Jesus goes up the mountain to pray. Jesus usually spends much time in prayer. It is in one of these intense spiritual moments that Jesus becomes aware that he is called to save people not through triumph but through defeat. During prayer, the aspect of his face changes. 
 

Every year, on the first Sunday of Lent, the liturgy wants to reflect on the temptations of Jesus. It presents the way in which the Master has confronted them to tell us how they can be recognised and overcome. 
 
The temptations is not a story of three isolated incidents in Jesus’ life, but three parables which state that Jesus was tempted in all points like us, with an only difference: he has never been won by sin (Hebrews 4:15). 
 

Today’s Gospel, consists of a series of the Lord’s sayings directed false teachers who dilute the essence of the teachings of Jesus. It starts with a well-known proverb: “Can a blind person lead another blind person?” 
 

Today’s passage resumes from last Sunday’s reading that recounts what happened in the synagogue of Nazareth when Jesus proclaimed the beginning of the year of grace. What he read is like a manifesto of the whole mission of Jesus which included: the salvation of the poor, the weak, and the oppressed.
 

Simon Peter acknowledges his sinfulness and inadequacies and yet the Lord entrusts the ministry of leadership to him! Peter said, “Leave me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” It’s the way the Bible tells of the encounter with the Lord: Moses covers his face because he is afraid (Exodus 3:6); Elijah covers his face with his mantle (1 King 19:13). Like Isaiah—we saw it in the first reading—Peter also feels sinful.

The first part of the gospel today is about the investigation of Luke in order to compile the gospel, verifying the truth of the stories that people talked about Jesus. The second part is the beginning of Jesus’ public life in his township Galilee, and the narrated episode is the programme of all the activities of Jesus. 
 
It was a Saturday. Like every pious Jew, Jesus goes to the synagogue. 
 

At first glance, this passage seems a simple story of a miracle. In a village in Galilee, a wedding feast is celebrated. There are the guests who gathered to spend a few happy days, but here’s a disappointment: there is no wine and there is not even water because—according to the story—the jars are empty (they will be filled only by order of Jesus). 
 

The gospel narrative of the magi is grown into a lot of pleasant and touching stories, but must be kept accurately distinct from the Gospel story as not to compromise the message that the sacred text wants to communicate. For example, it was not said that there were three, and that they were magi, not kings. They must have belonged to the category of diviners, astrologers, well known and appreciated people in antiquity for their wisdom, ability to interpret dreams, predict the future and read the will of 

In today’s Gospel there are three groups — the people, the tax collectors, the soldiers — who go to the Baptist to have concrete directions. They ask, “What should we do?” 
 
Let’s imagine that one of us, eager to prepare well for Christmas, asks this same question to those we consider “experts” in the field of religion (catechists, pastoral worker, the nun, the priest). What would they tell us? 
 

Many interpret the dramatic expressions described in today’s gospel as information on what will happen at the end of the world. The thought of the end of the world scares many. Jesus does not intend to provoke fear, but to get just the opposite. He wants to free us from fear, inspire joy and infuse hope.