Sunday Sermon 2.26.23
LATIN MASS: FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT
EPISTLE: 2 Corinthians 6:1 And we helping do exhort you, that you receive not the grace of God in vain. 2 For he saith: In an accepted time have I heard thee; and in the day of salvation have I helped thee. Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. 3 Giving no offence to any man, that our ministry be not blamed: 4 But in all things let us exhibit ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in tribulation, in necessities, in distresses, 5 In stripes, in prisons, in seditions, in labours, in watchings, in fastings, 6 In chastity, in knowledge, in longsuffering, in sweetness, in the Holy Ghost, in charity unfeigned, 7 In the word of truth, in the power of God; by the armour of justice on the right hand and on the left; 8 By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet known; 9 As dying, and behold we live; as chastised, and not killed; 10 As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as needy, yet enriching many; as having nothing, and possessing all things.
Do not put off your salvation any longer. Go to Confession ASAP. Make an Act of Contrition. Thank God for any persecutions and trials that you may receive, because if you accept them joyfully as Christ joyfully accepted His Cross, you will store up treasures for yourself in Heaven. The treasures of Heaven are eternal and beyond anything we can imagine here on earth.
GOSPEL: Matthew 4:1 Then Jesus was led by the spirit into the desert, to be tempted by the devil. 2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterwards he was hungry. 3 And the tempter coming said to him: If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 4 Who answered and said: It is written, Not in bread alone doth man live, but in every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God. 5 Then the devil took him up into the holy city, and set him upon the pinnacle of the temple, 6 And said to him: If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down, for it is written: That he hath given his angels charge over thee, and in their hands shall they bear thee up, lest perhaps thou dash thy foot against a stone. 7 Jesus said to him: It is written again: Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. 8 Again the devil took him up into a very high mountain, and shewed him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them, 9 And said to him: All these will I give thee, if falling down thou wilt adore me. 10 Then Jesus saith to him: Begone, Satan: for it is written, The Lord thy God shalt thou adore, and him only shalt thou serve. 11 Then the devil left him; and behold angels came and ministered to him.
As we follow Jesus into the desert this Lent, we must learn to trust in God and trust that He will never let us be tempted beyond what we can withstand. His grace is always sufficient. Something else to notice in this, is that Satan is not omniscient. God has not revealed to him everything, he isn’t even sure that Jesus is the Son of Man. Remember, the spiritual battle is not between God and Satan, because they are not equals in any sense. It is between St. Michael and Satan. God is not equaled by anyone or anything.
NOVUS ORDO: FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT
OLD TESTAMENT: Genesis 2:7 then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being. 8 And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9 Out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God say, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the garden’?” 2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die.’” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not die; 5 for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.
Notice something in this passage, Adam is with Eve when Satan tempts her. Adam fails in his duty from the very beginning. The first command that God gives to Adam is to till and maintain the Garden of Eden. The very first thing he should have done when Satan came into the Garden, was to rebuke him and cast him out of the Garden. Except Adam doesn’t do that. He stands by passively as he allows his wife to be tempted into the Original Sin. He then joins her in that sin.
We are plagued by males who refuse to be men. Throughout our culture emasculation is rampant and males need to step up and be men. Take charge and lead your family. Guide them as the bishop of your home. Stop being passive and confront the evil in the world.
NEW TESTAMENT: Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death came through sin, and so death spread to all because all have sinned— 13 sin was indeed in the world before the law, but sin is not reckoned when there is no law. 14 Yet death exercised dominion from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sins were not like the transgression of Adam, who is a type of the one who was to come.
15 But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died through the one man’s trespass, much more surely have the grace of God and the free gift in the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abounded for the many. 16 And the free gift is not like the effect of the one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brings justification. 17 If, because of the one man’s trespass, death exercised dominion through that one, much more surely will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness exercise dominion in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.
18 Therefore just as one man’s trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man’s act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all. 19 For just as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.
Be obedient to Christ and He will overflow your soul with His grace. All you have to do is follow His commands and love Him. His gift of salvation is free, but it does come with conditions. Flee from sin, go to Confession, and perform acts of good will and charity. Do the good works of God and produce the good fruit that He requires of us all.
GOSPEL: Matthew 4:1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards He was famished. 3 The tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4 But He answered, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 saying to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will command His angels concerning you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear You up, so that You will not dash Your foot against a stone.’” 7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 8 Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; 9 and he said to Him, “All these I will give You, if You will fall down and worship me.” 10 Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! for it is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only Him.’” 11 Then the devil left Him, and suddenly angels came and waited on Him.
“One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” - At Mass we get to receive the Word of God and whoever eats of that Bread will never die. Always remember and recognize that you are not receiving a piece of bread at Mass, but instead you are receiving the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The ruler of the entire universe humbles Himself to make Himself available to you. Be grateful and appreciate this incredible and eternal gift you are being offered.