HOMILY FOR THE FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT, YEAR C
Rev. Fr. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi
It is not without any purpose that the season of Lent begins in its very first Sunday to remind us of the reality of temptations. To be tempted is part and parcel of the challenges we face in our Christian lives. We do not sin when we are tempted; rather we sin when temptations overcome us. One very clear truth is that every sin is preceded by some temptation. Temptation becomes then the enticement and the inclination we experience to go against the divinely revealed and inspired virtues we ought to live. Temptations push us towards vices. The consequence is that they bring us at loggerheads with our right consciences, and so sadden the human soul and spirit that is always inclined to the good. And just as temptations are constant, so also the struggle and the battle to overcome temptation are, to never give the devil who is the chief tempter any opportunity to win. Thanks to God, our human efforts are surely sustained and accompanied by His grace. And this is why we could hear ourselves repeat the words of the psalmist today: be with me Lord when I am in trouble. But since we are constantly in the trouble of being tempted, this prayer clearly would imply: be with me Lord always.
1. If the Lord is not with us, the devil’s pranks could lure us into sin. But if he remains with us, we become impenetrable. He would have been tempting in vain then. The Gospel Reading (Luke 4:1-13) tells the story of the temptation of Jesus. The devil’s job is to accuse and tempt. And so, he went to do his job. But he was unfortunate that he was dealing with a person who was filled with the Holy Spirit; God in human flesh. The very first sentence of the Gospel is explicit on this: filled with the Holy Spirit, he was led by the Spirit… Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit. He went into the desert to fortify himself all the more for the mission ahead. He was aware it was going to be a very tough mission, and so the body had to be disciplined for forty days. This is where the forty days of Lent finds its relevance: discipline and penance. But the devil counted on the weakness of the body and went to Jesus with the persistent view to subscribe to such weakness. The body needs food, and so he strongly suggested to Jesus to eat bread. The body enjoys appreciation and honour, and so he tried to entice Jesus to seek fame. The body needs external care, and so he persuaded Jesus to show that God still cares for his body. We are tempted based on what we desire and want. All we need do is to be awake always to know our desires and be alert when they push us into sin. The divine apparatus for this knowledge is the presence of the Holy Spirit in us. Thus, we pray, be with me Lord when in trouble with the cares of life.
2. Surely, the sincere search for the well-being of the body via nutrition, fame and care is not evil at all. What is evil are aim and the manner of that search. The question rises: is the search for food, fame and care done in an inordinate manner? The devil knew that it was natural for Jesus to have wanted food, divine recognition and divine sustenance, but he wanted him to get it in an abusive way. Generally, the temptations tried to lure Jesus to abuse his own power. But specifically, subscribing to these temptations could have led Jesus to abuse what he has created (the stone), to abuse his own sovereignty (his worthiness of being worshipped), and to abuse the trust he has on God the Father (jumping down the cliff). Many times, we too are tempted in these three ways; concupiscence of the body, the eye and the pride of life. Many times, we desire to prove how powerful we are, how beautiful we are and how privileged we are. Remember, when we do those things just to attract ephemeral attention, and so intimidate people into respecting and worshipping us, we only show people how empty we are of the Holy Spirit. His is the spirit of humility, self-abandonment and contentment. However, when we start failing, may we not forget to remind ourselves of those beautiful words of St. Paul in the Second Reading (Romans 10:8-13): no one who believes in Him will be put to shame. With this, we re-invite the Holy Spirit to fill us in that we may not remain in the shame of sin. We Pray: Be with me Lord, when am in the trouble of seeking self-praise.
3. Turning stone into bread, worshipping the devil or jumping down the cliff came with some enticing reasons: if you are the son of God - all this will be yours if you worship me - he will command his angels to guard you. Very cheap reasons!!! They are cheap because i. if the 40 days were over, Jesus knew he could have to managed to eat anyway. ii. Jesus knew that none of those things the devil claimed to be his actually was indeed his. iii. Jesus knew that there was no good reason to throw himself down when he could have just walked down. These cheap reasons are proofs that the devil did not really know that Jesus was the saviour; he has no knowledge of God’s plan. Similarly, the devil does not really know our inner spirit and purpose, and the plans God has for us. The devil may only claim to know us when we have fallen over and over again into his traps. This is a food for thought. Yes, the reasons are cheap, but for an ambitious mind, they would mean a lot. Is it not true then that our ambitious can becloud our mental and moral rightness? Is it not true that we can sometimes allow cheap arguments to win us over just because of our selfish interests and blinded pursuits. When this happens, our minds experience great mischief and malady. However, the Holy Spirit is able to cure even the worst of all maladies. Ambition is good, but ambitiousness is evil for from it, other evils emerge. And so we pray: Be with me Lord, when am in the trouble of ambitiousness.
Conclusively, the devil wanted Jesus to seek the easy way out, and so too he tempts us today. Being constantly with Jesus assures us of victory. Jesus’ teachings and deeds were all a confirmation of his victory over the tempter: He sat and fed the hungry, struggled with and healed the powerless, walked round the villages teaching and preaching till he ended up in Jerusalem wherein he was crucified. However, he became victorious. This is how victory awaits anyone who prays and practices these important words: Be with me Lord always. If we walk with Jesus during this Lent, victory is ours. Do have a fruitful Lenten season. Happy new week and God bless you.
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