Second Sunday in Lent

Jesus is tempted by Satan

# The name « satan » appears in the Hebrew Bible. In four passages of the Bible, the name śāṭan is used to designate heavenly creatures: Book of Numbers 22:22 and 22:32, First Book of Chronicles 21.1, Book of Zechariah 3.1 and Book of Job, chapters 1 and 2. In the Numbers and Chronicles, śāṭān appears in indefinite form. In the Numbers, it refers to an angel of Yahweh placed in the path of the prophet Balaam to prevent his donkey from advancing. He is the envoy of Yahweh and has nothing in common with Satan as later conceived. In the first two chapters of the book of Job, where the term is used 14 times, he always appears in the definite form.

Satan also appears as an allegorical figure in the third chapter of the book of Zechariah. In the fourth vision of Zechariah, the high priest Joshua stood before the angel of Yahweh with Satan to accuse him. In the first book of the Chronicles the word satan appears in an indefinite form. This passage indicates that it was Satan who incited David to take a census of the people. In the parallel passage of the second book of Samuel, it was Yahweh who was at the origin of this census.

                                       

From the Gospel according to Saint Mark

Jesus had just been baptised. Immediately the Spirit drove him into the desert. And in the desert he remained forty days, tempted by Satan. He lived among the wild beasts, and the angels served him. After the arrest of John the Baptist, Jesus left for Galilee to proclaim the Good News of God, saying, « The time is fulfilled: the kingdom of God is at hand. Immediately the Spirit drove him into the desert. And in the wilderness he remained forty days, tempted by Satan » (Mk 1, 12-15).

Author +FATHER MARIE LANDRY C+MPS

O Lord, here I am in your presence, in this place and at this very moment of my day. These minutes are for you, I surrender myself to you.Jesus, you know that I am weak and that I get tired on the way. Jesus, you know that I am weak and that I get tired on the way. Come to my side as you know how and teach me your ways. Today the Church celebrates the first Sunday of Lent. The Gospel presents us with Jesus as he prepares to enter into his public life. He goes out into the desert where he spends forty days praying and doing penance. There he is tempted by Satan.

We must prepare for Lent. Satan is our great enemy. There are people who do not believe in him, they say that he is a product of our imagination or that he is evil in the abstract diluted in people and in the world. No! the Holy Scriptures speak of him repeatedly as a real and concrete being. He is a fallen angel. Jesus defines him by saying : « He is a liar and the father of lies » (Jn 8:44). St. Peter compares him to a roaring lion: « Your adversary, the devil, like a roaring lion, comes and goes, searching for his prey » (1Pe 5, 8).

And Paul VI teaches us : « The devil is enemy number one, he is the tempter par excellence. »  We know that this obscure and disruptive character really exists and that he continues to act. How does he continue to act? By lying, by deceiving us. Where there is lying or deceit, there is diabolical action. « The devil’s greatest victory is to make us believe that he doesn’t exist » (Baudelaire). And how does he lie to us? He presents us with perverse actions as if they were good, he pushes us to do bad things, and thirdly, he suggests reasons to justify our sins. After deceiving us, he fills us with anxiety and sadness. Haven’t you ever felt this way?

What is our attitude to temptation? Before: remain vigilant, pray and avoid opportunities to sin. During: resist directly or indirectly. After: if you have won, give thanks to God. If you have not won, we must ask for forgiveness and learn from the experience. What has been your attitude so far? The Blessed Virgin Mary crushed the head of the infernal serpent.

Let us ask that She give us the strength to overcome the temptations of each day. Thank you, Jesus, for coming to save me. I thank you because you are not a distant God, but you come into my life, deep down in my being, to share your life with me. Send your Spirit upon me to make me live as a son and daughter of God. I give you my life to live from your life because I trust in you: I offer you my hands to do your work, I offer you my feet to follow your path, I offer you my eyes to see as you do, I offer you my tongue to speak your words, I offer you my intelligence so that you can think in me.

I offer you my spirit so that you pray in me. Above all I offer you my heart so that in me you may love the Father and all men. I offer you all that I am so that you may grow in me. May you be Christ, who lives, works and prays in me.

Additional information at

◊ Deacon Michel Houyoux : click here to read the paper →  Second Sunday in Ordinary Time of Year B

♥  Deacon Roy’s homily on vocation & service!