[1]There are many different ways of approaching the
holy season of Lent. Some like to give
up things, in a spirit of penance.
Others like to put a more positive spin on it, looking for ways to
become a better person.[2] The prophet Joel puts it this way: “…rend you hearts and not your garments. Return to the Lord, your God, for he is
gracious and merciful.” (Jl 2:13)
The Genesis reading relates how an original intimacy between humans and
God was damaged by distrust. The
serpent’s question to the woman implies that God has placed an unreasonable
limitation on the couple. Knowing they would
not physically die, the serpent tells a half-truth, suggesting that God does
not have their best interest at heart.
But once the couple has eaten of the tree, they do experience death in
the form of estrangement from God, the source of life. Exile from the Garden symbolizes this rupture
of the divine-human relationship, the devastating consequences of sin.[3]
I believe we can all look back on times when, in some ways at least, we
were better than we are now. Maybe I
used to be more patient. Maybe I used to
be less wrapped up in myself and more attentive toward those around me. Maybe I used to do my job or schooling with
more energy and care. Whatever it is,
it’s a version of myself I’d like to get back to.
As I review the applications for men discerning the permanent diaconate
there is a common ebb and flow from an experience of God through in their early
years with family and grandparents, to a withdrawal from Church, for a variety
of reasons or experiences, and then there is a return to Church because of an
invitation to a retreat experience or due to a relationship with a special
person that welcomes them back. Or in
the words we heard on Ash Wednesday, “Repent (turn back) and believe in the Gospel,” that renews their relationship with God and His
Church.
Returning to the Lord may involve giving something up, it may be returning
to some positive habits, like regular morning or evening prayer, or adding something
new to the mix that is myself, yet beyond myself.
The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy tells us that Penance should be “internal and individual but also external and
social.” (110) Acts of penance, those acts and reflections
in response to our sin, are not intended to burden us but to unburden us, to
straighten our backs and allow us to receive the “gracious gift” God has in store for us.
The temptation of Jesus is not about our morality, our piety, or our
doing battle with the devil. It’s about claiming
our identity as God’s people here in the wilderness, what we call our earthly sojourn,
and soaking in Christ’s wisdom. A wisdom
that teaches that any concern for my own self-interest ought to be outmatched
by the concern for my neighbor, for the stranger, for the widow and orphan, for
the other. It’s a wisdom that affirms ultimatums,
pronouncements, and doctrinal litmus tests are nothing compared to caring for
the sick, serving the poor, comforting the grieving, and speaking for the
long-silenced.
This wilderness wisdom of Christ questions the
worship of mammon, the lust for power, and the faith statement of winning at
all cost. It challenges when ivory
towers become sacred, corporate ladders divine, and extreme wealth a divine
right. “The Lord your God, worship and Him alone. (Mt 4:10) You shall not put the
Lord your God to the test. (Mt 4:7) One does not live by
bread alone, but by every word that come from the mouth of God.” (Mt 4:4) The mouth of God.
The wisdom of Christ. The rest of
the Gospel will show Jesus, as Son of God, serving others rather than himself,
even to the Cross, trusting and remaining faithful to the Father.
Welcome to Lent, a time of opportunity.
St. Paul tells us, “if by the transgression of
the one, the many died, how much more did the grace of God and the gracious gift
… of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow for the many.” (Rom
5:15) Let’s enter this Lenten season saying with
Jesus, “Away with you,
Satan!” (Mt 4:10) Away with sin, so the
gift of God alone fills our hearts and minds[4] moving
us to acts of charity toward those most in need
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