Sunday, March 6, 2022

 

First Sunday of Lent

(Deuteronomy 26:4-10; Romans 10:8-13; Luke 4:1-13)

Few children of the great of  history were as successful as their parents. Alexander the Great surpassed the exploits of his father, Philip of Macedon. But the sons of Lincoln did not have his political sagacity. Neither the children of Pele or Mardones could match the athletic prowess of their fathers. In the gospel today the devil calls Jesus “Son of God”. He only repeats what God himself said of Jesus at his Baptism. What does it mean to be the “Son of God”? We learn its meaning in the drama of Jesus' trials in the desert. We also learn we are to live as God’s sons and daughters.

The first test is the desire to satisfy hunger. Jesus has a great appetite after forty days of fasting. The devil challenges him to satisfy the need by turning a stone into bread. Certainly the "Son of God" can make such a conversion. But, knowing who it is that invites him to eat, Jesus rejects the offer. The "Son of God" lives by the word of God, not the word of the devil.

By our Baptism we have become members of the family of God. We too must live more to fulfill the will of our Father than to satisfy our desires. That is why we try to discipline our desires during Lent. We fast from food so that our desires do not dominate us. The Church requires that we refrain from the meat of land animals on the Fridays of Lent. It would be helpful if we also abstain from other favorite foods and drinks.

We have just seen a huge case of the desire for power. No person of good will can justify the invasion of Ukraine. But we have to remember that such a desire exists in each of us in a tiny way. Each of us wants to impose his will on others. We want others to hear our stories and watch our TV shows. The will to dominate the peoples of the world comprises the second temptation of Jesus. According to the devil, as the "Son of God" everyone must bow before Jesus in submission. However, his proposal does not attract the attention of Jesus. He knows that any power conjured by the devil would surely corrupt him. More importantly, the "Son of God" does not come to be served but to serve.

Finally, the devil tempts Jesus with vanity. If he is the “Son of God”, can Jesus not presume that the Father would rescue him when he finds himself in a precarious situation? To verify his relationship with God, the devil challenges Jesus to throw himself off the top of the Temple. However, Jesus knows that by putting himself at risk like this he would not be trusting his Father but rather tempting him. It is a temptation that people today are susceptible to. Many think that they are children of God by their mere existence as human persons. And because they are children, they can do what they want without worrying about the consequences. This is a mistaken notion of God's goodness. Although we are his children, we must ask him for help with prayer. Equally necessary we must fulfill his law. Religion without love for God and neighbor is pure vanity.

Because of the sacrifice of Jesus we are sons and daughters of God. Like him, we are very loved by our Father. Especially during Lent we show our love for God in return. We fast to remain in solidarity with Jesus in the desert. We pray to give him due attention. And we increase our works of charity to fulfill his law of love.

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