From temptations to joy

For this first Sunday of Lent, the scriptures propose Saint Mark's account of the temptations of Jesus.  Here are some thoughts inspired by this gospel account which might help us to continue our journey.

Out of love for us

After Jesus was baptized,

the Spirit drove him into the wilderness

(Mark 1:12)

A few days ago, we placed ashes on our heads as a sign of our willingness to embark upon the journey that leads us toward the great celebration of Easter.  Before we celebrate though, our journey brings us face to face with some stark realities that we must admit: we are all mortals, we are all sinners, we are all in need of forgiveness.

All human beings are mortal: our lives here on earth are but for a finite period of time.  When we are young, it’s difficult to understand this concept, but as the years go by, we are more and more aware that this life we live is very fragile.  All that we see and touch, all that we possess will one day be taken away from us.  In the case of Noah and his family, all that they could see and touch was washed away by the waters of the flood, except for the contents of the ark.  Luckily for us, today’s first reading reminds us that such a catastrophe will never happen again.  God created a covenant that day with Noah and his descendants: never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth (Genesis 8:11). 

Every new beginning involves a resolution.  In this case God’s resolution was that he would never again use water to destroy evil in our world.  I have sometimes wondered if God ever regretted making such a promise, and yet he never goes back on a promise, so although there have been great tragedies since that time, never again has all flesh been cut off by the waters of a flood, because God loves us; God wants us to live; God wants us to be happy, truly happy, not the happiness that passes away, but the true happiness that is found in immortal realities, intangible things.

All human beings are sinners: no matter how hard we try, no matter what habits we might want to change, no matter what plans we might make to better ourselves, we will always stumble and we will never be able to succeed without God’s help.   Even Jesus had to face temptation: After he was baptized, the spirit drove him out into the wilderness … where he was tempted by Satan (Mark 1:12-13), but here again, God did not go back on his promise.  The voice of God had been heard over the waters when Jesus was baptized: You are my Son, the Beloved, with you I am well pleased (Mark 1:11), so even as Jesus was driven into the desert to be tempted, he was not left alone (cf Mk 1:13): he had the help of angels, and so do we.  The angels watch over us and protect us; they guide us on the journey of life; they are with us at all times, even when we are unaware of their presence, simply to help us find our way.  Even when we sin and turn away from God, the angels help to turn us back toward him, to remember his love for us and to thirst for his presence in our lives.

All human beings are in need of forgiveness: we may not think so, especially when life seems to be good, but the promise of forgiveness is perhaps the most powerful gift that God gives us, because God never goes back on his promise.  Remember the flood?

Christ suffered for sins once for all … in order to bring us back to God (1 Peter 3:18).  The season of Lent is a time of grace for us, an opportunity for God to tell us once again how much he loves us, an opportunity for us to recognize the lengths to which he is willing to go in order to convince us how deeply we are cherished.  God loved us when he created us, when he placed Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden and provided for all their needs; God loved us when he asked Noah to build the ark and protected his family even as the waters of the great flood destroyed all other signs of life.  God has always loved us, and will always love us.

Saint Peter tells us that the story of Noah and the flood prefigures the Sacrament of Baptism, and baptism is an appeal to God for a good conscience through the resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 3:21).  The Church has always taught that baptism washes away our sins, but since we can only be baptized once, the Church also provides the Sacrament of Reconciliation so that we can turn back to God whenever we recognize the fact that we have lost sight of Him and need to come back.

Our God loves us; he wants us to be truly happy, and he wants to do everything in his power to give us all the things we need so that we can discover this happiness.  Lent gives us a precious opportunity to re-discover this truth and to celebrate it joyfully.