Northern Virginia Catholic Bible Study
Vocabulary Man – generic for mankind, humanity. God as Father/He/Him – scripture tradition; as we know, God is not a gender. Exegesis – Greek: ex (out of) + hege (guide), meaning to explain or interpret the meaning of, usually referring to the Bible. Eschatology – refers to “end times.” We sometimes ask what is the eschatological meaning of scripture. For example, “What is the eschatological meaning of the 7th Day?” Ans: It refers to heaven. Obedience - one if often surprised at the origin of this word. The root is from the Latin ob-audiens, meaning ‘to listen intently’. It was presumed that when one listened intently, they were a) interested in the subject and had a desire to understand what was being said by someone who knew more on the subject, so that c) one could be successful in whatever the endeavor was. This is still true when Jesus speaks of obedience, although nowadays humans have turned it into something dictatorial about something we didn’t want to do in the first place. This is true for good reason, as humans are wont to screw up such a word by using it for control instead of sharing out of love. Preternatural – “outside the natural.” Generally refers to “preternatural grace,” a state man was in before the Fall (doesn’t overcome pride). Opening Prayer Dear Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, we love You, we praise You, we thank you for all good things – and we ask your forgiveness for falling short of the love you have given us. We pray for your presence in our lives, for your conversations and guidance, and for the grace to walk ever closer to You. Please hear the prayers of your faithful here tonight as we seek your assistance for our friends and loved ones, and for our own difficulties, so that we may get through them with courage, with peace, with wisdom, and with You. Hear the names of those we speak to you now: (intentions spoken aloud or in silence) Bless us all, Lord, and may your will, not ours, be done. Be present with us tonight and we talk about scripture and learn how your teachings can transform our lives here and now, As we pray together in the way you taught us: Our Father… Upcoming Catholic Holy Days Lent: Ash Wednesday, March 2 (tomorrow) to Holy Saturday, April 16. Upcoming Jewish Holy Days: Purim (March 16-17) 14th of Adar.
Lent begins tomorrow…
Ash Wednesday, March 2 through Holy Saturday, March 16. 40 days (46 days minus 6 Sundays)
Q: Who recalls the three pillars of Lent?
Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. They offset the three failures in the fall of Man, and line up with the 3 temptations of Christ.
Daily Prayer – read the psalms, read the lives of the saints, etc.
Fasting – strengthening spiritual will power. Being able to say “no” to temptations is a spiritual muscle! If you never exercise it, how do you expect it to be there for you when you need it?
Almsgiving – help those who are in need (time or money).
Lenten Resources
When you sign up, you will be sent daily meditations to your inbox beginning on Ash Wednesday and then on each Sunday of Lent and Easter Sunday.
You can also sign up to receive the weekly Lenten meditations and the Lenten eBook here: ewtn.com/lent.
2. Lenten Prayer Sources
https://equippinggodlywomen.com/faith/daily-lenten-prayers-for-spiritual-renewal/ (40 prayers for 40 days)
3. Lives of the Saints: One saint a day, one page a day!
Jesus meets the Devil
Gospel: Jesus spends 40 days in the desert and encounters Satan on the Mount of Temptation.
Q: Most people don't connect the 3 temptations of Christ to the temptations of Adam & Eve, but they are connected and important. Why?
Because a part of Jesus' mission is to undo the Fall of Man - to be the New Adam - so it only makes sense that his first direction from the HS is to start with the same temptations except change.
Now it's true the story of our first parents' temptations was more figurative - or representational - than Jesus' temptations, but they were very much the same categories of failures.
So think about the temptations as you hear them, and then afterwards we will connect them to the Fall of Man.
Gospel Setting
Immediately after Jesus' baptism and the Holy Spirit descends on him like a dove...
Gospel Lk 4:1-13
Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days, to be tempted by the devil.
He ate nothing during those days, and when they were over he was hungry.
The devil said to him,
“If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” Jesus answered him,
“It is written, One does not live on bread alone.”
Then he took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a single instant. The devil said to him,
“I shall give to you all this power and glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I may give it to whomever I wish. All this will be yours, if you worship me.” Jesus said to him in reply,
“It is written: You shall worship the Lord, your God, and him alone shall you serve.”
Then he led him to Jerusalem, made him stand on the parapet of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written: He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you, and: With their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone.”
Jesus said to him in reply, “It also says, You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.”
When the devil had finished every temptation, he departed from him for a time.
Q: The Spirit leads Jesus into the desert. Why? (more than one reason)
To fast, to confront the devil, and for our edification.
Q: Why does the Spirit lead Jesus into the desert to fast for 40 days?
Forty days represent a time of trial, preparation, and purification.
Fasting from worldly things (favorite food/drink or our addictions to unloving behavior shows that our attachments to this world don't have the final say in who we are). Our worldly attachments are not the reason we are here, not the subject of our worship.
"The spirit is willing but the flesh is week." - Mt 26:41
Our edification: Jesus is telling us it is good to practice detachment from our 6th-Day attachments. Remind ourselves that we are not controlled (read: enslaved) by them.
Q: Why does the Spirit lead Jesus into the desert to confront Satan?
To correct the Fall of Man means we need a new Adam. So, of course, Jesus corrects the mistakes of our first parents as the first step.
But we know God could have accomplished this some other way, so clearly this is also being done for our benefit.
Jesus is showing us what Adam's sins look like in an evolved world and he is showing us how to respond.
All during Jesus' life here he is giving us tangible examples of what love and good look like to God.
And yes, of course we will fall short - the OT proves that in spades. But that's the other reason Jesus came here - to make up the difference for our shortfalls. Because that's what love does.
Q: All we have to do is what?
Keep turning back to the Lord and asking for help. Forgiveness granted!
Q: The First Temptation occurs after 40 days. Why?
If you were Satan, when would you attack?
When your target is weak. Isn't that true for us?
Temptation #1: Stone into Bread
Surely the attraction of eating some warm, crusty French bread after 40 days would have been quite overwhelming.
Jesus refuses and says - again for our instruction - "Man does not live by bread alone, but by the Word of God."
Q: Why is that statement important for us?
We are not just physical animals, but a composite of physical-spiritual beings. We need to nourish both; and, in fact, we need spiritual nourishment more.
Connection to Adam & Eve – When Eve saw that the forbidden apple was good for food…
Represents the drive of physical gratification, especially immediate gratification. Falling to temptation is most often an immediate weakness.
Temptation #2:
Satan showed him all the Kingdoms of the World and offered him all of them if he would bend the knee to him.
What Satan said was true - Jesus knew it. He could have all the kingdoms of the world, could he not? It sure would beat what was in store for him.
Q: When Satan says that all you have you have to do is worship him, what does that really mean?
Remember, worship comes from worth - where do we place our highest value (priority of...). Just choosing our priorities in life defines our worship.
Jesus replies that we are "to worship and serve God alone." One of the reasons God gives us the 3rd Commandment is because He knows we will let our worldly affairs take over our entire lives. On the Sabbath, we are to park those activities and "re-center."
Connection to Adam & Eve - tree of knowledge!
“When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it.” (Gen 3:6)
Possessing knowledge is power, right?
Knowledge isn't good or bad by itself, it's how it's used.
All knowledge is from God, so we are stewards of knowledge, not owners of it.
Satan tries to convince us that all these gifts are for our own personal glory, and our egos step right up to the plate.
Q: How might we recognize the abuse of knowledge in our lives today?
Rumors (abuse of harmful or false information)
Lies (we do own lies, just not truth)
Using problems to tear others down rather than fixing and rebuilding
Use of scientific or medical knowledge for personal advantage rather than for helping others.
Temptation #3: Satan takes Jesus up to the parapet atop the Temple and says: “Throw yourself down! If you are of God, surely the angels will not let you die!”
Pride: who you are, reputation, self-glory, approval by others – all ahead of relationship with God
Connection to Adam & Eve – "You will be like God!"
That is the meaning of the Tree of Knowledge of Good & Evil.
When you decide what good and evil are, you become judge, jury, and executioner. You try to become like God, but without God.
Who has heard of the famous quote: “Pride cometh before the fall.”
It is called the greatest sin because it pride plays our egos like a fine violin. Even the angels fell to pride.
When the devil had finished every temptation, he departed from him for a time.
Q: What did he mean “for a time?”
Satan has lots of work ahead of him to keep to throw roadblocks in Jesus’ path. He has many Pharisees to tempt against Christ. And what about his fellow Nazoreans who will try to throw him off a cliff? And then there's Judas, and so on.
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