Let's take Jesus seriously, listen to him
Fr. Anthony Le

First Sunday of Lent, our lord went into the desert. spiritually speaking, he entered into the realm of nothingness, the realm of death. There, he encounters and battles with Satan himself. Satan is a father of lies, he is death personified, really. The temptations that our lord encountered, and he overcame, has to do with temptation of the flesh, temptation of the mind, and temptation of the heart. Turn the rock into bread, fix your eyes on food, on the things that satisfy your stomach. Paul mentions in the second reading - their God is their stomach. The second temptation has to do with power and glory. controlling. the power to control glory that the world satisfied. Also, to whom we should worship. Satan wants to be the focal point of our worship. No, our lord Jesus has shown us that the almighty God is the one who's supposed to worship, the word of God is what we're supposed to listen to.

In today's gospel, we are brought up to the mountaintop. Have you ever wondered why our lord, not bring his disciples into the desert? Have you ever wondered why he brought us up to the mountaintop instead? amazing isn't it. In the desert, we have no chance against Satan. our mortal strength could not overcome those temptations. how many of us here could probably say that: I have not yet been tempted by all of this, because I overcame them all already. None! If you say it, you have no place here. This church belongs to those who are weak, acknowledging that we are in need of God's mercy, and strength.

our lord brought them up to the mountaintop. Mountain is significant, in the biblical world, mountain is where we could see everything, where we could expand our vision, where we could get closer to the realm of life, the ultimate life - God. The mountain is where prophets like Moses and Elijah encounter God. where the covenant made by Abraham, renewed by Moses, where ten commandments were given - instruction how to live, how to worship, how to really execute God's plan. Today our lord. is in the desert, he lets Satan know that he is someone demons have to wrestle with. someone they have to take seriously; this is the son of God almighty. no mere mortal man. Now on the mountaintop he exposed himself once again to the disciples of our lord. let them know he is somebody that they could listen to, someone they could follow, someone that could place their trust, someone they could completely surrender their life and therefore receive ultimate life.

Moses and Elijah, one responsible for a covenant made to his people. God after moss led his people out of Egypt, save the people out of slavery and depression. Elijah represents the entire generation of prophets. Those were chosen to speak God's word, those were chosen to deliver God's message of salvation, those who were chosen to call God's people back on the right track. on the right track, they left that path a long time ago. Now our lord Jesus exposed himself and allowed Peter, Johns, and James to understand who they are following, who they are following. those who subsequently believe in them - you and I - got to learn how to take him seriously, how to take the word of God seriously.

Now if Peter wanted to enjoy the moment, if Peter wanted to remain on the mountain top, Peter once again fell into that very temptation - stay put with what you have at this moment, satisfy your longing already. stay here, and don't go down. because go down there, what mossElijah and Jesus talking about is culmination of the mystery of God's plan that our lord Jesus had to die, has to be crucified, and then, only then, he rises again and shows you he has the power to transform our mortal bodies into his glorious body - according to saint Paul in the second letter. in the second reading today, that we have heard. Our lord Jesus is somebody that you and I have to take seriously. listen to him. our heavenly father opened the sky, and let us know. listen to him. just the same way our blessed mother tells the servants: listen to him and do whatever he tells you. So, my dear brothers and sister, do we take his word seriously? Do we take him seriously? if he's almighty God, dare we believe that he has the power to transform you and I, not physically but interiorly, that he could transform you and I form somebody who is away from God, who is no longer interested in morality, who is no longer interested in faith, truly become somebody who could on his behalf proclaim to the world his love and mercy. Paul, blighted by his own vision, blighted by his own belief, blighted by his own intelligence, struck blind. and therefore, encounter the good lord. Only then, he opens his eyes, and he sees a world better, and he proclaims Christ to all.

Among RCIA, there's a man who came here. did not believe in God before, read the bible with his wife occasionally. He happened to get to know me, happened to get to know saint joseph, happened to work on a lighting project. Now he's a member of RCIA. I told him then: if you get closer to God, if you are in his house, watch out, he's going to get you. I believe that. he's going to get you. Soon enough, he's going to get you. The more we expose ourselves to him, the more we allow ourselves to be taken by his presence, his word, his beauty, his magnificent love, where are we going, we have no way out other than the way in - the merciful heart of God.

So, my dear brothers and sisters, once again I challenge us all. Let's take Jesus seriously. when he talks about eucharistic transformation, when he talks about confession and forgiveness of sins, when he talks about love your enemies, when he talks about you and I, his beloved sons and daughters. take him seriously. when he talks about how he could raise the dead to life, when he talks about resurrection of the dead, take him seriously. because that's how the world is going to be transformed. That's how you and I are going to be transformed. These are the people who have been called by Christ to inform, and touch by the magnificent beauty of his love, by the care and kindness of those who helped them, by you, by us, all by this community. And that is how our lord is going to transform the world.

真诚的对待主耶稣，听从祂。

上个主日，耶稣在沙漠受到魔鬼的试探。从神魂上讲，沙漠是个虚无，死亡的地方，而撒旦是谎言之父，祂就是死亡。在沙漠，主耶稣与撒旦征战。克服了肉体、思想、和心灵上的诱惑。首先，撒旦要耶稣把目光放在食物上，将石头变成面包，来满足饥饿的肚腹。圣保禄宗徒警告过我们说：他们的天主是肚腹，他们的结局是丧亡。耶稣战胜了这个诱惑。然候，撒旦告诉耶稣说他掌控了权力和荣耀，如果要得到世上的权力和荣耀。只要朝拜他。撒旦想成为敬拜的焦点。主耶稣说，不，我们只敬拜全能的天主，只听天主的话。

在今天的福音中，主把门徒们带到了山顶。为什么我们主带我们到山顶，不到沙漠呢？因为在沙漠，我们无能对抗撒旦。凡人的力量，是无法克服撒旦的诱惑的。我们这里有多少人能说：我没有经历过无法克服的诱惑，因为我已经克服了所有的诱惑。如果你这样说，在这里你就没有立足之地。因为这个教会是属于那些软弱的，需要天主怜悯和力量的人。

在圣经里，山很重要，山可以扩展视野，看到一切。在山上，可以接近生命的源头和终极，天主。这山是梅瑟和厄里亚与天主相遇的地方。也是天主与亚巴郎立约，由梅瑟更新，颁布十诫的地方。十诫教导选民如何生活，敬拜，和执行天主的计划。在沙漠中，我们的主让撒旦知道祂是恶魔搏斗的对象，一个驱赶恶魔的人。祂是全能天主的儿子，不是凡人。在山顶上，他向门徒们展示，让祂们知道祂是可以倾听，可以追随，可以信任，可以放弃自己的生命，来获得永生的天主。

梅瑟和厄里亚都是先知。梅瑟追随天主，带领以色列人离开埃及，天主继续拯救以色列子民脱离奴役和困苦。厄里亚代表了以色列的先知，被拣选来宣讲天主的话语，传扬救恩，召唤天主子民回归到那已经偏离很久的正途。

在山顶、耶稣向伯多禄、若望、和雅各伯显示了圣容，让祂们知道他们追随的是谁。那些后来的信徒，你和我，也必须明白我们追随的是谁，如何认真的来对待主，听祂的话。就在这时，伯多禄想留在山顶，因为现有的，已经满足了他的欲望。他陷入了诱惑，想保有，享受这一刻。留在这里，不要下去。因为在高山下，那梅瑟，厄里亚，和耶稣所谈论的天主奥秘计划-耶稣必须被钉死在十字架上，会发生。然后，就像圣保禄在读经二所说的耶稣才会复活，来改变我们卑贱的身体，相似祂光荣的身体。

在山顶、天父打开了天，并且要求我们，要听从祂。所以，你和我必须真诚的对待主耶稣，听从祂。就像我们有福的母亲对仆人说的一样：要听从祂，按照祂的吩咐去做。亲爱的兄弟姐妹，我们有认真的听从祂吗？真诚的对待祂吗？如果祂是全能的天主，我们是不是相信祂有能力改变你和我吗？是不是相信祂可以改变我们的心，将我们从一个远离天主，对道德，和信仰都不感兴趣的人，成为一个向世界宣告天主的爱和怜悯的人。保禄被他自己的眼光，信仰，和智慧所困扰，他瞎了眼。但是他遇见了良善的天主，就在那一刻，他睁开了眼，看到一个美好的世界，从此就向所有的人宣讲耶稣基督的福音。

在 RCIA 中有一位慕道者，他不信天主。偶尔和老婆一起查经。他碰巧认识了我，碰巧做整修教堂的照明工程。当时我告诉他：如果你接近天主，你在祂的房子里进进出出，小心，祂会捕获你。果然，现在他参加了RCIA。我们越是在主的面前作息，就越会被祂的存在、祂的话语、祂的美善、和祂伟大的爱所吸引。我们能去哪里呢？除了进入天主仁慈的心之外，别无出路。

亲爱的兄弟姐妹们，我向你们提出挑战。真诚的对待主耶稣。在圣体圣事中，在告解圣事中，当祂谈到爱你的敌人，当祂谈到你和我是祂心爱的儿女，谈到死者复活，真诚的对待主耶稣，听从祂。因为这就是改变世界，改变你和我的方式。

领受了这个社区每一份子的关心，和善意的帮助，感受到耶稣的爱是如此的壮丽，如此的美善，蒙召来告诉每一个人我们的感动。这就是主耶稣基督改变世界的方式。

真诚的对待教会，因为在教会的怀抱里，我们重生了。在这个团体，这个天主的教会内，我们看到了全能天主的杰作。改变世界，改变生活，改变你和我的生命，让我们真诚的对待主耶稣。如果撒旦认识祂，也与祂战斗。我们更该明认祂，真诚的对待祂。正如我们全能的父亲所说：听祂的，这是我心爱的儿子。