Homily

The three disciplines of Lent are prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. These three acts when done in faith can help us grow closer to Jesus and to overcome our selfish desires. Jesus’ 40 days in the desert image the Israelites 40 days of wandering in the desert. Yet, the difference is one that shows him to be something very special and different. While he was tempted, he didn’t sin. If I hadn’t eaten for 40 days, I can easily see myself giving in to my desire to feed myself. Jesus was hungry, but it wasn’t just about food. His hunger was one for his Father’s will and for the salvation of the world.

What was Jesus’ ultimate temptation? It wasn’t just about bread, power, and security. It was also about abandoning his Father and his father’s will. Each of us have been given a calling and we are to fulfill. I can’t possibly know the particulars of each of your callings. But, I can say with confidence that God’s will in the big picture is that we become holy. In each of our temptations, the particulars may vary. We might struggle with pride, anger, lust, greed, etc. All of these are impediments to holiness and God’s will. No matter what our sin, each sin is a turning away from God’s will in our lives. This is where Lent comes in. The Church in her wisdom discerned that we need seasons to reflect on those things that are important, but often go un-noticed, to reflect on the temptations that we each have and through grace, overcome them all. In our lives, sin can be so prevalent that we simply forget it’s there or don’t worry about its presence. While temptation is not a sin, giving in to temptation is.

What is your temptation or temptations in your life? Today, I’d like to reflect on one that may seem kinda strange. The temptation is that of filling our time with entertainment and leisure and not with God. We live in a first world country and have a lot of opportunities for leisure and recreation. Leisure in of itself is not bad, in fact it is one of the gifts of peace and technological advancement. Yet, with all this goodness comes temptation. You see, no matter who we are, no matter where we live, each of us have a hunger, a desire, a restlessness. This is normal. This is how we are made. But the key is not just filling it with busy work or in many of our cases leisure. St. Augustine put it quite succinctly when he said, “My soul is restless until it rests in you Lord.” Yet, often when we get bored or have some spare time, what do we do? We entertain ourselves. Again, don’t get me wrong. Entertainment, leisure, vacations all have their place and contribute to the well-being of a person. In fact, the whole idea of Sabbath is geared towards resting and re-creating. But, what I am talking about here is the mistake we make of not letting God fill that hole or restlessness.

During Lent, we are being challenged to give up something. We can totally abstain from something or reduce the amount of something. The latter is what we call a fast. But, abstinence and fasting leave holes to be filled. What I’m inviting us all to consider focusing our down time on spending time with God and not in self-entertainment. In the beginning, it will be difficult. But, if we stick to it at length, I tell you that you will find that God’s presence in that space will do more to feed your hunger, fill your desire, and sooth your longing. You will become calmer and more loving. Your relationship with Christ will deepen and you will become what you are being called to: holiness.

In closing, consider a temptation in your life and ask God for the grace to conquer it. Where you find sin in your life, seek out reconciliation. Consider fasting from something and filling that void with something that will make you more open to God’s grace. Seek out God who can fill that hole left behind from your fasting. Then you will be like Jesus who was tempted yet didn’t sin and maintained his relationship with his Father and his Father’s will.