Desert Life

For the first Sunday of Lent, the texts from the Roman CatholicLectionary bring an opportunity to reflect on the memory we have of the action of God in our lives. This remembering is prayer as we are returned to those intimate experiences of Love. The history of the Chosen People is recalled in the passage from Deuteronomy in the context of bringing the first fruits from the rich land to the Temple as a sign of thanksgiving to God. Paul exhorts us to return to the deep link of trust in God which is the faith which brings us peace in our hearts. Friar Jude Winkler comments that the “yes” to God which is within needs to be brought to our actions toward others to be the Word proclaimed of which Paul speaks. Our gratitude to God may find its expression in the trust of the author of Psalm 91 that God protects us from serious harm. Our memories may help to reinforce the protection we received even when we were unaware of the danger lurking in our lives. The Gospel of Luke tells of the encounter of Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit, with great temptations in the desert. In desert time, our yearning for the self satisfaction of taking life for ourselves, of being the powerful center of attention and putting ourselves as our primary love interest is strong. Our identity, which Father LarryGillick SJ reminds us is the gift of our Baptism, is that which Jesus temptation attempts to deny and which Jesus death on the Cross confirms, is the identity of Son of God. From the position of gratitude for who we are, we are open to the Holy Spirit to lead us from the temptations which threaten to isolate us from the Love which is our Life.