Word to the Wise
Sunday, March 5, 2017 - 1st Sunday of Lent - A
[Gen 2:7-9; 3:1-7; Rom 5:12-19 or 5:12, 17-19; Matt 4:1-11]SUNDAY, MARCH 5, 2017 FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT [Genesis 2:7-9; 3:1-7; Romans 5:12-19; Matthew 4:1-11] At that time Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry. [Matthew] As I write this, I am in Jacksonville, FL, to preach a parish mission under the title NOT ON BREAD ALONE. The scene of Jesus in the desert contesting with the "Tempter" is a powerful one. The three temptations to sensational satisfaction are familiar to us. Hunger comes in a number of ways, including food, recognition and power among others. The Gospel According to Luke makes it clear that although Jesus experienced vulnerability, he remained faithful to his mission. I think this message is a good one for Lent. In the Broadway musical, SWEET CHARITY (at least I think it was that one) there is a song, "There's gotta be something better than this." That line could guide us through the temptations that hit us at our vulnerable places. The temptations experienced by Jesus went against the integrity of his mission. We are baptized members of his body, the Church. What is OUR mission? What stands in the way? Knowing what our vulnerabilities are can help us navigate the temptations. Is it money? Power? Physical satisfaction in the form of food, sex, substances? These are the "breads" that will not ultimately satisfy. Our mission is the same as Jesus' mission: to preach the kingdom. Jesus brought mercy and healing. If, as Pope Francis says, the Church is a "field hospital for the sick and wounded," we are the stretcher bearers. Remembering that task will leave us little time for the temptations. Forgetting that task will make us the ones on the stretchers! Which would we rather be? AMEN
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