Homily for the First Sunday of Lent (B) (18th
February, 2018) on the Gospel
Gen 9:8-15;
Ps 24:4-9 (R. cf. v. 10);
1Pt 3:18-22;
Mk 1:12-15.
An overweight businessman decided it was time to shed
some excess pounds. He took his new diet seriously, even changing his driving
route to avoid his favourite bakery. One morning, however, he arrived at work
carrying a gigantic coffee cake. His co-workers all scolded him, but he
explained, “I accidentally drove by the bakery this morning, and there in the
window was lots of cake. I felt this was no accident, so I prayed, ‘Lord, if
you want me to have one of those delicious coffee cakes, let me have a parking
place directly in front of the bakery’.” He continued, “And sure enough, the
eighth time around the block, there it was![1]
Topic: Visit the Desert.
During our Spiritual Year formation, Wednesdays were always very
challenging. They were set aside for desert experience. It was both really
challenging as well as very necessary.
In today’s gospel, “...the Spirit immediately drove
him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by
Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him” (Mk 1:12-13). This happened after Jesus’
baptism but before His public ministry. It was a decisive moment for Jesus;
time to decide whether to say Yes to His Father and No to Satan or the other
way round.
Desert experience or whatever one prefers to call it
is very important in our lives as individuals, both Christians, Muslims,
Hindus, pagans, atheists, and so on and even in our lives as nations. And it is
not a must that one has to travel to any of the deserts in the world for the
experience. It is time to be alone with God. Hence Jesus tells us, “go into
your room and shut the door and pray to your Father... (Matt 6:6). It is not time for too many words. It is a time to face
oneself in the presence of God.
The holy season of Lent has just begun. And “At the
beginning of Lent we renew our response to the Covenant, the pact of love that
God made with each of us at our baptism” (The new Sunday missal: A new edition,
p. 519). Although many have made different resolutions this Lent but I consider
it necessary to recall the resolutions we made earlier before now and to what
extent we fulfilled them. Our lives would have been something very much better
if we have been fulfilling our resolutions.
Desert is for different purposes. One can go to the
desert to pray, cf. Mk 1:35; to
rest, cf. Mk 6:31; to be taught, cf.
Lk 9:11; to decide, cf. Matt 14:13; to be healed, cf. Matt 14:14, among others. It is time
for us to visit the Desert because it is high time we look at ourselves in the
presence of God to see how well we are achieving our potentials.
Even in our present conditions, we must not forget
that just as the angels were with Jesus in the wilderness, God’s angels are
always with us because he has given his angels charge over us to guard us in
all our ways, cf. Ps 91:11; Matt 4:6; Lk
4:10. May no situation lead us into sin for Jesus never sinned, cf. Heb 4:15; 1Pt 2:22. It is important we
make out time for God so that He can direct our lives and our nations. Unlike
the businessman in our introductory story, we must not expose ourselves to
temptations.
One may ask why desert of all places? As long as we
are attached to our ethnic groups, personal interests, and so on, it will be
very difficult for us to make important decisions rightly.
Bible Readings: Matt 6:5-34; 13:1-23; Jas 4:1-10; Heb 4:14-16; Is
58:1-14; Eph 6:10-20.
Thought for today: How did you prepare to spend this holy season?
Let us pray:
Lord, following your example we have gone into the
desert. We know that Satan may tempt us but we rely on your power because apart
from you we can do nothing – Amen (Jn
15:5).
You
are free to share this reflection with others if you consider it worthy.
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May God
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