of ourselves always and in all things, we may find light and life in obeying Your good, acceptable and perfect Will. I will what You will. I will it because You will it. I will it as You will it. I will it as long as You will it. Perish our thoughts and desires if they are not purely from You, for You and in You. Give us this day our daily bread You are our Eucharistic Lord and You alone will be our food and clothing, our riches and glory, our remedy in illness, and our protection against all evil. You will be all things to us. And forgive us our trespasses Forgive me Jesus, for I am sorry for all my sins just as they stand in your eyes. As we forgive those who trespass against us For anyone who has offended us in any way, with our whole heart we forgive them and desire for them the gifts of Your love. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil Deliver us Jesus, from the demon of pride, impurity, discord and complacency. Deliver us from the cares and worries of life so that with a pure heart and a free mind we may joyfully spend our life and devote all that we are and all that we have in the service of our Eucharistic Lord. Amen. In You, O Lord Jesus, have I hoped; let me not be confounded forever. You alone are good. You alone are powerful. You alone are eternal. To You alone be honor and glory, love and thanksgiving forever and ever. |
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