Lent Signals Reflection And Discernment

Homily 02 17 2013
1st Sunday of Lent C

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Each one of us is invited to the desert this Lent, a time of renewal and purification. Matthew and Luke used the vivid account of Jesus' debates with the devil to reveal the inner character of Jesus, and we're invited to come to grips with our inner lives.

Each of the Temptations of Jesus is a part of a drama. Luke leaves his readers with the assurance that Jesus was involved in battle with evil. Jesus was able to survive and often withdrew for a while to find God and review his mission in prayer.

Through those moments of encounter with God, he was strengthened and was being prepared for the ultimate conflict with evil on the cross.

Lent calls us to accept who we are, as we are, for it is in the midst of our limitations that God calls us to himself. Lent invites us to choose our way out of temptation, to be free to follow the deep desires we have in ourselves.

The first reading is one of those great passages of the Old Testament that stresses God delivering his people out of bondage. Each of us has known some time the fear of the night and times of temptation. The temptations that Jesus underwent were to escape from the mission of his humanity, to deny our dependent condition.

Jesus will not dazzle us.

He entrusts his saving of us into our hands for free acceptance.

In Lent we offer ourselves anew to God and his Call. Our time of Lent is a time of Choosing as in Deuteronomy, actually God does the choosing...as God chose the wandering Armenian Abraham, the same is true for us.

Deuteronomy reminds us that God is still the one calling us, choosing and we discern where God is leading us.

It's appropriate today to reflect on the mystery of God's election, seen in the chosen people, epitomized in Jesus and lived out in our stories. God has actually called each of us by Name and wants us to be in a loving relationship with HIM, and today we are reminded of our freedom to choose to enter into that relationship with God.

In Luke's Gospel, there is an emphasis on the Spirit. This is significant. The Spirit drives Jesus into the wilderness and enables Jesus to resist temptation, and switches Mark's order of temptations increasing their intensity. Luke omits Mark's ministering angels.

Each one of us, like Jesus, are invited to live the history of the People of the Old Testament, particularly the wilderness years ..tempted just as they were. It is no accident that the Church has us listen to this story as we enter Lent.

Lent is a perfect time for questioning, sorting out our priorities, recommitting ourselves to God. As in Jesus' case, temptations are part of our life, forcing us to focus on what is really important.

All the focus of our readings shares a theme of passage and liberation. We all face struggles in our attempt at faithfulness. The readings present options, questions, choices...and our free will allows us to ask questions and to make choices.

Lent signals reflection and discernment.

At Baptism we make Baptismal Promises saying I do to a litany which help us to reflect on our relationship with God and temptation in our lives. The Season of Lent invites us through prayer fasting and almsgiving to return to our God.

This week I read that lent is a boot camp for faithfulness, an oasis, and a garden...a workout.

Each one of us will somehow be invited to pray and reflect as Jesus did, to respond to the call of the Father. Don't forget the Rice Bowl and Food for the Poor during Lent as well as other ways of Almsgiving. Have a great Lent.

jjl

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