1ST READING
This
second account of Creation is a very beautiful description of the way
God shares the gift of life with us. God does not just create us but He
also creates everything we need to live. That is why sin is such a
tragedy. It is rebellion without a shred of gratitude towards God for
His goodness to us. Let’s reverse this rebellion through obedience and
gratefulness to God for all He has done for us.
Genesis 2:7-9; 3:1-7
7 The
Lord God formed man out of the clay of the ground and blew into his
nostrils the breath of life, and so man became a living being. 8 Then the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and he placed there the man whom he had formed. 9 Out
of the ground the Lord God made various trees grow that were delightful
to look at and good for food, with the tree of life in the middle of
the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 3: 1
Now
the serpent was the most cunning of all the animals that the Lord God
had made. The serpent asked the woman, “Did God really tell you not to
eat from any of the trees in the garden?” 2 The woman answered the serpent: “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; 3 it
is only about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden that
God said, “ ‘You shall not eat it or even touch it, lest you die.’ ” 4 But the serpent said to the woman: “You certainly will not die!
5 No,
God knows well that the moment you eat of it your eyes will be opened
and you will be like gods who know what is good and what is evil.” 6 The
woman saw that the tree was good for food, pleasing to the eyes, and
desirable for gaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it;
and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.
P S A L M
Psalm 51:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14, 17
R: Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
1 [3] Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense. 2 [4] Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me. (R) 3 [5] For I acknowledge my offense, and my sin is before me always: 4 [6] “Against you only have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight.” (R) 10 [12] A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me. 11 [13] Cast me not out from your presence, and your Holy Spirit take not from me. (R) 12 [14] Give me back the joy of your salvation, and a willing spirit sustain in me. 15 [17] O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall proclaim your praise. (R)
2nd READING
We
are responsible for the disaster that sin has brought upon the human
race and the world. We cannot blame God for this. In fact, it is God who
gives us the way out through the gift of His forgiveness of our sins in
Jesus Christ. Not only does God create us in the first instance, He
redeems us in the second to give us another chance to form ourselves in
His image and likeness.
Romans 5:12-19
12 Brothers
and sisters: Through one man sin entered the world, and through sin,
death, and thus death came to all men, inasmuch as all sinned — 13 for up to the time of the law, sin was in the world, though sin is not accounted when there is no law. 14 But
death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin after
the pattern of the trespass of Adam, who is the type of the one who was
to come. 15 But the gift is not like the transgression. For if by
the transgression of the one, the many died, how much more did the grace
of God and the gracious gift of the one man Jesus Christ overflow for the many. 16 And
the gift is not like the result of the one who sinned. For after one
sin there was the judgment that brought condemnation; but the gift,
after many transgressions, brought acquittal. 17 For
if, by the transgression of the one, death came to reign through that
one, how much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of
justification come to reign in life through the one Jesus Christ. 18 In
conclusion, just as through one transgression condemnation came upon
all, so through one righteous act acquittal and life came to all. 19 For
just as through the disobedience of one man the many were made sinners,
so through the obedience of one, the many will be made righteous.
GOSPEL
The
devil is allowed to test Jesus and He passes the test with flying
colors. The devil is unable to penetrate to the heart of Jesus’ love for
His Father. It is when we give credence to sin and temptation that we
get into trouble. This is where our problems start. It is time for us to
take responsibility for the voices we listen to and choose only those
that are going to help us grow in our love for God and one another.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.
Matthew 4:1-11
1 At that time Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. 2 He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry. 3 The tempter approached and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread.” 4 He said in reply, “It is written: ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from
the mouth of God.’ ” 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city, and made him stand on the parapet of the temple, 6 and
said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is
written: ‘He will command his angels concerning you’ and ‘with their
hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ”
7 Jesus answered him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.’ ” 8 Then the devil took him up to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their magnificence, 9 and he said to him, “All these I shall give to you, if you will prostrate yourself and worship me.” 10 At
this, Jesus said to him, “Get away, Satan! It is written: ‘The Lord,
your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve.’ ” 11 Then the devil left him and, behold, angels came and ministered to him.
think:
It is time for us to take responsibility for the voices we listen to
and choose only those that are going to help us grow in our love for God
and
one another.
T O D A Y’S BLESSING LIST
Thank You Lord for: __________________
____________________________________
God’s special verse/thought for me today_
_____________________________________
READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Revelation 7-10
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