Homily: 1st Sunday in Lent, YR C
Lent is a time of Passion
By Fr. William Holtzinger
February 29, 2004

We began lent last Ash Wednesday and many of are trying to devise a way to give up something. We hear how Jesus was tempted by Satan and yet did not give in. We hear the words of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Yet, what is it all about? These all seem so harsh. I went to see the movie, The Passion of the Christ, this past Friday. It, too, offered a harsh series of images for us to ponder on. Is Lent just one big downer? Or is there a mystery being offered that the world cannot?

Lent is a time for us to reevaluate our lives and make needed changes. Yet, these changes are not for the sake of change. Nor are they sacrifices for the sake of sacrifice. They are done for one reason and one reason only: love. Sacrifice for the sake of love is what Jesus was about. The critical press seems to have skimmed over this point when critiquing Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ.”  But what kind of sacrifices are we being asked to make? Too often we make what can be called sacrifices of convenience. We give or give up things that don’t have much significance for our relationship with our Lord. We may have given up chocolate or some TV program. These things are pretty simple in comparison to the sacrifice that Jesus made for us. This is not intended to be a guilt trip. Rather, an opportunity to reflect again on how our comforts have made us simply comfortable and possibly unwilling to change. You see, change and sacrifice are essential to the Christian life. Maybe our struggle is being luke warm in our faith and unconcerned about the suffering of others around us or in the world.

This Lent, put on a penitential heart. Ask God to shake you out of your dust-filled lethargy. Think about those who have dedicated their lives to great causes. What motivates them? Is it guilt? Is it fear? Not likely. It’s most likely passion. Passion has driven them to do what they are doing. It is passion that has changed their lives. So get active and make a difference. It is passion that drove God to send his Son to suffer and die for us. That’s right. Christ has passion for each one of you. We are each loved with a passion that is so great that Christ would willingly give himself to be tortured and crucified for you... and for me. As I watched the movie, the Passion, I found myself praying and asking for forgiveness for my sins. I felt so unworthy of the suffering that Christ did for me. What kind of passion would drive someone to be tortured for my sake? Would I allow myself to be beaten for another? In all honesty and weakness, probably not. Yet instead of wallowing in my “poor me” attitude, I was filled with a sense of incredible gratefulness and joy. It encouraged me to live differently. Christ didn’t suffer and die because he was masochistic. He did it all for love. Today’s Gospel also shows us that Jesus was no weakling or a victim of fate. He was in control and willingly died for us. He suffered from Satan’s temptations yet overcame it all. We all suffer because of sin and are in need of Christ’s redemption.

Today, when we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, when we give thanks in our Eucharist, make a pledge this Lent to make a difference. If the routines of your everyday life make change difficult, think about making the change here. Start with something small. I encourage you to think about simply moving to a different place in the Church. To all of you who sit in the back, next week choose to come and sit up front. If you already sit up front, consider moving to a different spot. If you consistently come late, make an extra effort to come early. When encouraging someone about this idea, their response was one of defensiveness and a sense of the impossible. My friends in Christ, if we cannot move our bodies from one place in the same building to another for the sake of comfort, how will we ever be open to the grace of God which calls us to move our hearts to love our enemies? If you have decided to give up chocolate or sweets, I challenge you to ponder on how it can be connected with the love that Christ has for you. If you haven’t thought of anything to do for Lent, give serious attention how you might be able to connect with an act of true sacrificial love. Do it with Passion and energy. Do it for love. Do it for others. Do it with passion for Christ.