February 26, 2012
1st Sunday in Lent
Tonight in Hollywood -- the Oscars! Glitz and glamor, applause and adoring fans all in an industry honoring their own. I set this show as a backdrop for our Gospel where Jesus, after his own baptism, is driven into the desert by the Spirit, to be tempted by Satan. "Satan" in Hebrew means an adversary, one who opposes God, one who distorts, distracts and deceives us. Jesus uses the word "Satan" in reference to Simon Peter who is trying to trip him up from doing God's will. Jesus in the desert for 40 days is the model of our Lent. The traditional disciplines of prayer, fasting and almsgiving are a means to an end -- to a more attentive listening and fidelity to God, to a greater honesty about human frailty and sin, and to greater compassion for our neighbor. Movies, based on biography and fiction, tell the story of the human condition. We can see ourselves in the bad guys and shady characters. We can also see ourselves in the heroes, the men and women, who exhibit great courage, virtue and sacrifice. Lent can be an occasion when we honestly come to grips with our human weakness and our capacity for goodness; when we come to appreciate how precious we are to God. We have to listen to the Father speaking to Jesus at his baptism and apply these words to ourselves. You are my beloved daughter. You are my beloved son. The Father, in divine love and mercy, is asking us to enter into friendship with Jesus and continue his mission in the world. What is awaiting us is not an Oscar, not a thing, but a person -- life in Christ.
Previous:
Ash Wednesday
Next:
2nd Sunday of Lent
