Readings: Deut 26:4-10; Rom 10:8-13; Lk 4:1-13
As we begin this holy season of Lent, there are graces available to us that do not seem to be available at other times in the liturgical year. Those graces, if we are willing to cooperate with them, help us to look deeply into our own souls to discern the priorities in our lives. All too often Catholics are either unaware of these graces or they reject them, choosing instead to go through the motions of the same perfunctory exercises they have done for years during Lent.
It is not that these penances are bad; they provide us with something to offer to the Lord. However, if we look back over the years, we need to ask ourselves if the penances we have taken on have actually resulted in real changes in our lives. For many, it is merely forty days of doing without something only to go back to life as usual when Easter arrives. These Lenten penances provided a way of denying ourselves for a few weeks, but often fail to result in any real change in our lives.
With that said, the readings provide us with a different perspective that could cut through our hearts and make us into something of a new creation when we celebrate the great events of our salvation. Before addressing this, if there is an area of mortal sin in your life, make its eradication your Lenten practice. If there is not a mortal sin that is a problem in your life, you can certainly consider the sins you confess regularly and choose one of those areas to work on in this season of grace.
In the Gospel reading we see an area that we might not think about, but maybe needs some attention. This area is actually found in the words the vile creature spoke to our blessed Lord. In two of the three temptations described in the Gospel, the devil began with the words “If you are the Son of God.”
We know that even before material creation began, the angels were shown the various mysteries God would reveal in and through His creation. The two greatest mysteries that directly affect us and our salvation are the Incarnation of the second Person of the Most Holy Trinity and the Divine Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The enemy of our souls could not handle the idea that God, Who is infinitely higher than him, would humble Himself to take on a nature that is lower than the angels. At the same time, the despicable one could not accept that a human woman who, by nature is lower than him, would be raised up by God to be higher than the angels.
We must be clear that the angels who fell knew the truth; there was no confusion in them. They knew that what was shown to them was true, but because it was so radical, they rejected it. It is not that these mysteries are illogical, they are simply beyond what we can grasp or express with logic. So, having already rejected the Incarnation, Satan was now face to face with the truth he refused to accept and began tempting our Lord by saying “If.”
Satan knew Jesus was God, but being an angel, he could not change his mind, so all he could do is say “If you are the Son of God.” I don’t assume anyone reading this does not believe Jesus is the Son of God, but it might be good to look deeply within ourselves and ask if there is anything in the revealed Faith that I either don’t believe or about which I harbor some doubts. If there is, choosing to do some study to learn and better understand whatever area of Church teaching we struggle with would be a fantastic Lenten exercise.
Many people are filled with doubts today because of the situation in the Church or because of the various sufferings the Lord is allowing in their lives. The scandals caused by the priests and bishops of the Church have resulted in a crisis of faith for many. Personal sufferings can cause people to doubt the goodness of God. In the second reading St. Paul advises us to call upon the Name of the Lord. In other words, pray and ask the Lord to strengthen your faith and enlighten your understanding.
Even a cursory reading of Scripture will show us that the revelation of God was given to people who were suffering. The first reading encapsulates the struggles the Israelites who suffered in Egypt, but also shows the strength and fidelity of the Lord in the midst of those struggles. Regardless of what you choose to do this Lent, pray, believe, trust, and call upon the Name of the Lord Who will save you!
Fr. Altier’s column appears regularly in The Wanderer, a national Catholic weekly published in St. Paul, Minn. For information about subscribing to The Wanderer, please visit www.thewandererpress.com.
