+ The last thing we celebrated
before we began Ordinary Time in January,
was
the feast of the Baptism of Jesus
(the last feast of the Christmas cycle);
scripturally though, the next gospel passage after the one for that day is the
one for today’s Mass: the First Sunday of
Lent.
The
Spirit had just come down upon Jesus in the form of a dove as he came up out
the waters of baptism; the Father’s voice was heard thundering: THIS IS MY
BELOVED SON IN WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED – LISTEN TO HIM!
The next day the same Holy Spirit whisks Jesus away into
the desert to be tempted by the devil. Why would he do that? Why would the
Holy Spirit lead Jesus to temptation? So
that we could see that everything Jesus did was not for Himself but rather for
us and for our salvation!
Jesus did not need to be
baptized, but he submitted to it to show that someday it would be something
that we need to do – all of us!
Jesus did not have to be
tempted by the devil, he never sinned, nor would he; he submitted to it again
as an example for us to know what to do
when we are likewise tempted.
But just knowing what to do is
not enough, Jesus accomplished by his death on the Cross the real, true, active
grace that we need to overcome
temptations to power, pleasure and
prestige, when they come to us – and they can come in ways that are small,
seemingly insignificant and subtly!
But
with his grace, we really can overcome any temptation! – and our lives can be
truly lighter, brighter and more radiant on behalf of others.
Just
as Jesus did not experience life for himself, but for others, so we are called
to do the same: live not for ourselves but for others, our families, our
friends, our enemies, strangers, neighbors and fellow community members.
May this be our Lenten desire:
to invite the overflowing river of God’s
grace and mercy into our lives to abound where once there was sin!
Be merciful, O Lord, for [in our dealing
with temptation]
we have sometimes sinned!
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