“And the Angels Ministered to Him” by Rev. Paul Berghout

 

“And the Angels Ministered to Him” by Rev. Paul Berghout

Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter, Apostle 

Piety

Tend the flock of God in your midst, overseeing not by constraint but willingly, as God would have it, not for shameful profit but eagerly. Do not Lord it over those assigned to you, but be examples to the flock. 1 Peter 5:2-3

And so, I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock, I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven. Matthew 16:18-19B 

Study

On the first full week of Lent 2021, we began our journey remembering how God re-established the covenant after the flood during Sunday Mass yesterday. The Gospel reflects how he started his public ministry with a forty-day retreat - driven to the desert by the Spirit.

Today, we see how Jesus further cemented his covenant with his sisters and brothers by entrusting the continued construction of the Kingdom to Peter.  

The next three weeks of Lent represent a period of instruction, designed initially for the Catechumens (those preparing for Baptism at the Easter Vigil). We can read these readings as a catechism of renewal for us, starting with how Jesus’ voyage into the desert symbolizes the journey each of us embarks upon after our initiation.

“He was among wild beasts, and the angels ministered to him.”

In Greek, these "wild beasts" were dangerous animals.  These wild animals can remind us that dangers surrounded Jesus all through his life. And ours. 

Consider this story from a U.S. Army post in the desert of Kuwait.  Protestant Chaplain (Major) Barbara K. Sherer tells how the dining hall caught fire one morning.  The fire also destroyed the surrounding five tents in less than half an hour because of the high winds, including the large chapel tent. Amazingly, the fire started right after breakfast in between the times for the Protestant and Catholic services.

Since the fire happened right before Ash Wednesday, Maj. Sherer decided that she wanted some of the ashes from the fire for Ash Wednesday services. After the fire cooled down, Maj. Sherer got permission to visit the site to collect some ashes. A firefighter scooped up a cupful, put it in a plastic bag, and gave it to her. Later, as she poured the ashes into a bowl for the service, she spotted something shining in the bag. It was a small silver cross that had survived the fire. Inscribed on it: “Jesus is Lord.”  How had the firefighter, in scooping up a random cup of ashes, managed to pick the exact spot where this tiny cross lay hidden?

“The message to me is clear: God walks with us through the terrible firestorms of our lives, and we are lifted unharmed from the ashes,” Maj. Sherer wrote later. 

Isaiah prophesied that Jesus is at peace with the wild animals: “The wolf will live with the lamb.” Messianic peace. By the blood of his cross.

“Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness, no one will see the Lord.” Hebrews 12:14 

Pope Francis says, “Every time your mouth is about to say something that sows discord and divisiveness and to speak ill of another person, the sound advice is to bite your tongue!”

“…and the angels ministered to him.” 

A comedian said, “I have an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other. I’m also deaf in one ear.”

In a song by Terri Gibbs entitled “Someone’s Knockin,” it turns out that the devil is knocking at her door, and she says, “I never dreamed he’d have blue eyes and blue jeans.” 

The devil continually tries to trip us up through the temptations of sensuality, vanity, and pride. However, our faith teaches us that the devil cannot rob persons of their free will. Otherwise, it would remove the very grounds on which we spend eternity in heaven or hell.  Those grounds are the foundation of our free choice to accept Christ as our personal Lord and Savior through faith and Baptism. After that, we continue with on-going discipleship and a more profound conversion and sanctification.

That the Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert shows us that moments of spiritual insight and victory may be followed by “wilderness experiences.” Plus, our undertakings’ successes can introduce new temptations to which the intoxicant of achievement may make one especially vulnerable. Nevertheless, the Spirit “drove” Jesus into the wilderness, where angels ministered to him (Mark 1:12-13).  The presence of temptation itself is no failure as long as there is no consent of the will, and the tempted are not alone. 

Action

This first week of Lent is when we begin our Lenten patterns, realigning our priorities and using more reflective time each day. It is a time to fast and abstain from those that hinder our relationship with the Lord and consider being more generous to the poor.

Like Christ in the desert and Peter with the key, may the angels protect us from our demons, including the devil tempting us to sin. Only in heaven will we know the exact way that the angels have served us. 

A Sufi Master, Abdullah Ansari, said, “If thou can walk on water, thou art no better than a straw. If thou can fly in the air, thou art no better than a fly. But if thou canst resist temptation, thou can conquer the universe.” Actual power, real strength, comes from resisting temptation by God’s grace.

A Tweet from Lent: #Journey to the Desert #40days of temptations, beasts, and angels. Thank you very much, Holy Spirit.  

Amen.

Editor's Note: When Father Paul's reflection appears on Monday, this is due to a another submission for Sunday from the other members of Your Daily Tripod's  "editorial staff."  The Lighthouse Keeper edits his Sunday reflection to (hopefully) expand its meaning to reflect the liturgical theme of the week.  Apologies in advance and in arrears for any errors made in this adaptation.  ADC