Let’s stand on the Word!

WORD OF FAITH: A breakdown of each week's upcoming Sunday readings to better understand the Word of God at Mass.

At this, Jesus said to him, “Get away, Satan! It is written: ‘The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve.’ ” — Matthew 4:10

This Lenten journey, which we know is vital to our relationship with God and one another, has begun. What were our first thoughts and feelings on Ash Wednesday when the Prophet Joel demanded that we return to the Lord with our whole heart, with fasting, weeping and mourning? Was there a groan within us? Oh, no, not this again! Or is there a sigh of relief that we are entering the “springtime of the soul” with opportunities for deeper reflection, spiritual growth and a chance to “rend our hearts?” How do we begin?

Jesus begins his journey, his ministry to share the coming of the Reign of God. He prepares by going into the desert, that place of hardship and encounter. For his people, being in the desert was a time of testing and purifying. It was also a time to be drawn into a deeper relationship with the Holy One. For Jesus, the long days and nights filled with prayer and conversation with his Father and with inspirations of the Holy Spirit were vital as he prepared to begin his ministry.

And then, as he starts his trek out of the desert, the Devil strikes! Jesus, of course, has the upper hand; he sees through the deceptions of the Father of Lies. Jesus knows he is the beloved Son of God and he meets every temptation with a verse from Deuteronomy. He does not engage in dialogue — Jesus presses right to the point; the Word of God stands on the Word. Satan is banished — for a time.

Jesus’ boldness in turning from temptation is contrasted with Adam and Eve’s weakness and fall into it. In the First Reading from Genesis, we see the couple who is blessed with every gift, with God’s friendship, with beauty and abundance. But pride enters in and they reach for what is not theirs — they want to be gods, not like God, but god. They forgot who they are. They fell for the line, “You will be like gods.” Unlike Jesus, who shows humility in refusing to misuse power, they reach for it. Alas, they see too late what they have done. 

So, what do these readings offer us as we enter the Lenten journey? I would like to suggest three things. First, Lent is a time to remember who we are. We are beloved daughters and sons of the Holy One. No matter how we have fallen for temptation and sinned, we are beloved. We are drenched in grace as St. Paul reminds us, “… how much more did the grace of God and the gracious gift of the one-man Jesus Christ overflow for the many.” Being aware of these spiritual gifts will help us to use them! 

Secondly, the Scriptures are food for the journey. Jesus thwarts Satan with words from the scripture and we can foil the many temptations of our day in the same way. Use scripture quotes as a mantra when gossip swirls around us at work, when patience wanes in the supermarket line, when the kids, wife, hubby are tearing at us to do for them, when self-doubt tells us we aren’t enough. We need to immerse ourselves in the Word!

Finally, Jesus shows us how important it is to take time away. Now, that is a tall order for most of us. But there are ways to grab Sabbath moments. Can we put our phones down for five minutes? Can we take a nature walk? Can we choose to turn the TV off for an hour? Our modern life is filled with distractions. Can we become aware of them and turn aside?

Our Lenten journey with Jesus is a blessing for our lives; let’s enter with a sense of enthusiasm and adventure. God has so many gifts to give us!