My Dear Parish Family,

Today, being the First Sunday of Lent, we begin our Lenten pilgrimage as we dedicate ourselves to the renewed practice of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. We enter this season with full expectations to receive the grace and mercy of God. It is the journey of forty-days and forty-nights with Jesus in the desert.

The journey may not be easy for us amid temptations. Even though our intentions may be good, yet, we face strong resistance in the world, the flesh, our human weaknesses and the devil. Right from the beginning, human being is exposed to the temptations of going away from God, of seeking himself/herself and of things, which will take him/her away from God.

The Gospel today exposes the temptations of the devil, as Jesus was tempted in the wilderness. No one is above temptation. Jesus suffered temptations in order to teach us that we too can be victorious over temptations by God’s grace. We cannot win our crown unless we overcome. Our works of virtue do not exist without the trial of temptations of this world; no faith goes unopposed; no struggle is without an enemy, no victory without a battle. We live our lives amid the snares, struggles and temptations in this life.

Let us be more watchful and prayerful to defeat the devil and overcome temptation and sin. The way in which we spend our time here on earth would determine where we would spend eternity. Have some time with Jesus during this Lenten season.

Fr. Daniel, Pastor.