+ I love the gospel of Mark! It is no-nonsense, point-blank and bottom line. From its inception is was meant to be a kind of rough draft outline of the words and deeds of Jesus, that were used by the other gospel writers to expand and direct at the audiences that they felt inspired to write for.
And so on this First Sunday of
this introspective season of Lent – we have Jesus being whisked away by the
Holy Spirit (who was just previously present at his Baptism in the Jordan River
by John the Baptist) to live for forty days in the desert and to be tempted by Satan. He was among wild
beasts, and the angels ministered to him. This is all Mark relates about
it! My question is why did he do it? Why did Jesus begin his public ministry by
being confronted by Satan? Was there any doubt who would win the
confrontation? Why did he go out and not
eat for forty days – except for some berries and some water?
Well, he did it both for
himself and us! He did it to clarify the
question of his own incarnation and mission! I am here to live, and to teach, to give of
myself so completely that I will end up dying on a cross, and because of it sin
will be forgiven and death will be smashed and destroyed forever! AND NOTHING
OR NO ONE WILL DETER ME FROM MY MISSION! NOT EVEN YOU SATAN! Get out of here! Be gone! And so, for
us, Lent is a good time to make the same focus: NOTHING OR NO ONE OUGHT TO GET
IN THE WAY OF MY RECEIVING ALL OF THE GRACE AND FORGIVENESS AND LIFE THAT THE
DEATH OF OUR BELOVED SAVIOR ACCOMPLISHED. Lent is the time to “get rid of” all
that would get in the way! And so we pray more, we look deeper into ourselves
and find an amazing God who lives right within us, and we help the poor more –
especially from our own want – because this is what Jesus did!
Our first reading tells us
that the rainbow in the sky is the sign of God’s apology! He felt very badly
that he was forced into a position to destroy all living things on the earth
except for what was in the Ark. The sign of the Cross of Christ is for us the sign that he wants to make
up, and to make friends with us forever
– destroying that which gets in the way: sin! When we look at the Cross let us
think of Love, let us think of Joy, let us think of Peace – Jesus was delighted
to do this for us: he loves us THAT MUCH!
Help us to delve deeper and
deeper into our relationship with you Jesus – so that by the end of Lent – we
will be bursting with Easter Joys – and ALLELUIAS!
Remember
that your compassion, O Lord, and your love are from of old.
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