Traditionally, the first Sunday of Lent is “temptation Sunday” because in all 3 cycles (ABC) of the liturgical readings, the Gospel is the story of the temptation of Jesus in the desert by Satan. Mark’s version which we hear this year is very truncated—we hear only the basic facts—but it is enough for us to be reminded that Jesus was like us in that he was tempted toward sin. The major difference however, is that Jesus did not sin.
In the original plan for the world, God intended that people would live in harmony with all of creation. But God gave the ability to reason and the gift of free will to human beings. This was quite daring on the part of God because in that action, God was endowing us with a part of his divinity. For the most part, human beings make the right choices. But when tempted to act inhumanely or non-God-like, many of us fail to resist. We want to do the good, but sometimes our baser instincts kick in.
Even when humanity gets out of control (as in the wickedness in Noah’s time, or Sodom and Gomorrah in Abraham’s time), God still holds back in unleashing total annihilation. He always leaves an “escape clause” as it were. This is because God loves his creation. For centuries, he sent prophets and teachers to convey his message, but it fell on deaf ears. Finally, he sent Jesus to be the definitive message.
Sometimes Christians like to make Lenten resolutions or give up something in sacrifice, but I would encourage you to take to heart the last line of the Gospel: “Repent, and believe in the Gospel.” What is one thing for which you need to repent? Use this Lent as a time to have real conversion experience and truly repent from that one sin that prevents you from believing in and living out the Gospel.
Msgr. John
