Deceptions of the Devil
1st Sunday of Lent
“Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.”Ps. 91
The devil has been gaining ground in today’s world as humanity has pushed God aside and turned its back on Him. As Jesus said, “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” One of the devil’s main achievements evident today is the disdain for truth. Many no longer believe in anything or seek the truth. They have swallowed the lies of the modern world, which, through every possible means-movies and other mediums—insists that there is no absolute truth and that everyone can see things differently and believe whatever they want.
I believe this is an emptying of the human soul, destroying something essential to our identity, our being made in the image and likeness of God, which distinguishes us from animals. The world, the devil, and the flesh (selfish disorder) are on the same team, as they aim to separate us from God and thus deprive us of divine life, leading to the dehumanization and animalization of humanity. This has largely happened due to the disdain for truth.
From birth, we are configured with a longing for knowledge, as we are born with nothing, in darkness, and our life becomes a search for light, knowledge, and truth. Lies and false news naturally offend and frustrate us because they undermine trust.
This is precisely what is happening on a massive social scale like never before in history. Lies abound from governments, the media, and even recognized institutions guilty of deceit and abuses of power. This leads people to feel abused, creating a crisis of trust in institutions due to countless lies that result in frustration, skepticism, and distrust.
This culture, sometimes called post-truth, teaches that each person can construct their own truth and decide what it is. As a result, truth loses its importance and relevance because people believe in many possible truths, to the extent that today they may accept one and tomorrow a completely different one–just as proponents of gender ideology change gender or even species. Consequently, they stop seeking the truth, cease to believe in an absolute truth, and stop searching for God, thinking they alone decide everything—an obviously absurd notion and a clear manifestation of the one Jesus called the father of lies.
Let’s examine how our love for truth stands; this should distinguish us as disciples of Jesus, who is the Truth. Out of love, we must seek the truth constantly and passionately, to be witnesses of the truth as Jesus and all the saints were. (Jo 18,37).
Prayer for Lent
Dear Jesus,
This is the first Sunday of Lent, and I want to commit myself more deeply to you this season. Inspire me with the Lenten penances you most desire, the ones that help me to grow ever nearer to you.
Amen.
Lent
After attending our parish retreat and feeling much better and stronger about my faith, I want to make this Lent worthwhile. What can I do to keep the spirit and practice of Lent? You’ve already taken the first step by going on the parish retreat. It is important for us to “tune up” our faith, taking some time to renew ourselves through prayer, meditation and education. By deepening our knowledge and understanding of faith, we are often better attuned to its richness and meaning for our life.
Lent is an intense retreat, a forty-day period of reflection and penance that prepares us to celebrate the passion, death and resurrection of Christ. Our communication with God and our awareness of him is the purpose of prayer. Setting aside extra time each day helps intensify the season. Prayer includes daily Mass, Stations of the Cross, communal penance services and private confession. Making restitution for sin as well as disciplining our hearts and minds to focus on God is the purpose of penance. It helps us restore a sense of balance to our souls, thrown off kilter by sin. Penance includes personal sacrifice, self-denial, fasting, almsgiving and charitable works.
Finally, spiritual practices help us sharpen our understanding and insight into the meaning and understanding of our faith. When you take your faith seriously, you do what is necessary to follow Jesus more closely, to integrate your life and your faith more carefully.
Weekly Readings
Sunday: Dt 26:4-10/Ps 91:1-2, 10-11, 12-13, 14-15 (see 5b)/Rom 10:8-13/Lk 4:1-13
Monday: Lv 19:1-2, 11-18/Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 15/Mt 25:31-46
Tuesday: Is 55:10-11/Ps 34:4-5, 6-7, 16-17, 18-19/Mt 6:7-15
Wednesday: Jon 3:1-10/Ps 51:3-4, 12-13, 18-19/Lk 11:29-32
Thursday: Est C:12, 14-16, 23-25/Ps 138:1-2ab, 2cde-3, 7c-8/Mt 7:7-12
Friday: Ez 18:21-28/Ps 130:1-2, 3-4, 5-7a, 7bc-8/ Mt 5:20-26
Saturday: Dt 26:16-19/Ps 119:1-2, 4-5, 7-8/Mt 5:43-48
Next Sunday: Gn 15:5-12, 17-18/Ps 27:1, 7-8, 8-9, 13-14/Phil 3:17-4:1 or 3:20-4:1/Lk 9:28b-36
Observances for the Week
Sunday: 1st Sunday of Lent, Daylight Saving Time begins
Next Sunday: 2nd Sunday of Lent
