LENTEN THOUGHTS:
Homily for FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT - Sr. Alma Marie van Buren
(Luke 4;1-13.) Temptation in the Desert
After the Baptism, filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus was lead into the Desert for forty days to fast and pray. May we follow the Spirit into the deserts of our world and with Jesus place ourselves in the destructive tragedies of our times, Haidi, Aphganistan/ Pakistan, Iraq/Iran. The homeless/jobless and the economically depressed to fast and pray.
After Jesus fasted and prayed, he experienced being tempted by the demon. What was and still is the nature of Jesus’ temptations and of the many temptations of our times?
Money/consumerism…Authority/ power both political social, and religious. Presumption of personal indestructibility. Jesus responded to each of these with a reference from the Hebrew Scriptures.
Henri Nouwen in the book, "Eternal Seasons", describes, "Lent as the season to confront the demons and expel them"
When I read the newspaper and watch TV, I say to myself "What can I do since I’m no longer able to work for good causes. How can I fight the demons? Then I hear the words of Jesus spoken in the Desert. "One does not live on bread alone power /authority but on every word that flows from the mouth of Jesus.
A passage from the mouth of Jesus, which has been buzzing in my mind lately, is found in Mark’s story of the boy possessed by the demon. (Mk.9:17-29). The disciples were preaching to the people when a father brought his possessed son to them to be healed. They were unable to do any thing so the father brought him to Jesus and explained the apostles couldn’t do anything for him. Jesus explained what was needed was faith on the part of the father and the apostles. Jesus commanded the demon to leave and it did. Later when Jesus and the apostle were, alone they asked Him, "Why couldn’t we cast it out? And Jesus answered, "This kind cannot be driven out by anything but PRAYER and FASTING. Once again, Jesus claimed that the key necessity for a good work was FAITH on the part of the Prayer.
The contest of wills between Jesus and the devil, the demons and us is a struggle for fidelity. It is a question of discipleship and vocation.
In the Ash Wednesday reading of St. Paul to the Corinthians, he wrote "work together with HIM , DO NOT ACCEPT THE GRACE OF God in vain, for He said, " at the acceptable time, I have listened to you and will help you on the day of salvation" (2 Cor. 6:1-2). Is it possible that this lent 2010 IS THE ACCEPTALE TIME? Jesus is listening. Is the day of salvation this lent?
In a commentary on the second reading for Mass (Roman 10:9) the meaning for St. Paul’s " if you confess with your mouth…and believe in your heart" is given. There is a difference between what one says they believe and what they truly believe. "Do I? Do you? Do we?" really believe that through, Faith, Fasting and Prayer that the demons of our world can be expelled?
Fasting doesn’t need to involve food. We found in our mailboxes a purple sheet with a suggestion for each day. Prayer can be any form or style, which your heart may find beneficial.
From this morning’s Office, "As we for the Renewal of our Baptismal promises, may our journey be strengthened though prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Amen
Make A Donation:
If you would like to contribute to the Dominican Sisters of Sparkill
by making a donation, please click here.