March 10 // First Sunday of Lent

Reading I: Deuteronomy 26:4-10
Responsorial Psalm: 91:1-2, 10-11, 12-13, 14-15
Reading II: Romans 10:8-13
Gospel: Luke 4:1-13

Jesus is God and we are not. Still he WAS tempted. On the first Sunday of every Lent, we hear of the temptation of Jesus. He resists all the evil one’s attempts to rule over him. Being fully human and VERY hungry he could have found turning stones into bread a luscious temptation. I would have found that bread difficult to resist. Imagine all the hungry people that bread would fill! I might rationalize myself right into succumbing to the devil’s lure. How can I strengthen myself against the devils’ dangerous delights? How do I weigh the merits of my choices, my options, my decisions?

Examining my life this Lent I look at any tendency to want instant gratification. Do I want a cup of coffee so badly I drive to a shop for it? Could I have put in the thought and effort to keep Fair-trade decaf at hand and brew it myself? And will I use a washable, reusable cup? Yes, the devil IS in the details. Wasting fossil fuels to drive to get coffee is succumbing to temptation that we really can resist with the help of God. Using a Styrofoam cup is succumbing to temptation too! While that may seem a handy inconsequential item, its consequences are dreadful. Styrofoam does not biodegrade. It sits in a landfill for hundreds of years. Landfills catch fire and smoldering Styrofoam gives off toxic fumes. With God’s help, Styrofoam will not rule; we with active consciences will examine our choices (temptations?) and opt to protect the environment because we do want our grandchildren to thrive!
Blessings, Deni Mack, DMin Pastoral Associate