Fasting and sacrificing at Lent is important, especially when it points us in the right direction and helps us come closer to God and to one another.
A homily from the First Sunday in Lent based on readings from
Genesis 2:7-9, 3:1-7, Psalm 51, Romans 5:12-19, and Matthew 4:1-11
These readings are available at the USCCB website.
Here we are on the first Sunday in Lent. Is this familiar territory? Is this Lent like every other Lent? It isn’t for me. This year I have been particularly struck by all the ways that this Lent, at least for me, should perhaps be different. Perhaps this Lent should be a bit different your you as well.
Ever year on Ash Wednesday I get just a little confused. I have since childhood. We come to church and listen to the Gospel tell us that when we fast we shouldn’t look glum like the hypocrites. We should anoint our heads and … wash our faces[1]. Immediately afterward, we smear on ashes and leave them there for the rest of the day.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not campaigning against ashes on Ash Wednesday. Not even close. It is easy to confuse the wearing of ashes with a dirty face, but they are not at all the same thing. No, the actual symbolism behind the wearing of ashes is to clearly tell anyone who looks at you that you firmly intend to change for the better. It is not a sign of a super-fast. It is a sign of repentance.
This year, unlike any other year, the daily Mass readings from Ash Wednesday to now have struck me. They have been telling us what our Lenten fast and sacrifices are really all about.
Our Ash Wednesday reading from the Old Testament prophet Joel set the stage. He says, “Return to me with your whole heart, with fasting, and weeping, and mourning”;[2] Return to me. The next day at Mass we read in Deuteronomy that we are given the choice between life and death, and that the choice for life comes with a commitment to “lov[e] the Lord your God” to “[obey] him and [to follow] in his ways”.[3] On Thursday, the Prophet Isaiah reminded us that our fasting should undo the bonds of wickedness[4]. It should make the world better and more just place. Finally, in yesterday’s Mass reading Isaiah reminded us of how wonderful our restoration will be when we “take delight in the Lord”.[5]
You see, Lent is really not all about how much we fast, what we give up, how often and when. Do we omit Sundays from our fasts? Do we sin if we fall short of our planned Lenten discipline? (We don’t, by the way). I am not sure that Lent is really about us at all. Actually Lent is not so much about us as it is about relationship. Lent is about improving our relationship with God. Lent is about improving our relationship with each other. That this the goal. I give up whatever I give up to remind myself that none of the stuff that I give up is as important as God, as showing his love to everyone around me.
Fasting and sacrificing at Lent is important, especially when it points us in the right direction and helps us come closer to God and to one another.
Overview of Lent
As we look forward, we can see how our Masses during this season will draw is into a closer, better, more fulfilling relationship with God. Our readings today start us out with the stark truth that we are subject to sin and temptation. We fell. We need redemption. Next week, we will look at our call to overcome our sin and be fulfilled not on our own but in Christ our Lord. From there we will see that it is God who satisfies our every longing. He gives us the living water that satisfies our thirst. We will see our Christian dignity conferred from God on high and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that is greater than death. With Palm Sunday and Holy Week, we will enter into the paschal mystery, Christ’s final victory over death.
Here, I want to pause and make a bit of a plug, and an invitation. If there is any way that you can, attend the entire Easter Triduum. It starts on April 6th, this year. The liturgy begins on Holy Thursday, continues on Good Friday, and reaches its conclusion at the end of the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday evening. I know that’s a lot of time in church, but it is an experience of the Lord that you will not soon forget. Trust me, it is worth it!
Allowing Ourselves to be Led
Now that we have talked about our Lenten practices and our Lenten liturgies, let’s look at today’s Gospel. I would encourage you to take some time to re-read it and recognize that every category of temptations we experience as human beings is there in the temptations that were borne by Christ. Temptations of the world, temptations of the flesh, and temptations of the devil. They are all there. Jesus knows exactly what we are going through here and now.
There is a lot that can be said about our gospel. Believe me a lot has been said about it, but I want to focus on one important point from the first line of today’s reading.
“At that time Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert”.[6]
This brings us face to face with a simple, yet profound question. “Who is leading us?” “Who is leading you?” We see that Jesus is led by the Spirit into the desert where the devil tries to lead him astray. In Jesus case, he allows himself to be led by none other than the Love of God into a desert. He goes into the desert, which can be a place of isolation, loneliness, and desolation. It is also a place where we are isolated from distraction, we are alone with God, and we can experience great consolation.
Being led is not always a popular idea. We are conditioned to make our own decisions and that is not a bad thing, at least when it allows us to decide to do good. True freedom, after all is the ability to readily choose to do the good. Maybe one benefit of our Lenten sacrifices is that it reminds us that we can turn from anything that holds us back from the Lord. It reminds us that all the stuff we think we need is completely unnecessary when it gets in the way of us following where the Holy Spirit leads us. It reminds us that when the Spirit leads us – to the desert , to a vocation, to a career, to whatever, we can follow.
Closing
So…here we are at the beginning of Lent. We have our Lenten plan – the fasting and abstaining that the Church asks of us and other disciplines and sacrifices that we will ask of ourselves. We know that these are more than just us challenging ourselves to do without. We know that these things we do are focused on bringing us closer to the Lord and to one another. We know that each of these small sacrifices free us to do the all-important of job of allowing the Sprit to lead us wherever God wants us to go.
Life gets so much better when we let the Spirit lead us. The Holy Spirit is Love and he loves us. The Holy Spirit, God, is all knowing and all-powerful. He works for our good, not our harm.[7] He has our best interest at heart. Just like Christ today, let the Spirit lead you and don’t allow yourself to ever be led astray by another.
Today, indeed for the rest of Lent and beyond, let’s continue our repentance by allowing the Lord to soften our hearts. Today, let’s allow ourselves to be led by the Spirit.
Let’s continue our repentance by allowing the Lord to soften our hearts. Today, let’s allow ourselves to be led by the Spirit.
[1] Matthew 6:16-17
[2] United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Lectionary for Mass: For Use in the Dioceses of the United States of America, Second Typical Edition., vol. I–IV (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 1998–2002). Joel 2:12
Additions readings available for Ash Wednesday | USCCB, Thursday after Ash Wednesday | USCCB, Friday after Ash Wednesday | USCCB, and Saturday after Ash Wednesday | USCCB.
[3] cf Dt. 30:20
[4] Is 58:6
[5] Is 59:14
[6] Matthew 4:1
[7] Dt 10:13