by Jose Kurian Puliyeril

Gospel Reading: St. Mark 1:12-20

The main theme of today’s reading is also the selection of St. Peter, St. Andrew, and St. James and St. John, by our Lord and Savior and the appointment as His blessed Apostles. In the 12th verse of today’s reading we find that the Holy Spirit guided our Lord to the wilderness. When St. Matthew and St. Luke explain this incident, they say emphatically that Lord Jesus, who was filled with the Holy Spirit, was guided to the wilderness, to be tempted by Satan. (Kindly see St. Matthew 4:1 and St. Luke 4:1) When the Holy Spirit’s inspiring in us is not full, we fall victims of Satan and we fail in the war with Satan. Could we count the number of wars we do meet face to face with Satan in our everyday lives? We should not forget that unless and until we are filled fully with the Holy Spirit, the free gift of God Almighty, we could not withstand with the attacks of Satan. We have to send out the inhabitants in our hearts, which came in due to our selfish motives and interests, and then only we could expect for the abideness of the Holy Spirit in us. Are we not living as if we have sold fifty percent of our hearts permanently to Satan and the evil powers? This portion of the Holy Scriptures remind us that we have to put an end of such a sort of life and offer our minds, hearts and bodies for the cent percent disposal of God. We should not forget that the one who is in Christ is a new creation. In the 13th verse we read, “He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him”. Some how or the other we all are thinking that the temptation of the Satan had taken place on the final day of the fasting and our Lord came out as victorious from all the three temptations. The Holy Gospel teaches that Satan was always after our Lord and had been tempting Him at every moment.

When we would be compelled to spend days and months together with new friends and new circumstances, we forget our prayers, fasting, lent etc conveniently, saying that we are in the new circumstances. This is what is happening to our youngsters, who proceed to far away places for their higher studies. The elders also often ratify the young one’s new style of life too. The angels ministered our Lord. If we also stand straight even in the opposite circumstances, God will not forsake us. He will send thousands of His angels for our service, protection and care. This Biblical portion guarantees the support and help of the numberless Angels to one and all who might follow the strict sacramental and divine life according to the teachings of our Lord. We read this same matter in St. Matthew 4:11 too. When our Lord started the public mission, it is said that the time is fulfilled. (15th verse) We read in Psalms 110:3, “Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning; thou has the dew of thy youth”. Again in Daniel 2:44 we read about an eternal kingdom and about an anointed Prince’s arrival in Daniel 9:25. The Gospel is declaring the arrival of the anointed Prince, who has to re-arrange all things from a to z. We read about the fulfilling of the time in Galatians 4:4 and Ephesians 1:10 too.

God Almighty is asking us each and everyone, “Why you are not prepared though you are well aware of the fulfilling of the time.” Let us submit our lives to Him, by listening to His voice and blessed verses. Let us pray for the will of God and wait to bear witness for His wish. We all will be entering the Holy 3 days’ and 50 days’ Lents. During these days we all are supposed to re-arrange our lives by giving importance for the fasting, prayer and lent. Kindly feel that the 18 days in between the 3 days Lent and the 50 days Lent is for our serious preparation to enter the Lent. As the soldiers would take special care and attention before entering any war, small or big, likewise, we have to prepare ourselves before taking up a war with the Satan. May God Almighty enable us all to take more and enough strength to return in triumph after the war with the Satan. Let us accept the Lents with prayer, humbleness and stability of decisions.