In this Sunday’s Gospel we encounter Jesus being tempted by the devil with temptations to power, fame, and pride. Some Scripture scholars have argued that it was through his experience of forty days of fasting and prayer in the desert that Jesus honed the depth of his understanding of his true identity as the Son of God, and his mission here on earth.
As we begin Lent it is appropriate for us to reflect a bit on our own lives, our own desert experiences and our own temptations. Most all of us, as humans, are tempted by pride, arrogance, selfishness, anger and greed…the real question is not whether we have temptations, but rather, do we give in to those temptations?
For some, who give in, they are led to disgraceful acts of greed and ego, with catastrophic results. All we need to do is to read the headlines in the newspapers or listen to the nightly news… think of those associated with the Epstein files, we know who they are and are able to judge the seriousness of their acts.
For most of us, our sins are somewhat more contained…a white lie here and there…perhaps a small theft once in a while…a few carelessly chosen harsh words that wound. Most of us are basically good people, trying to live as God has called us to live.
In the recesses of our hearts we know we’ve been tempted…we’ve stood on the precipice of surrender to our baser desires… enticed by money, recognition, or power to take advantage of situations or people, or to neglect our responsibilities towards others, or treated ourselves or others with disregard and disrespect.
As we reflect on our own personal sins let us not forget the structural sins of our society…racism, greed, arrogance, pride,
and vengeance, which can be feebly masked as justice.
Let us not turn away from the sins of our nation and our government. Let us look honestly at the long history of racism and bigotry that is woven into the very fabric of our nation’s history but is trying to be erased. Let us look directly into the face of the inhumane and brutal treatment of our immigrants and refugees living in our country, seeking a better life and
now being targeted as if they were subhuman, less than worthy of fair and just treatment under the rules of our laws.
Let us look directly into the faces of our sisters and brothers who are denied affordable housing and healthcare, living
wages, access to a good education. Let us look directly at all those who are marginalized by society because of their mental
health or their economic status or their race, or because of their gender, or who they love, or where they were born or
because of their political or religious affiliations.
As Jesus came forth from the wilderness of the desert proclaiming the coming of the Reign of God bursting forth in
the world through the preaching of the Gospel, he forever linked the “Gospel imperative” to love God with our whole
being and our neighbor as ourselves, to the Reign of God.
To the extent that we live out the imperatives of Jesus -- to love one another as he has loved us, to love our enemies, to
actively seek to alleviate the suffering of the poor -- to that same extent we participate in the building up of the Reign of
God.
Lent is meant to be a time of reflection, and a time of action! We are called to a conversion of heart…to turn away from
selfishness and sin and all that gets in the way of our living as true disciples of Jesus Christ.
Let us ask ourselves, what can I do, or stop doing this Lent in order to deepen my discipleship of Jesus Christ? What acts of
almsgiving, prayer and fasting can I commit to this Lent that will help build up the Reign of God in the midst of a suffering
and wounded nation and world?
May the peace and light of the Risen Christ be upon you all!
Fr. Tim
As we begin Lent it is appropriate for us to reflect a bit on our own lives, our own desert experiences and our own temptations. Most all of us, as humans, are tempted by pride, arrogance, selfishness, anger and greed…the real question is not whether we have temptations, but rather, do we give in to those temptations?
For some, who give in, they are led to disgraceful acts of greed and ego, with catastrophic results. All we need to do is to read the headlines in the newspapers or listen to the nightly news… think of those associated with the Epstein files, we know who they are and are able to judge the seriousness of their acts.
For most of us, our sins are somewhat more contained…a white lie here and there…perhaps a small theft once in a while…a few carelessly chosen harsh words that wound. Most of us are basically good people, trying to live as God has called us to live.
In the recesses of our hearts we know we’ve been tempted…we’ve stood on the precipice of surrender to our baser desires… enticed by money, recognition, or power to take advantage of situations or people, or to neglect our responsibilities towards others, or treated ourselves or others with disregard and disrespect.
As we reflect on our own personal sins let us not forget the structural sins of our society…racism, greed, arrogance, pride,
and vengeance, which can be feebly masked as justice.
Let us not turn away from the sins of our nation and our government. Let us look honestly at the long history of racism and bigotry that is woven into the very fabric of our nation’s history but is trying to be erased. Let us look directly into the face of the inhumane and brutal treatment of our immigrants and refugees living in our country, seeking a better life and
now being targeted as if they were subhuman, less than worthy of fair and just treatment under the rules of our laws.
Let us look directly into the faces of our sisters and brothers who are denied affordable housing and healthcare, living
wages, access to a good education. Let us look directly at all those who are marginalized by society because of their mental
health or their economic status or their race, or because of their gender, or who they love, or where they were born or
because of their political or religious affiliations.
As Jesus came forth from the wilderness of the desert proclaiming the coming of the Reign of God bursting forth in
the world through the preaching of the Gospel, he forever linked the “Gospel imperative” to love God with our whole
being and our neighbor as ourselves, to the Reign of God.
To the extent that we live out the imperatives of Jesus -- to love one another as he has loved us, to love our enemies, to
actively seek to alleviate the suffering of the poor -- to that same extent we participate in the building up of the Reign of
God.
Lent is meant to be a time of reflection, and a time of action! We are called to a conversion of heart…to turn away from
selfishness and sin and all that gets in the way of our living as true disciples of Jesus Christ.
Let us ask ourselves, what can I do, or stop doing this Lent in order to deepen my discipleship of Jesus Christ? What acts of
almsgiving, prayer and fasting can I commit to this Lent that will help build up the Reign of God in the midst of a suffering
and wounded nation and world?
May the peace and light of the Risen Christ be upon you all!
Fr. Tim
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