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First Reading: Deuteronomy 26:4-10
Psalm: Psalm 91:1-2, 10-15
Second Reading: Romans 10:8-13
Gospel: Luke 4:1-13
“…I saw two roads. One was broad, covered with sand and flowers, full of joy, music and all sorts of pleasures. People were walking along it, dancing and enjoying themselves. They reached the end without realizing it. And at the end of the road there was a horrible precipice; that is, the abyss of hell. The souls fell blindly into it; as they walked, so they fell. And their number was so great that it was impossible to count them. And I saw the other road, or rather, a path, for it was narrow and strewn with thorns and rocks; and the people who walked along it had tears in their eyes, and all kinds of suffering befell them. Some fell down upon the rocks, but stood up immediately and went on. At the end of the road there was a magnificent garden filled with all sorts of happiness and all these souls entered there. At the very first instant they forgot all their sufferings,” (Diary, 153).<1>
That’s an excerpt of the work of Faustina Kowalska, a holy woman who received amazing visions during her lifetime both at Vilnius and in Cracow in the 1930s. The work is called the Diary of St. Faustina. This particular vision is troubling, but it fits so well with our readings for the First Sunday of Lent. Let’s start with Paul.
St. Paul says, “…for, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved,” (Rom 10:X). Is that all there is to it?
But wait, doesn’t Scripture also tell us that the devil believes that Jesus is the “son of the Most high God,” (Luke 8:28)?
And doesn’t Jesus warn us in Scripture, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven,” (Matthew 7:21)?
What are we to make of all of this? Like Faustina’s vision suggests, there are many who confess Jesus as Lord and believe they are saved, but they are on the wrong path. But how can this be? How is it possible that someone who has been saved can fall from grace into the waiting hands of the devil? One word: temptation.
In today’s Gospel, the devil tempts Jesus. So this is a good time to reflect on the ways we might be tempted by the devil, tempted to, perhaps inadvertently, abandon Jesus. Is it bad to be tempted? No. Temptation makes us stronger if we can recognize the temptation and like Jesus if we can send the devil packing.
How does all this work? Well to answer that, we need to go back to the beginning.
In Genesis, the serpent speaks to the first humans. If you put yourself in that story, you can almost hear that serpent say, “Good? You’re not good! You’re human. Look at yourselves! You’re filthy! If you want to be good, then you need to be like God and if you want to be God, then you need to eat the fruit of this tree.”<2>
Do you see the subtly? Jewish scholars suggest that evil doesn’t enter the world with the original sin, but rather with the first temptation. And what was the first temptation? Doubting the goodness of God’s creation. Doubting that we’re good enough or perhaps believing that we deserve better.
That’s a message we hear all the time, isn’t it? You’re not good enough, or you deserve more. Advertisers tell us you can never be happy until you have this new gadget, or that new vitamin, or that new elective procedure that will have you looking great. Or you deserve that new gadget or special pampering or that elective procedure.
But there’s another dimension to temptation.
I think we all have examples in our lives, either personally or through people we know or people we see in shows, who insist they deserve so much more than they have. So, they set unachievable standards for the people in their lives, like their spouses or their children, and when they can’t achieve it, they bully them. They’ll say something like, “This wasn’t my dream!” Or perhaps they’ll say, “You promised me more!” Or maybe they’ll say, “Why can’t you be like so-and-so?”
The person who indulges this kind of temptation holds becomes consumed by all sorts of resentment and anger and hurt and it transforms into a kind of venom that they spew whenever they can. But this venom affects them too. It can physically affect them causing all sorts of illnesses or deep psychological problems.
But here’s the kicker. That person might very well be the sort of person who goes to church, who will jump up and down with their hands raised to heaven and yell, “Jesus is Lord!”
But how can we meet Jesus if we’re filled with such anger and resentments? Jesus doesn’t say, treat those around you cruelly because you were made for more. No! He says, “This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another,” (John 13:35) – love, not hatred or resentment or anger or jealousy. Love is the path of the disciple.
Lent is a time when we try to grow in holiness. That’s what the spiritual exercises of prayer, fasting and almsgiving are all about. Prayer, fasting and almsgiving should lead us to simplification and purification. Our spiritual exercises should help us remember that God, not myself – not my ego, is the center of my reality.
So, we need to confront and conquer temptations as Jesus did. You see, our temptations often show us areas in our lives where we have the opportunity to grow in love. Failure is not bad. Failure teaches us wisdom. But that only works if we are aware, so we need to take the time to see them for what they are. This isn’t a time to beat ourselves up nor is it a time to strive for some kind of holier-than-though perfection. But we need to take time so that we can recognize the temptations and deal with them. And that leads us to our homework today.
Homework!
Today try an examination of conscience. Take just five minutes before bed to reflect on your day. Here are some east steps to follow. First, ask the Holy Spirit for help. Second, reflect back on your day, remembering moments of grace and moments of sin. Third, thank God for His blessings. Fourth, say a penitential prayer, that is to say, say a prayer asking for forgiveness, like an Act of Contrition. And finally make a resolution to live with a greater openness to God tomorrow. Doing an examination of conscience helps us be more mindful of our temptations and trials and that can truly lead us deeper into the arms of our Father.
If you still haven’t found something to do this Lent, perhaps you could try an examination of conscience every night.
Do you got? Are you going to try it? Please do! May each of us come to know the mercy and love of Jesus Christ. May Almighty God bless you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. +Amen!
Notes
<1> Faustina. Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska: Divine Mercy in My Soul. Stockbridge, MA: Marian Press, 2014, 153.
<2> Himes, Michael J. The Mystery of Faith: An Introduction to Catholicism. Cincinnati, OH: St. Anthony Messenger Press, 2004, LOC 348.
Act of Contrition
O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins because of Thy just punishments, but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, Who art all-good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near occasions of sin.
OR
My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart. In choosing to do wrong and failing to do good, I have sinned against you whom I should love above all things. I firmly intend, with your help, to do penance, to sin no more, and to avoid whatever leads me to sin. Our Savior Jesus Christ suffered and died for us. In his name, my God, have mercy.
OR
O my God, I am sorry for my sins because I have offended you. I know I should love you above all things. Help me to do penance, to do better, and to avoid anything that might lead me to sin. Amen.
OR
I confess to almighty God, and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have sinned through my own fault, in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done, and in what I have failed to do; and I ask blessed Mary, ever virgin, all the angels and saints, and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God.
Picture: Christ in the Wilderness by Ivan Kramskoy, Google Cultural Institute. COPYRIGHT FREE. The author died in 1887, so this work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author’s life plus 100 years or less. This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published (or registered with the U.S. Copyright Office) before January 1, 1924.
