Homily for the First Sunday of Lent - Year C

The readings for the First Sunday of Lent - Year C may be found at:

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/030925.cfm

On this first weekend of Lent, 

the evangelist St. Luke tells us of Jesus' journey into the desert, 

where He faced temptation for forty days.

For us, 

Lent is every bit a time of battling temptation against the devil, 

just as Jesus did.

You know, 

we don’t talk about the devil much.

We don’t talk about hell much.

In fact, we often doubt they exist.

And the devil wants it that way.

Our unbelief makes his job so much easier.

In the desert, Jesus suffered temptations, as we all do.

Being “filled with the Holy Spirit” doesn’t make us immune to temptation.

In fact, it probably guarantees temptations will come harder and more often. 

Because we have something of value - our soul.

And the devil wants it.

But we don’t need to be afraid, because God wants it too.

And Jesus has passed this way before. 

Jesus fasted for forty days. 

Weak, hungry, vulnerable, and needing food that God was not giving Him.

So the devil hit him at his most basic level of need - Jesus’ physical hunger. 

Aiming to get Jesus to doubt himself and doubt God.

The devil uses the same tactic against us.

At times we can feel like God doesn’t care.

That he doesn’t appreciate our effort, 

that God is asking too much.

And we can forget that suffering is part of the human experience.

This doesn’t mean that God has abandoned us. 

Jesus dismisses this first temptation, 

by turning to sacred scripture for nourishment and strength.   

Failing at getting Jesus to give in this first time, the devil changed tactics.  

He offers to give all worldly power to Jesus if Jesus will worship Him.

Again, Jesus rebuffs his advances turning to sacred scripture for support.

Now, the devil may not offer us the whole world, 

but at our weakest moments, 

he absolutely tempts us 

to choose worldly ways, 

focusing on immediate gratification 

and our tendency to think of ourselves first.

After failing for a second time, the devil tries something even more devious,

tempting Jesus to test God.

He does this, 

knowing that for Jesus to give in to this temptation 

would jeopardize his whole public ministry that is yet to come.

But Jesus responds confidently - once again quoting sacred scripture.

Finally, the devil left him - but only temporarily 

as he will show up in the garden of Gethsemane later this Lent in the form of a serpent.

The same form he used to usher in our fall in the Garden of Eden.

He keeps coming at us as he came at Jesus in the desert.

But unlike Adam and Eve, Jesus stayed the course.

Unlike us, Jesus never fell.

Yet the devil and his temptations persist.

He tries any way possible to get us to doubt God’s plan.

He targets our weaknesses and our tendency to get down on ourselves. 

He uses our sense of unworthiness and impatience. 

Who would choose hunger over food?

Who would choose poverty over riches?

Who would pass up greatness and reward now with no guarantees of what comes next?

We might ask ourselves similar questions when we are faced with temptation.

Justifying the choice we want to make and minimizing the sin.

And that’s exactly what the devil wants us to do.

Yet Jesus gave us the answers to the test.

Jesus countered each temptation with sacred scripture. 

We too must arm ourselves with God's word to resist temptation.

Just as Jesus fasted for forty days, 

we are called 

to practice self-discipline and sacrifice during Lent.

Amidst life's distractions, 

we must prioritize our connection with God through prayer and reflection.

Rather than testing God, 

we must pray for greater faith in His wisdom and timing, 

trusting in His plan.

And when we fall short - as we all do - 

we must do a proper examination of conscience 

and go to confession to get right with God 

and receive the sacramental grace we need to be strengthened 

for the battles ahead.

Always mindful that Jesus faced these temptations not only to overcome them for himself 

but to teach us how to resist temptation in our own lives. 

This week, 

let us pray for the trust, humility and perseverance 

we need to follow His example.

Homily for the Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time - Year C

The readings for the Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time - Year C may be found at:

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/020925.cfm

Today, the evangelist St. Luke 

tells us about Jesus' encounter with Simon Peter at Lake Genesarett,

and the miraculous catch of fish. 

It’s a beautiful scene, and a great example 

of how God asks us to do things sometimes, 

that we may not want to do, 

so that we can be who we are meant to be.

It also serves as a powerful reminder of God’s grace,

and how much more life can be, 

when we are reconciled to God,

rather than trying to do it all ourselves.

Simon Peter was an experienced fisherman.  

Fishing was what he did.

And he had just spent the entire night doing it 

without any success. 

We can imagine how tired, frustrated and disappointed 

he must have felt from working so hard, 

with no sleep and with nothing to show for it.

He had just finished cleaning his nets

and was ready to get some much needed rest.

The last thing he probably felt like doing, was trying again.

Yet, when Jesus instructed him to 

"Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch," 

despite how he felt,

Peter heard clearly what Jesus was telling him to do,

and despite his reluctance he obeyed Jesus, saying,

"Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. 

Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets". 

With these words,

Peter allowed Jesus’ will to overrule his,

and at this very moment,

Peter shows the trust we are called to have in Jesus, 

even when our human logic, 

feelings or experience say there is no way.

In our daily lives, 

we can feel like we've exhausted all the options.

Like we’ve tried everything. 

And like Simon Peter, we might be tempted to give up. 

But the miracle of the fish reminds us 

to trust in Jesus' guidance.

Whether it's at work, 

in our personal relationships 

or our spiritual journey, 

we are called to have faith and to act on Jesus' words,

on the truth of His Word revealed, 

not just how we may feel at that moment.

If, despite the difficulties of life, we trust and act on Jesus’ word, today’s gospel tells us clearly what happens next.

A good catch might be 30 fish or 50 fish

or maybe even 100 fish. 

But following Jesus’ command, 

despite what he was feeling,

Simon Peter catches thousands of fish at one time, 

almost breaking his nets 

and almost sinking two boats in the process.

At the moment when all seemed lost,

In that moment,

that’s when the miracle happened

because Simon Peter does what Jesus commands him to do.

And in its in that moment, 

that Peter realizes who Jesus really is - 

the true Son of God from heaven.

And when that happens,

in that moment when we experience God’s grace,

we can see how far away we are from where God is.

Simon Peter was no different, 

falling to his knees and telling Jesus to

"Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!". 

Showing that it's only when we recognize that

We can’t do it on our own

and that we need Jesus to be who we are meant to be

that we can truly appreciate how big God's grace is

and how much we need His mercy.

Despite Simon's self-proclaimed unworthiness, 

Jesus calls him to a greater purpose,

because that’s what God does.

When we respond to Christ’s call, 

He changes us,

because He always wants more for us,

then we could do on our own.

This week, 

as we reflect on this miracle of the fish, 

may the example of Simon Peter inspire us 

to trust in Jesus more fully, 

to more readily acknowledge our weaknesses

and the hopelessness that comes from trying to do it all on our own.

Let us remember our need for confession and 

pray for the courage to leave behind 

whatever is keeping us from more fully following Jesus,

so that we can respond more generously to God's call, 

ready to cast our empty nets into the deep.

Recognizing that what God wants for us 

Is always more than we could ever imagine 

or accomplish on our own.