1st Sunday of Lent (C) : 6th March 2022

One of the important ways by which the ancient Israelites acknowledged their gratitude towards God was through their religious rituals. An essential rite was to remember with thankfulness the Exodus, the act by which God transformed Israel from a people under slavery to a nation set free by God. At the heart of the rite is the Israelites’ confession, as the offering is placed before God. The worshippers acknowledged their origins as a people who once had no land or freedom. They can now present their tithes only because God had taken the side of their ancestors against the Egyptians and because God gave them a bountiful land as their new home.

Furthermore, the tithe made at the sanctuary was given not only on behalf of oneself and family but also on behalf of the Levites, who depended on the tithes for their daily sustenance and the resident aliens. It signified that the whole community took part in the rite of giving the tithe to God, and at the same time, the whole community also benefitted from the fruits of the harvest given by God.

The psalm is a song of trust that assures us that the promises of God are available to those who make the Lord their refuge. Jesus was able to overcome all the temptations of the devil in the desert because he placed his trust in God. He makes it clear that total allegiance is to be given only to God, who is the source and end of everything. May we also do the same.

Lord, thank You for being the source of my blessings.