FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT
21 FEBRUARY 2021
In
Mark’s Gospel, Jesus emerges from his baptism in the Jordan River and looks up
to see the sky rent in two and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. Then he hears a voice from the heavens: “You are my beloved Son. On you my favor rests.” Then the Spirit drives Jesus out into the
desert. Although Saint Mark does not
give specifics, it is clear that Jesus spends his forty days in the desert
being tested. In the midst of wild
beasts and angels ministering to him, Satan tests him. Are you really the Son of God? Or are you the son of a carpenter from
Galilee?
There is a
contemporary metaphor that expresses the purpose of this desert
experience. It is known as “time
out.” Children today are sent to “time
out” to force them to think about what they just did. (My parents preferred corporal punishment,
which they administered often.) Hopefully,
they will emerge from “time out” to with their behavior modified. Of course, Jesus never turned away from his
Father and did not need to modify his behavior.
But his “time out” clearly shows that he passes all of Satan’s tests. His “time out” is very different from his ancestors. They had spent forty years in the desert of
Sinai. In their “time out,” they had
failed the tests time and again, losing faith in God and Moses and turning to
other sources, thinking that those created objects could save them.
The Spirit
has driven us into this “time out,” this forty-day Season of Lent. This “time out” is not punishment for our
sins. Instead, we might see it in terms
of a sporting analogy. In football and
basketball, time outs are crucial to the coach’s effort to win the game. They are not penalties inflicted on the team
by a referee. Rather, time outs are
limited and cherished assets. The coach uses
time outs at the most important moments of the contest. Time outs allow the team to focus their
thoughts, to regain their stamina, or to align their wills for the deciding
point of the contest.
We are not
involved in a sporting event in terms of our faith. However, we are on a pilgrimage walking to
the New and Eternal Jerusalem. On
Wednesday, we were sprinkled with ashes to remind us that death awaits each of
us on our pilgrimage. That reminder
tells us that this is the perfect time for us as the Church to take a “time
out.” Knowing that each of us will die
impels us to use these forty days to focus our thoughts, to regain our stamina,
and to align our wills for the deciding point of our journey of faith. We enter into this “time out” by embracing
some kind of penance. We can spend more
time in prayer during these days. We
have provided many resources to help. We
can commit ourselves to fasting either from food or drink or from Facebook or
video games. Mindful of our many
blessings, we can be attentive to the needs of those who lack these basic
essentials and be generous in almsgiving.
We began
our pilgrimage when we emerged from the waters of Baptism. For those who will receive the Easter
Sacraments of Initiation, this forty day “time out” is their final time of
preparation. Their motives for receiving
the Sacraments of Initiation will be purified and their hearts will be
enlightened. This “time out” can do the
same for us, especially because we are more like Israelites in their “time out”
than Jesus Christ in his. We have failed
to keep our baptismal promises. Trusting
that the ashes of our death will not be the end for us, we can see these forty
days of “time out” as a gift. This gift
allows us to make the necessary adjustments to align ourselves with the
Lord. Then we can renew our baptismal
promises at Easter, when we celebrate the Lord’s victory over sin and death.
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