February 14, 2016

First Sunday of Lent – A Reflection by Fr. Leo

 

The devil’s second temptation to Jesus in the desert is a temptation to power.  If Jesus would worship him, he would have fame and dominion in return.  Jesus resists this temptation saying, “It is written: You shall worship the Lord, your God, and him alone shall you serve.”

 

The temptation was real and it was strong.  The reason Jesus was able to move in the right direction is because he knew, through his prayer and fasting, his true identity.  Jesus didn’t need corrupt power or fame of any kind since he was one with God and God’s glory was his own.

 

We live with the same temptation in our lives that Jesus faced.  We are tempted to seek importance, power and influence through buying into all kinds of systems that make up the fabric of our contemporary culture.  We dress a certain way, espouse the values that give us traction, and compete in many different areas in our lives for recognition and validation.  We are so a part of the culture we grew up in, that it is hard for us to see the ways in which we buy into it, that may not be a win-win for all.

 

That is why it is important for us to enter the desert.  To step away from our normal routines, recognize our true spiritual identity as Jesus did, so that we too may move in the right direction in our lives.  Only in doing so do we come to a place of deeper peace and profound meaning in the gift of life in all its bodily, spiritual, emotional and mental states. 

 

Without prayer we will find ourselves in an, us them, dualistic experience of life.  With prayer we will begin to realize our oneness with God and all creation, leading us to peace and harmony with all creation.  It is then we will be able to clearly critique our values and the patterns of thinking and acting we have built upon them. 

 

The conversion envisioned here is life long and often requires much time.  Our choice is to let the Spirit lead us into awareness through detachment from the normal, or to not enter the desert with Jesus.  To begin to pray in earnest, or go with the flow in letting external influences define who we are and make our decisions.  

 

Let us choose the desert.  Let us ask the Spirit to lead us in our meditations that we may own our own identity in Christ as Jesus did and live in the freedom of God’s kingdom.