Scripture Reflection - March 9, 2025

First Sunday of Lent

Deuteronomy 26:4-10                 Romans 10:8-13              Luke 4:1-13

“Jesus was led by the spirit into the desert for forty days to be tempted by the devil.” What an apt description for us as we begin Lent. Deserts and the pulls and powers in life that lead us rather than the spirit. Forty days asking for our attention, intention and consent. Time apart in solitude and allowing the power of spirit led prayer, fasting and almsgiving to have its impact. 

It surprises me when I experience this impact, on both sides, temptations and spirit led. For many years I have been praying daily two 20 minute periods of centering prayer. It is a contemplative prayer of letting go and allowing the presence and action of God to be in our lives instead of all of our concerns, agendas and physical distractions to tempt us. It is a strengthening to meet the powerful temptations in our lives. Powerful they are, these elements of our false self and human condition vying for attention as untrue as they are. The spirit wants to lead us to be our true self-Christ in us.

Jesus was in a most vulnerable situation in the desert. He was hungry after 40 days. He was alone. Jesus was confronted, as are we, with our human condition. Our human condition can include our emotional and unhealthy and healthy programs learned and lived from early on and influenced by our ethnic and cultural influences. This is like tapes playing their programs often hidden, in our mind and heart. The temptations for Jesus were to satisfy his hunger, to receive power and glory and to be ensured of security and survival. All of these emotional programs are important for us as well. It is when we have an overwhelming need for security and survival, affection and esteem and power and control that does not allow the spirit to lead. The spirit leads us to justice, the common good, kindness, generosity, peace and courage and wisdom amongst some of the power filled gifts and fruit. Lent can bring us on this pilgrimage for ourselves and families, country and world. We are all in deserts and dilemmas. We are in entanglements and knots.

The temptations of the world, the flesh and the devil appear good from their first hearing but they are deceptive. American culture with its many gifts also has its down side as does our human condition. We can easily be tempted by our culture of unhealthy consumerism, unfettered capitalism, unreasonable patriotism, populism, and paternalism, individualism, sexism, tribalism, hedonism, colonialism, white supremacy, and the end justifies the means of might makes right mentality. Don’t we live and support this influence in our life at times!

Thus the value of Lent! A power and invitation to be freed from the unhealthy impacts upon our lives, emotionally and culturally;  individually and collectively. Freer to live and to ‘build the city of God’.

We are pilgrims of hope always but in this particular Jubilee year of hope Lent can shine a light on our path.

Sr. Jo-Anne Falliace, OP