• First Reading.  Deuteronomy 26:4-10.  In the first reading, Moses reminds the people that they must always be thankful for the gifts they will enjoy in the promised land. Through the ceremony of offering the first fruits, the Israelites recognized all that God had done for them in the past, especially in the Exodus.  Our worship of God is also a recognition of his favors to us.

• Second Reading.  Romans 10:8-13.  In the second reading, Paul tells us it is important for salvation to believe in Jesus and witness to him. The core of the Christian credo is that Jesus is our risen Savior.  Anyone who can say that and live by it, will be saved.

• Gospel.  Luke 4:1-13.  In the Gospel, the devil confronts Jesus in the desert, tempting him to abuse his divine power. Jesus was tempted like we are, but he did not sin.  Through His grace we too can resist temptation and overcome sin.

Twenty years ago, a young man who had been raised as a Protestant became Roman Catholic in college.  Later, he decided to enter the seminary.  His father told him, “This is not my dream for you, but if this is your dream, you must try to live it.”  The young man has now been a priest for 20 years, and he says that those words of his father are the most important words any human being ever spoke to him.

God gives us a choice, regarding our careers, jobs, style of life, etc. He also gives us a choice to believe in Him or to reject Him. In the first case God will support us and our decisions and will help us to have a good life. In the second, He will not force us to stay with Him but He will wait patiently to help us to get back when we realize that we made a wrong choice by putting Him aside because in this case we make a choice regarding our eternal life which is much more important than job, career, etc. He loves us more than we can even imagine because His love is unconditional.

God Bless You! - ks. Krzysztof