St.

Padre Pio Shrine Kabulamuliro

Lenten Retreat 2023. 4th -5th March

Introduction:

Lent is a period of 40 days and 40 nights set apart by the church for the Christians to draw
closer to God through penance and mortification.

During lent we imitate Christ who before his public ministry was let by the spirit into the desert
when he was tempted by the devil. (Mt 4:1-11) Read it….

The 3 major tools that the devil used to tempt Jesus

1. Bread which signifies food: when the devil saw that Jesus was hungry, it told him to
change a stone into bread.

Jesus uses another powerful tool, the scripture against the devil. “He humbled you, causing you
to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known,
to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the
mouth of the LORD” (Det 8: 3)

2. Miracle seeking which signifies putting God to the test: ( Mt 4:5-6)

“5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple.
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“If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written“‘He will command
his angels concerning you,  and they will lift you up in their hands,  so that you will not strike
your foot against a stone.” The devil used the scripture to trap Jesus (Ps 91:11) and Jesus
maintains his tool saying; “You shall not put the LORD your God to the test, as you tested him
at Massah (Dt 6:16).

3. Power, wealth and pleasure that takes the place of God.

“Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the
world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship
me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God,
and serve him only ( cf. Dt 4:6)

The devil left him and the Angels come and ministered to him

Reflection:

My brothers and sisters, we who are on the earth are like those in the desert, the temptation of
looking for daily bread, seeking for miracles/ quick solutions, being carried away by the desire
for power, wealth, pleasure. Many times we have yielded to the devils temptations as a result
we are alienated from the love of God and neighbors.

During this time of lent, we shall overcome the 3 major temptations: Bread/ food by fasting,
miracle seeing by true Prayer and power, wealth and pleasure by almsgiving.

Theme: be reconciled Mt. 5:24 is very relevant to our situation during this Lenten period.

“Leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and
offer your gift”

This is the time for us to evaluate the 3 Dimensions of our life

 Our Vertical relationship

 Our horizontal relationship and
 Our individual relationship with self.

Therefore, the reason for our Lenten retreat is to pose for a moment, spend time with Jesus
and evaluate these areas of our lives.

God’s love for humanity

The human being was the last creature to be created. This human being has two components:

a. God used soil, he fashioned a human being with his own hands
b. God breathed his life into the image he had fashioned from the soil.

“Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils
the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” (Gen 2:7)

Component One:

 God used soil: that man should be humble

 God used his own hands to mold a human being, for other creatures he used a word……
let there be……and it was.
 God is more interested in a human being; it takes him time to mold to create a human
being. In our time, God uses 9 months/270 days/6480hrs to mold a human being in his
mother’s womb.
 Ps 139:13 “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s
womb”.
 Eph 2:10 “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which
God prepared in advance for us to do”
 God created us for a purpose, he has plans for us, he cannot spend all that time creating
and then destroy, the work of his hands
 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to
harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”. (Jeremiah 29:11)

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I
appointed you a prophet to the nations”. – Jeremiah 1:5. God knows you, God formed you,
and God has a purpose for your being.

Component two: God breathed his life into the image he had fashioned from the soil

Human beings are not just fashioned objects, they are they are containers of God, out of His
love, God decided to have his dwelling in a human being. God molds me for 9 months that
he may dwell in me, he builds his house for 9 months. “Do you not know that your body is a
temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your
own; 20you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body”I Cor 6:19-20

Imagine, the love God has for humanity, of all creatures he makes a choice of making you
his dwelling place!

God’s Unconditional love

 When man sinned, God clothed his nakedness Gen 3:21 “The LORD God made for
the man and his wife garments of skin, with which he clothed them”
 Even when we are naked because of sin, God still loves us, he hides our shame and
nakedness out of his love
 When the Israelites were in exile in Egypt. He rescued them from the hands of their
enemies

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Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving,
and I have remembered my covenant.  “Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the LORD, and I
will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to
them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of
judgment. 7 I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will
know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the
Egyptians. (Ex 6:5-7)

Sunday :

 God’s self giving in the person of Jesus

 The gift of St. Francis of Assisi to the Church and to humanity