This Weeks Written Reflection
 

Gospel:  Luke 4: 1-13
 

1 Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert,2 for forty days being put to the test by the devil. During that time he ate nothing and at the end he was hungry.

3 Then the devil said to him, 'If you are Son of God, tell this stone to turn into a loaf.'4 But Jesus replied, 'Scripture says: Human beings live not on bread alone.'5 Then leading him to a height, the devil showed him in a moment of time all the kingdoms of the world6 and said to him, 'I will give you all this power and their splendour, for it has been handed over to me, for me to give it to anyone I choose.7 Do homage, then, to me, and it shall all be yours.'8 But Jesus answered him, 'Scripture says: You must do homage to the Lord your God, him alone you must serve.'

9 Then he led him to Jerusalem and set him on the parapet of the Temple. 'If you are Son of God,' he said to him, 'throw yourself down from here,10 for scripture says: He has given his angels orders about you, to guard you, and again:11 They will carry you in their arms in case you trip over a stone.'12 But Jesus answered him, 'Scripture says: Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'

13 Having exhausted every way of putting him to the test, the devil left him, until the opportune moment.
 

                                             Reflection
 

As we set our feet on the path of Jesus, Temptations will come to follow other paths To give our energy and commitment to other ways, To look for life and happiness away from God .

The temptation of Jesus was to live for himself; like the instinct in each of us to see ourselves as number one. Jesus’ conviction, spread in his works of healing the sick in mind and body , of consoling people in all situations, and teaching the way of God, and finally his death on the cross, is that true fulfilment is in being men and women of God for others.

He was the Son of God for us, not for himself; the temptation was to turn the spotlight on himself and accept a life of comfort, concerned with honour, wealth and power.

The gifts of personality that each of us has are to fit us for our journey of life. And to be shared with all we meet on the journey of life we share.

Our wealth, ;learning and talents – all we have received in our upbringing, all we have received from God- are to enrich not only ourselves, but are given for the life of the world.

Called by God to be men and women for others we may be tempted to use our love and our talents even our faith and religion just for ourselves. May we walk in the path of true life, may we create a world of equality and justice, where the dignity of people is valuedas much as the dignity of God.

In Jesus we are brothers and sisters, men and women for others. Together may we walk on the path of eternal life.

Taken from Communion Reflections for Year C Donal Neary SJ

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