Settling up with the past

Always on the First Sunday of Lent, we hear Jesus being tempted by the devil during the forty days He spent in the desert.

Lent, each year is to be our settling up time to live our faith and to repent, reorient and place God first, for forty days. We face temptations every day that distract us from following the example of Jesus, and to place ourselves, our human desires for power, control and human praise to humbly walk as persons of faith, hope and love.

The Church offers us three easy steps to keep it simple for sinners: Pray, fast, give alms! The way to the soul is through the body, for we are physical as well as spiritual beings. If we are honest, the physical almost always takes precedence.

Jesus was tested to show us how to go beyond temptation and grow in grace for a new springtime. The three temptations Jesus faces in the desert are similar to what we must face each day. Each temptation involves a seizure of power: power over the elements of creation to turn stones to bread; political and military power by gaining power over the kingdom of the world; and the power to force God’s protection in an inappropriate manner.

A change of heart is really the call and challenge of Lent and a desert experience. The desert is associated with solitude, danger, hunger and fear, and these are also real in our daily lives in our own personal deserts.

Lent is a time to work for new behavior, new attitudes, greater strength to avoid physical temptations; but it is also a good time to ask for forgiveness for betrayals, grief, pain and irritable behavior to others that we have hurt. It is a good time to settle up, to come clean on what we have done wrong, or on what we have failed to do, and apologize for what we have selfishly done to others. These apologies are few and far between in our culture, and most people would be overjoyed at our change of heart. We would be amazed at the new feelings of love and peace in our spiritual being.

This is the week to avoid personal, physical temptations and make things right in our hearts, or love for God and neighbor. It’s a simple challenge to just settle up the past and look ahead to a new and better future

The Big Three, Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving, may be met in just reflecting, as we bless the breaking of bread at leaner meals. We can ask for the forgiveness and love of others as we share and celebrate a great Lenten Day, and offer this Irish Blessing:

“May you always have work for your hands to do. May your pockets always hold a coin or two. May the hand of a firend always be near you. May god fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.”