Opening Prayer Series: First Sunday of Lent Yr C

OPENING PRAYER SERIES.

The Opening Prayer of the Mass for the First Sunday of Lent reads as follows:

THE MASS: OPENING PRAYER SERIES ICON

OPENING PRAYER

Let us pray

(that this Lent will help us reproduce in our lives 

the self-sacrifice love of Christ)

Father, 

through our observance of Lent 

help us to understand the meaning 

of Your Son's death and resurrection

and teach us to reflect in in our lives.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS.

In making this prayer tangible for my life during this week, the following reflection questions emerged:

1. What does Christ's self-sacrifice mean to me personally?
2. Why do I want a change of heart this Lent? What graces do I need to make this change authentic?
3. Do we desire to reproduce this self-sacrifice in my life?
4. What are the obstacles/limitations/sins that hinder my effort to reproduce Christ's self-sacrifice?
5. How might I work on one of these obstacles this week?
6. What is my current understanding of the meaning of Christ's death and resurrection ?
7. What steps will I take this week to help this understanding to grow?
8. How will I reflect it in my life during Lent? Does my Lenten observance support this goal?

GOSPEL REFLECTION.

On the first Sunday of Lent, the Church highlights the temptations of Christ by Satan. Christ took on human nature and experienced temptation, but remained sinless, faithful and obedient to His Father's will.  

The challenge for us is exactly the same. We face all sorts of temptations in our lives.  We need God's grace to be faithful and obedient to our calling given by God.  When we are tempted, we can take heart and call from our hearts ’Be with us Lord for I am in trouble'.

As we enter into the first full week of Lent, 

let us live on every word that comes from the mouth of God.