MARK 1:12-15
ONE DAY A BABY CAMEL ASKED HIS MOTHER, “WHY DO WE HAVE THESE HUGE THREE-TOED FEET?” THE MOTHER REPLIED, “SO THAT WE CAN WALK ACROSS THE DESERT WITHOUT SINKING INTO THE SAND.” THE BABY THOUGHT A MINUTE AND SAID, “WHAT ABOUT THESE LONG THICK EYELASHES?” THE MOTHER REPLIED, “SO THAT WE WON'T GET SAND IN OUR EYES IF WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH A SANDSTORM.” A FEW MINUTES LATER THE BABY ASKED, “MOM, WHY DO WE HAVE HUMPS?” THE MOTHER REPLIED, “THEY ARE TO STORE WATER SO THAT WE CAN GO LONG DISTANCES WITHOUT DRINKING.” “MOM,” SAID THE BABY, “I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION.” “WHAT IS IT NOW?” SAID THE MOTHER. “WHAT ARE WE DOING IN THE BRONX ZOO?”
THE GOSPEL TODAY IS VERY SHORT. YOU PROBABLY REMEMBER MATTHEW'S VERSION WHERE THE DETAILS OF THE TEMPTATIONS ARE LAID OUT AND WE HEAR A DIALOGUE BETWEEN SATAN AND JESUS. BUT MARK SHOOTS RIGHT PAST THAT, AND WE ARE LEFT WITH THE QUESTION, “WHY”. WHY DID THE SPIRIT DRIVE JESUS INTO THE DESERT? WHAT WAS THE POINT? JESUS HAD JUST BEEN BAPTIZED; HE HAD HEARD THE VOICE OF THE FATHER CLAIMING HIM AS HIS BELOVED SON. AND WHEN THE DESERT EXPERIENCE WAS OVER, HE WENT ABOUT PREACHING REPENTANCE AND THE GOOD NEWS OF THE GOSPEL. JESUS, LIKE OUR CAMELS, HAD TO GO INTO THE DESERT TO FIND OUT WHO HE TRULY WAS. HE HAD TO EXPERIENCE TEMPTATION; HE HAD TO CONFRONT THE WILD BEASTS; AND HE HAD TO RECOGNIZE THE REALITY OF GOD'S LOVE FOR HIM THROUGH THE ANGELS SENT TO MINISTER TO HIM. AND ONLY THEN COULD HE TAKE UP HIS MINISTRY.
TO EXPERIENCE TEMPTATION IS NOT THE SAME THING AS COMMITTING SIN. WE KNOW THAT GOD NEVER ALLOWS US TO BE TEMPTED BEYOND OUR ABILITY TO RESIST. IF WE LOOK AT OURSELVES CRITICALLY, WE HAVE TO ADMIT THAT WE ARE TEMPTED ALL THROUGH THE DAY. I'M OFTEN TEMPTED TO STAY IN BED FOR A WHILE IN THE MORNING INSTEAD OF GETTING UP AT MY USUAL HOUR. AND I'M RETIRED, I COULD EASILY SPEND ANOTHER HOUR SLEEPING. AND IF I DID SLEEP, I WOULDN'T BE COMMITTING A SIN. BUT IF THE FIRST THING I DO UPON WAKING IS TO YIELD TO MY ANIMAL NATURE, WHAT WILL THE REST OF MY DAY BRING? I HAVE A LITTLE WEIGHT PROBLEM, AND I'M OFTEN TEMPTED TO HAVE A SECOND HELPING, AND SOMETIMES I GIVE IN TO THIS. WHEN I HAVE A PROJECT THAT I DON'T REALLY WANT TO DO, I AM TEMPTED TO CUT CORNERS – WHO WOULD NOTICE? I'M TEMPTED TO MAKE SARCASTIC REMARKS SOMETIMES WHEN SOMEONE SAYS SOMETHING I THINK IS STUPID; I'M TEMPTED TO LET MYSELF GIVE IN TO ANGER WHEN ANOTHER DRIVER CUTS ME OFF OR NEARLY HITS ME. AND SO IT GOES, ALL DAY LONG. WHENEVER I HAVE A DECISION TO MAKE, BETWEEN WHAT MY ANIMAL NATURE TELLS ME TO DO AND WHAT MY GODLY NATURE SAYS, THAT IS A TEMPTATION. MY ANIMAL NATURE WANTS COMFORT, PLEASURE, RESPECT, A FULL BELLY; MY GODLY NATURE WANTS TO IMITATE JESUS – TO PLEASE THE FATHER, SERVE HIS CHILDREN, AND MAKE THE BEST USE OF THE TALENTS I'VE BEEN GIVEN AND THE TIME I HAVE LEFT IN MY LIFE. WITHOUT TEMPTATION, I WON'T KNOW MYSELF, I WON'T KNOW WHAT I'M HERE FOR. JESUS HAD TO CONFRONT TEMPTATION, JUST AS YOU AND I DO.
TO BE AMONG WILD BEASTS IS TO LEARN THE ROOT OF OUR SINS, SO THAT WE CAN WORK TO ELIMINATE THEM. SAINT JEROME IN ONE OF HIS DIARIES RECOGNIZED THAT HE HAD A TENDENCY TO LOOK DOWN ON PEOPLE WHO WERE SUPERSTITIOUS OR OVERLY SENTIMENTAL; HE RECOGNIZED THAT HE WAS RULED BY THE DEADLY SIN OF PRIDE. HIS REMEDY WAS TO ROLL IN THORNS WHEN HE FELT PRIDE COMING ON – A LITTLE EXTREME, BUT JEROME RECOGNIZED THAT HIS PRIDE WAS THE GREATEST DANGER TO HIS IMMORTAL SOUL. ALL OF US COULD FIND ONE OF THE DEADLY SINS, AND MAYBE TWO OR THREE, THAT LIE AT THE ROOT OF OUR OWN SINFULNESS. THE DEADLY SINS, IN CASE YOU'VE FORGOTTEN, ARE NOT ACTUAL SINS, BUT TENDENCIES TO SIN. THEY ARE PRIDE, COVETOUSNESS (OR DESIRING SOMETHING BELONGING TO SOMEONE ELSE), LUST, ANGER, GLUTTONY, ENVY (DESIRING THAT SOMEONE LOSE A GOOD THING OR HIS GOOD FORTUNE), AND SLOTH. SLOTH WAS CONSIDERED BY THOMAS AQUINAS TO BE THE WORST OF THE DEADLY SINS, BECAUSE SINS ARISING FROM THIS TENDENCY DON'T FEEL LIKE SINS. SLOTH IS NOT THE SAME THING AS LAZINESS; ONE DEFINITION OF SLOTH IS NOT CARING ENOUGH ABOUT SOMETHING THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT. IT CAN BE SO BAD THAT I CAN CONVINCE MYSELF THAT SOMETHING IMPORTANT IS NOT IMPORTANT, SO I CAN NOT CARE ABOUT IT. AS YOU MIGHT IMAGINE SLOTH COMES IN MANY GUISES; I MAY PUSH PEOPLE AWAY BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO DEAL WITH THEM. I MIGHT NEGLECT MY PRAYER LIFE OR THE SACRAMENTS BECAUSE I'VE TOLD MYSELF I DON'T REALLY NEED THEM, I'M A GOOD PERSON.
FINALLY, THE ANGELS MINISTERED TO JESUS. WHEN WE ARE TEMPTED GOD'S ANGELS ARE THERE OFFERING GRACE IF WE CLAIM IT. IF WE HAVE A DEADLY SIN TO OVERCOME, THEY ARE THERE TO SHOW US HOW. AND THEY ARE ALWAYS THERE TO REMIND US, AS THEY REMIND JESUS, THAT WE ARE BELOVED, AND THAT THE FATHER IS PLEASED . WITH US – NOT BECAUSE OF ANYTHING WE DO, BUT SIMPLY BECAUSE WE ARE.
WE NEED TO SEE LENT AS OUR DESERT. WE GO OUT TO CONFRONT OUR TEMPTATIONS AND RE-COMMIT OURSELVES TO WORKING ON OUR GODLY NATURE. WE WANT TO REMIND OURSELVES THAT WE WERE MADE IN GOD'S IMAGE AND LIKENESS AND IT'S TIME TO ALLOW GOD TO TOUCH US UP A LITTLE. WE WANT TO BE MORE LIKE JESUS, WHO LIVED TO PLEASE THE FATHER, WHO SERVED THOSE WHO CAME TO HIM IN NEED, WHO SAID, “MY FOOD AND DRINK IS TO DO THE WILL OF THE FATHER.” WE GO OUT TO CONFRONT OUR WILD BEASTS, THOSE TENDENCIES WHICH LEAD US TO CERTAIN KINDS OF SINS – AND IF I RECOGNIZE THAT MY WILD BEAST IS PRIDE, OR LUST, OR JEALOUSY OR WHATEVER, THE BEAST CAN'T HARM ME BECAUSE I'LL BE ON GUARD FOR SINS WHICH COME FROM THAT DEADLY SIN. AND MOST OF ALL WE HAVE TO BE AWARE THAT GOD'S ANGELS ARE MINISTERING TO US ALL THE TIME, HELPING US USE HIS GRACE TO BUILD UP HIS IMAGE AND LIKENESS IN US.
WHATEVER ELSE YOU DO FOR LENT, CONSIDER MAKING THE STATIONS OF THE CROSS ON FRIDAYS AT 7:00 PM FOLLOWED BY MASS AT 7:30. CONSIDER JOINING US ON TUESDAYS AT 2:30 FOR THE ROSARY, OR 3:00 FOR THE CHAPLET OF DIVINE MERCY AND BENEDICTION – OR BOTH. AN HOUR OUT OF YOUR WEEK ISN'T GOING TO KILL YOU. MAY GOD GRANT ALL OF US A WONDERFUL AND GRACE-FILLED LENT.
Monday, February 23, 2015
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