Temptation part3, скачать в хорошем качестве

Temptation part3,

1st Sunday of Lent.... Year A 1st Reading.... Genesis 2:7-9;3:1-7 Psalm.............. 51:3-6.12-17 2nd Reading.... Romans 5:12-19 Gospel............. Matthew 4:1-11 Theme: He fasted for forty days and forty nights. This is the beautiful forty days and forty nights of Lent. A season of turning back to God. A period of deep sober reflection of how far and well we have journeyed with and in God. It is a moment we pause for a while, look inwardly and re-evaluate ourselves. It is a time to beat our chest in contrition saying Mea Culpa, Mea Culpa, Mea Maxima Culpa. God is preparing us to be a better Christian during every season of Lent; there must be growth and development in every year we experience Lent. It is a "Set aside" time to build intimacy with God, making good use of the moment to turn back to God who is ever ready and waiting to welcome us. The first reading reminds us of our origin, as well as our fall as humanity by our first parents. God created us like Himself; Man was the true image of God. The first reading captures this clearly saying Man became a Living Soul*, not a human being. Man's true nature is the nature of a Living Soul, a being that can never die. A synthesis of soul and spirit in a corporal entity, yet can easily transcend various realms with ease; that is the true image of man. Man as a living soul has everything he needs, all was provided at the garden just as the first reading captures it *And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden in the East; and there He puts the Man whom He has formed. He, God, put "The Man". The article "The" points to a particular thing not just a random, impersonal or infinite entity, so God was specific with His purpose and plan for Man. The Man here is that living soul who bears the true image of God; Man as a psychosomatic being composed of Body, soul and spirit, not just the physical body, or a soul but a living soul. Living soul, as the nature of God who is Spirit because it is the spirit that gives life, the soul is just the spirit body and Man is that spiritual soul as created by God, just the way He is. Oh Man! Oh Man!! Oh Man!!! What a fall we have. We lost everything as a result of the sin of disobedience. After the sin of disobedience, man's eyes were opened. As simple as it may sound, the sin of disobedience made man lose everything. Disobedience is the ONLY sin in the world, all other sins are the children of disobedience because if we obey God, we will not sin. This season of Forty days opens our eyes to the state of nakedness we find ourselves. This is why the psalmist cried out to God saying Have Mercy, O Lord, for we have sinned. St Paul in the second reading emphasises the weight of sin, and its effect on man. The wages of sin is death; not physical death but the loss of the true image of God we are as a result of sin. Everyday, we are exposed to sin. Many of us die to sin and in sin. Drink, eat and do all we do in sin, because we may have lost the self we are in God. At birth, we possess God's true image and innocence; but as we grow older, we are exposed to the sin of disobedience which leads to our parents falling and so we too fall to sin. Our joy and hope is that through the obedience of our Lord Jesus Christ, we will be made righteous. Even the devil is aware of this fact that was why he came to tempt our Lord in the gospel, to destroy man the second time. But the devil forgot that Christ is not only True-Man but also True-God unlike Adam who is just a likeness. Christ is God, and the devil cannot defeat God and that is our joy this season. The devil tempted Christ on the level of the body (to turn stone to bread to quench hunger), on the soul (Will power to make decisions as suggested by him) and on the level of the Spirit (His Omni- Potence) as God, and to lose His glory to the devil but Christ overcame all. We too will and are tested in these three levels of our being everyday, we must try our best to overcome our flesh, our will power, and our inclination to sin and the devil rather than to God. May the Lord help us to be better Christian these Forty days journey with Him. Amen. God bless you 🙏 Happy Sunday 🕊️ Happy Season of Lent ✝️ From Mr Bruno