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 came to a deeper understanding of his true identity and his mission.
The desert or the “wilderness” is, in the history of the people of Israel, both a place of danger and a place of encounter with God. 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 -- our own encounters with God.
Most all of us, as humans, are tempted by pride, arrogance, selfishness, anger and greed…the real question is whether or not we give in to those temptations.
For those who give in, they are often 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 -- Putin’s ongoing invasion of the sovereign state of Ukraine is a prime example. We know he is wrong and we are able to judge the seriousness of his acts and the human suffering, death and devastation his blind ambitions are causing. And yet many of our current leaders in Washington are supporting his illegal war against a sovereign nation and even blaming Ukraine. We all know this is a LIE!
It is imperative for the survival of our democracy that we call out the lies and misinformation that is spewed by our political leaders, everywhere and everytime we encounter them!
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 calls us to live. In the recesses of our hearts we know we’ve been tempted. We’ve seen people surrender to their baser desires -- enticed by money, recognition, or power -- take advantage of situations or people, neglect their responsibilities towards others, or treat others with disregard and disrespect. We read about it and see it in the news every day. We must stay vigilant and speak out and make our voices heard. Continue calling and writing to the White House and all elected officials. Put them on notice that we will not stand idly by and let them dismantle our Federal Government and our democracy!
During Lent as we are called to reflect on our own personal sins let us not forget the structural sins of our society…systemic racism, rampant greed, arrogance, pride and the vengeance that sometimes is feebly masked as justice.
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 imperatives” 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 and the marginalized… 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 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.
What can I do, or stop doing, in order to become a more faithful disciple of Jesus Christ? What acts of alms-giving, prayer and fasting can I commit to this Lent that will help build up the Reign of God in the midst of a suffering world? Let us keep calling, keep writing, keep resisting, keep living our discipleship of Jesus Christ!
Blessings,
Fr. Tim
The desert or the “wilderness” is, in the history of the people of Israel, both a place of danger and a place of encounter with God. 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 -- our own encounters with God.
Most all of us, as humans, are tempted by pride, arrogance, selfishness, anger and greed…the real question is whether or not we give in to those temptations.
For those who give in, they are often 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 -- Putin’s ongoing invasion of the sovereign state of Ukraine is a prime example. We know he is wrong and we are able to judge the seriousness of his acts and the human suffering, death and devastation his blind ambitions are causing. And yet many of our current leaders in Washington are supporting his illegal war against a sovereign nation and even blaming Ukraine. We all know this is a LIE!
It is imperative for the survival of our democracy that we call out the lies and misinformation that is spewed by our political leaders, everywhere and everytime we encounter them!
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 calls us to live. In the recesses of our hearts we know we’ve been tempted. We’ve seen people surrender to their baser desires -- enticed by money, recognition, or power -- take advantage of situations or people, neglect their responsibilities towards others, or treat others with disregard and disrespect. We read about it and see it in the news every day. We must stay vigilant and speak out and make our voices heard. Continue calling and writing to the White House and all elected officials. Put them on notice that we will not stand idly by and let them dismantle our Federal Government and our democracy!
During Lent as we are called to reflect on our own personal sins let us not forget the structural sins of our society…systemic racism, rampant greed, arrogance, pride and the vengeance that sometimes is feebly masked as justice.
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 imperatives” 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 and the marginalized… 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 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.
What can I do, or stop doing, in order to become a more faithful disciple of Jesus Christ? What acts of alms-giving, prayer and fasting can I commit to this Lent that will help build up the Reign of God in the midst of a suffering world? Let us keep calling, keep writing, keep resisting, keep living our discipleship of Jesus Christ!
Blessings,
Fr. Tim
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