March 13, 2011
First Sunday of Lent A
By Rev. Joe McCloskey, S.J.
The woman saw that the tree was good for food, pleasing to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves. Genesis 3:6-7
[J]ust as through one transgression condemnation came upon all, so through one righteous act acquittal and life came to all. For just as through the disobedience of one person the many were made sinners, so through the obedience of one the many will be made righteous. Romans 5:18-19
Then the devil took him up to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their magnificence, and he said to him, “All these I shall give to you, if you will prostrate yourself and worship me.” At this, Jesus said to him, “Get away, Satan! It is written: ‘The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve.’” Then the devil left him and, behold, angels came and ministered to him. Matthew 4:8-11
Piety
It is impossible to appreciate the temptations of Christ until we appreciate that it is in his humanness that he is tempted. But it is in his conquering sin by fighting the temptations that we through his obedience learn obedience and how to conquer temptation and be made righteous. Sin entered the world through Adam and sin is conquered through our living out the obedience of Christ. Our love for God is tested through our temptations and is proved and improved by our resistance to temptations. In the richness of the consolations of God it is almost easy to be a good person. The joys of the Lord make a rose garden out of the prickly thorns of temptation. Our piety grows with leaps and bounds in the resistance we put up to the temptations of the flesh. The devil can use the form of the angel of light, but the upset and the pain that accompanies giving into temptations quickly reveal who it is that we are serving. Our piety takes us through the thorn patches of temptations. Evil can have the appearance of good for a while, but quickly reveals itself in the lack of peace that is the sign that it is not the Lord we are following when we give in to our passions and the desires of the flesh. Piety makes it possible to stand up against the pulls of the world, the flesh and the devil.
Study
Our study of the season of Lent helps us to realize that it is a time of preparation for the joy of the Resurrection. We live our lives for the sake of the Resurrection. The Resurrection of Christ is the victory over sin. The tree of glory opens the gates of heaven. Looking at Christ on the cross out of his love for us claims our hearts for the Lord. Love has its ultimate human definition in the Cross of Christ. His resurrection is the seal of the approval of God for a life lived for the sake of others. Love is the opening of our hearts to the needs of another. Living our lives in imitation of Christ gives us the happiness we were trying to find in earthly things when we sinned. Following the footsteps of Christ to the hill of the cross gives us the path of happiness that leads to the resurrection. There is no bypass of the cross if we want the Resurrection. We join ourselves to the victory already won by our sacrifices of Lent. Selflessness is our living our lives like Christ for the sake of others. Jn. 15, 13 is the definition of love. “There is no greater love that to give one’s life of the sake of others.”
Action
Most Catholics who reach the age of 59 are happy they do not have to fast any more. It takes the wisdom of the Lord to realize that the difference is that we are free to fast. Physical weakness from disease is different than physical weakness from hunger. There can well be good reasons why one should not fast. Fasting can be spiritual fasting. I can fast from too much television. I can fast from too much sleep. I can fast from the excesses of my life so that I can have more time for the Lord and the people I love. Lent is a good time to reach out to old friends. But it is a better time to minister to those who need us. Lent offers the opportunity to prepare oneself for heaven and the meeting with the Lord. A little extra time for prayer never hurts. Going to Lenten services enriches the soul. One can make the extra effort to be attentive at Mass. Find the time for a weekday Mass! The list goes on and on for all the positive things we can do to make Lent a time of joy for the tasting of the joy of the resurrection even now in our earthly existence. We are made for heaven and Lent is a good time to tell our bodies what we are living for. We do not have a permanent kingdom of the Lord here and now. Lent says to our bodies that they are made for heaven. And it does not hurt that we might lose a few pounds by fasting. Giving our bodies a chance to trim down can mean a lot of extra beauty in heaven. Earthly pleasures can glisten and capture our attention. But it is all too true that all that glistens is not gold. What really counts in a good Lent is how we are better lovers of the Lord and each other. The challenge of Lent is to give until it hurts. Redemptive suffering is love that changes the world we are living in because it changes us into lovers. Thus it comes to be that it is the Lord our God that we worship and him alone that we serve.
