Scripture: Matthew 4:1-11
Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written,
‘One does not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written,
‘He will command his angels concerning you,’
and ‘On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’”
Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! for it is written,
‘Worship the Lord your God,and serve only him.’”
Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.
Reflection:
Jesus suffered temptation. Fasting forty days and nights has left him hungry and weak. The devil moves in with temptations that hit at the physical, mental and soul levels. And underlying all are the words that lie at the heart of all temptations – “if you are the Son of God.”
Every human being experiences moments of deep spiritual hunger. We all know what it is like to be physically or spiritually weak. What Jesus experiences in a barren place is known to each of us who have had spiritually dry times.
In these moments we often wonder whether or not God is truly concerned with us – God’s beloved children. The Deceiver plants a seed of doubt as to our status and we misuse our power of free will to seek food which does not last, to lay claim to God’s power in ways that feed our egos, and to imagine ourselves as CEO of the Universe free to use and abuse all within our grasp.
What saves Jesus – and what can save us – is to hear the echoes of a single word: “Beloved.” For indeed that is the word his Father spoke to Jesus and about Jesus. “Beloved” is not just a state, “Beloved” is a unit of measure. “Beloved” means that Jesus and we, who hear that we are beloved at our baptism, are in the very depths of the Father’s Heart. The grace of the One who calls us “Beloved” is what gives each one of us the power to overcome the temptations of this life, to wait upon the goodness of God and to entrust our lives to Almighty God now and in the age to come.
-The Rev. Father Ram Lopez
We will be holding First Communion classes beginning February 5th during the 10:45AM worship service! Any child in the 1st-5th grades are invited to attend this 5 week class series. The curriculum we will be using is modeled on the Eucharist format: We Gather (Lesson 1), We Hear and We Respond to the Word of God (Lesson 2), We Offer our Gifts (Lesson 3), We Celebrate (Lesson 4) and We are Sent Out (Lesson 5). Because children learn with all their senses, activities and instruction will be included that engage them throughout each lesson.
The classes will be led by Happy Wilson in Ms. Partin’s room (Middle School building next door to the Sacred Studies room) during the 10:45AM worship service on the following Sundays: Feb. 5, Feb. 19, Feb. 26, & March 26. Fr. Ram will lead lesson 4, We Celebrate, on March 5 after the 10:45AM worship service. Children attending the classes must be baptized and the First Communion service will take place on Sunday, May 21st.
The First Communion class schedule is as follows:
February 5: We Gather
February 19: We Hear and We Respond to the Word of God
February 26: We Offer our Gifts
March 5 (class will be held after 10:45 service): We Celebrate
March 26: We are Sent Out
May 21st: First Communion
You may register your child for the First Communion classes by contacting Happy Wilson at hwilson@saintgeorgechurch.org.
On Monday, February 6, the Boomers and Bloomers visited the Warrior and Family Support Center at Joint Base San Antonio – Ft. Sam Houston. The Facility is located on a 3-acre property at Ft. Sam and is housed in a large and spacious 12,500 sq. ft. building. The current facility was constructed about 10 years ago; completely financed through donations, and today serves as the “gold standard” for other communities near military medical facilities.
A tour of the facilities was organized by Margaret White and Pat Lindemood and was directed by WFSC Director Judith Markelz. An entertaining, enlightening and informative tour was provided by WFSC Assistant Director John Wolf.
The WFSC provides coordinated services to patients, next of kin and extended family mem- bers of service members, with focus primarily on Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom Warriors. The facility provides a friendly, comfortable environment for everything from watching a movie on a large-screen TV, playing video games, checking email, making a phone call, or just grabbing a cup of coffee. A large well-appointed kitchen also provides a venue for those with culinary inclinations.
Many activities are provided through WFSC – everything from Thursday Night Bingo, tickets to Local Entertainment and Sporting Events, to Dining-out and Trips to the Zoo. The WFSC calendar is always full.
The Wounded Warriors and their Family Members can also visit the WFSC to maintain contact with other military members or extended family members to receive emotional support, answers to questions and to extend their rehabilitation.
The trip was highlighted by a recovering PTSD patient who addressed all of us as we were leaving with an emotional testimony about his stay at the Center. The recovering soldier told us his story of depression, despair and suicidal thoughts to recovery and a positive outlook toward the future. Absolutely inspirational – and a wonderful testament to the caring work of the Warrior and Family Support Center.
The St. George Youth took 11 kids to Laser Quest this past Sunday to enjoy some laser tag fun. I must say that my undefeated record against my youth group kids is no longer in play as I took it on the chin as Will Wickersham ( 6th Grade ) and Sebastian Trevino ( 7th Grade ) blasted me on more than one occasion. It’s important to me that all kids who come through our program know that ALL formation does not necessarily have to take place at St. George. Laser Tag, in very different way, is just as important as the fellowship we develop and nurture on Sunday mornings on campus. One of the things I enjoyed most about out Laser Quest experience was my attempt at trying to connect Father Nate Bostian’s sermon to my “code name” at Laser Quest. Father Nate Bostian referenced ,in his sermon, how Jesus gets “cranky” in Matthew’s Gospel, chapter 23. I promptly decided that my code name at Laser Quest was “Cranky Jesus” and I especially found it hilarious when I tagged my kids and at the end of the game it said “you have been tagged by Cranky Jesus.
