Sunday Sermon - 3.9.25
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.
Now is the acceptable time and now is the day of salvation. Do not put off your own salvation any longer. If you have been waiting to go to Confession, or to speak to your priest about converting to the Church, today is the day. Now is an acceptable time.
Pay attention to all the situations that St. Paul mentions that we must show ourselves as worthy disciples of God. We must always proclaim the kingship of Christ and behave like we actually believe it. We must obey Him and go to Confession when we haven’t obeyed Him. We must be bold and live through all persecutions and hardships in the same manner. This life is short and eternity is much longer. Keep your eyes focused on Him.
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.
We do not have a distant God who has not experienced the hardships and pains of our lives. We have a loving God who put aside His glory to become man. He willingly became one of us so that He could raise us up to glory in Heaven. Notice that Our Lord does not argue with the devil. He simply quotes what God Himself has said back to the devil. Give no leeway for demons in your life. Do not listen to their temptations. Focus instead of Our Lord.
NOVUS ORDO: FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT
OLD TESTAMENT: Deuteronomy 26:4 When the priest takes the basket from your hand and sets it down before the altar of the Lord your God, 5 you shall make this response before the Lord your God: “A wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous. 6 When the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us, by imposing hard labor on us, 7 we cried to the Lord, the God of our ancestors; the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. 8 The Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with a terrifying display of power, and with signs and wonders; 9 and He brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. 10 So now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground that You, O Lord, have given me.” You shall set it down before the Lord your God and bow down before the Lord your God.
Notice in particular something many people miss. Notice that the Israelites are using the pronouns “us” and “our”, rather than “them” and “their”. That’s because when the Israelites celebrated the Passover each year, they were not bringing into their memory the past events of God and His people. They were declaring that they were participating in the original Passover right then. The same is true for the Mass. We are participating in the actual Last Supper and Calvary at every Mass. It is not a memorial that we attend, but we are actually participating in those actual events. So always be aware that during Mass you are present with the Lord during the Last Supper and His Passion.
NEW TESTAMENT: Romans 10:8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9 because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. 11 The scripture says, “No one who believes in Him will be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on Him. 13 For, “Everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord shall be saved.”
A lot of people, particularly Protestants, like to use these verses as evidence of the doctrine of Faith Alone. Of course they are getting it exactly wrong, so let’s explain. Remember that this letter was written to Catholics living in Rome, the heart of the pagan Roman Empire. They were being persecuted and martyred for the faith. So when St. Paul says that the person who confesses with their lips that Jesus is Lord, that person is openly defying the Empire and is going to get martyred. These verses actually DISPROVE the doctrine of faith alone, because these people that Paul is writing to were going to get fed to lions when they opened their mouth to declare Jesus is Lord. They were doing the good work of proclaiming Christ to the unbelievers. They were giving witness to their faith by fearlessly embracing their own death rather than deny Christ.
GOSPEL: Luke 4:1 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, 2 where for forty days He was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, He was famished. 3 The devil said to Him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.” 4 Jesus answered Him, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone.’”
5 Then the devil led Him up and showed Him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And the devil said to Him, “To You I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. 7 If You, then, will worship me, it will all be Yours.” 8 Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only Him.’”
9 Then the devil took Him to Jerusalem, and placed Him on the pinnacle of the Temple, saying to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here, 10 for it is written, ‘He will command His angels concerning You, to protect You,’ 11 and ‘On their hands they will bear You up, so that You will not dash Your foot against a stone.’” 12 Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 13 When the devil had finished every test, he departed from Him until an opportune time.
Remember that this world has been given to the devil and the demons. This is not our home. We are travelers on a journey to our true home. Always remember that.