First Sunday of Lent

Today’s readings talk about both temptation and thanksgiving. These are two interesting concepts to put together for the start of our Lenten Journey.

Temptation seems to make sense here. This is a season of abstinence and sacrifice after all. As humans, we will all be tempted over this forty-day season to give in to our worldly urges that press against our promises of prayer, fasting and almsgiving during Lent. We see in the Gospel that even Jesus feels the sting of temptation, when after forty days of fasting the devil tempts our Lord three times. However, unlike the first Adam, Jesus, the new and perfect Adam, remained faithful.

We need to keep this scene in mind as we make our own journey through Lent this year. When tempted with all the worldly goods the devil could muster, Jesus kept his mind and heart on the Father. We need to do the same and repeat the response of today’s Psalm: “Be with me Lord, when I am in trouble”.

Lent should also be a time of thanksgiving, precisely because we are being tempted. The fact that we are being tempted means that there is a fight for us; a fight for our souls. And the reason there is a fight over our souls is because each of us are truly valuable to God. If we were not valuable, then the devil wouldn’t care enough to tempt us. If God did not love us so much, he wouldn’t have sent us his Son to save us.

We can see this idea of thanksgiving in today’s first reading. Moses exhorts the people to give the firstfruits and to be thankful to God who overcame all the worldly powers of the Egyptians (i.e., the devil) when he brought the Israelites out of Egypt (i.e., the world) and into the land flowing with milk and honey (i.e., heaven).

So, the next time you are tempted to break one of your Lenten promises, remember that you are being tempted because you are so valuable to God, and thank him for loving you so much that he gave you a savior to help you overcome your temptations.
Happy Lent!
  
Mike MacNulty is the husband of Jori and the father of Jillian, Jessica, Michael and Jenna. The MacNulty’s worship at St. Maria Goretti in Westfield, IN. Mike is proud to lead and support the efforts of Stewardship and Development within our Diocesan staff.