Sunday Reflections

First Reading:            Deuteronomy 26:4-10
Second Reading:       Romans 10:8-13
Gospel:                      Luke 4.1-13 – The Temptation of Jesus

Giving our First Fruits this Lent

As we enter into this Season of Lent, let us reflect on how we can best use this time to grow in our relationship with God and our commitment to stewardship. In the first reading from the book of
Deuteronomy, Moses instructs the people saying that when they come to give their offerings to God, they should “bring the first of the fruit of the ground.” The Lord wants our very best, not
what we have leftover.

This is very true in our lives as stewards. It’s definitely good to offer up our time and talents to our parish community. However, do we only give from what we have remaining after all of our other priorities are taken care of? To serve the Gospel should always be of prime importance.

One Lenten resolution we can adopt to help us offer our “first fruits” is the practice of scheduling our time of prayer in advance. Prayer should not be an afterthought that we try to squeeze in when we have time. Instead, we should block out a chuck of time each day that is free from all other competing distractions and is reserved only for our conversation with God. Let us strive to create a scheduled prayer life this Lent, perhaps starting with 10 minutes a day. If we do so, we will see great wonders take place in our relationship with God and others.

Summary

In the first reading from the book of Deuteronomy, Moses instructs the people saying that when they come to give their offerings to God, they should “bring the first of the fruit of the ground.” One Lenten resolution we can adopt to help us offer our “first fruits” is the practice of scheduling our time of prayer in advance. If we do so, we will see great wonders take place in our relationship with God and others.

https://www.archtoronto.org/stewardship