FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT
(Genesis 2:7-9.3:1-7; Romans 5:12-19; Matthew 4:1-11)
Look at the people at mass with you. Most of them probably
have gray hair, at least at their roots. In large numbers both young people and
adults have stopped attending Mass. Not a few of these consider those who go to
church superstitious. And if churchgoers express doubts about abortion, gay
marriage, or reparations for slavery, they may consider them chauvinists and racists
as well.
Despite the world's suspicion, we know that being a
practicing Catholic Christian does not hurt us. On the contrary, it is our
salvation and the salvation of the world from perverse ideologies like
communism or hedonism. But are we Christians worthy of the name? That is, are
we true sons and daughters of God? We can prove ourselves so together with
Jesus in the gospel today. Let us not doubt that the devil tempts us every day
as he tempts Jesus here.
The devil never offers sin as something destructive. Rather,
he always presents us with something bad under a semblance of good. In the
first reading, the serpent offers the woman the forbidden fruit, but he emphasizes
that eating it will make her wise. Jesus is very hungry when the devil dares
him to change the stones into bread. In the same way he entices us to satisfy
our craving for food, drink, and sexual pleasure. Jesus rejects the devil's
offer because he gives more importance to attending to the word of God the
Father than to eating. Following him, we must remember the need for moderation
in matters of appetite.
The devil not only tempts our physical needs but also our
deepest yearnings. When in desperation, every human calls on God to save her.
In situations that require extreme personal sacrifice, we Christians hope that
He will protect us. A woman remembers how she felt empty and lost when she
received news that her two brothers had been in a car accident. The crash
killed one and seriously injured the other. She did not have inner peace until
she received the counsel that God allows these disorders to produce something
better. In the second temptation the devil tempts Jesus to kill himself so that
he might experience the love of God the Father. But Jesus knows that the love
of the Father is so infinitely enduring that He will always take care of him.
Finally, the demon tempts Jesus with power. He says that he
will grant him sovereignty over the world in exchange for a simple act of
worship. But Jesus knows that power sought for its own sake only corrupts. He
does not hesitate to drive the demon out of his presence. We are not that
perceptive. Power attracts us a lot. We want to force tribute, respect, even
love from other people. This is why domestic violence continues to tear so many
families apart. We must resolve that whatever power we have or seek will be
used for the betterment of others, never to harm them.
In the Arizona desert around the city of Yuma, the US Army
has what is called a “proving ground.” The heat and aridity make the conditions
brutal, at least during the summer. Troops undergoing training are proven combat
ready. Lent provides us with a kind of proving ground. It prepares us to resist
the temptations of the devil. Equally important, it enables us to contribute to
the salvation of the world. In these forty days of self-surrender to God, we
prove ourselves as his true daughters and sons.
