First Sunday of Lent: Temptations and victory: March 9,2014

First Sunday of Lent: Temptations and victory: March 9,2014

Pope Francis in his recent address to the couples who gathered at St. Peter’s square for Valentine’s day remarked that he too is in constant battle with Satan. Aren’t we all waging a war with the evil one? They may not show up in real person but mostly as options and opportunities challenging us to choose the easy way out. The options are most of then between two seemingly good things and not necessarily bad in themselves. We have to weigh in and see which way to go. The opportunities may be presented to us as our chance to ‘make it’ in life and above it all. The temptation that Adam and Eve faced was a promise that they will be like God but ended up without God. The temptation that Jesus faced was to satisfy his hungers that are physical, social and psychological. His identity was challenged, “if you are the son of God”. Jesus was tempted and ended up being with God. He was victorious in his temptation. He chose to remain faithful to his union with God and was well anchored in his divine spiritual identity as Son of God.  Jesus was willing to deny his humanity to claim his divine identity and union with God. There is a ‘hole in the soul’ for each one of us that only can fill. No amount of ‘bread’ will satisfy you, no amount of ‘consumption’ of todays’ culture will fill you up. God alone. So it is ok to be vulnerable and let God know that we are. There is no way to compel God to do something for us without repentance and conversion of life. There is no microwave spirituality available. There is no fulfillment that will come from power and control and security. Fulfillment comes from following the Lord in giving something of our selves to others. So here we are constantly waging a war on consumption, on instant spirituality and on power and control. In these temptations we can fail like Adam and Eve or know victory in Christ. The result of a serious lent is a deeper union with the victorious and risen Christ. As Mary Oliver asks in her poem, “A Summer Day”: 

Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life? 

God Bless you always!

Sincerely Yours,
Rev. Fr. Cyriac Chandy Mattathilanickal, MS

Wishing you and yours A Holy Lent!

Rev. Fr. Tom Puthusseril, M.S.

Shrine Director