- This event has passed.
1 st Sunday of Lent
February 18
PREPARE YOUR SOUL FOR AN ORDEAL
From a commentary by John Justus Landsberg 1
◊◊◊
Everything the Lord Jesus decided to do, everything he chose to endure,
was ordained by him for our instruction, our correction, and our advantage, and
since he knew that the teaching and consolation we should derive from it all was
far from negligible, he was loath to let slip any opportunity that might profit us.
And so when he was led out into the wilderness there is no doubt that his guide
was the Holy Spirit whose intention was to take him to a place where he would
be exposed to temptation, a place where the devil would have the audacity to
accost him and put him to the test. The circumstances were so greatly in the
devil’s favor that he was prompted to capitalize on them; here was Jesus alone
at prayer, physically worn out by fasting and abstinence. A chance indeed to
find out whether this man really was the Christ, whether or not he was the Son
of God.
From this episode therefore our first lesson is that human life on earth
is a life of warfare, and the first thing Christians must expect is to be tempted
by the devil. As Scripture tells us, we have to be prepared for temptation, for it
is written: When you enter God’s service, prepare your soul for an ordeal. For
this reason, the Lord desires that newly baptized and recent converts too find
comfort in his own example. Reading in the gospel that Christ too was tempted
by the devil immediately after he was baptized, they will not grow fainthearted
and fearful if they experience keener temptations from the devil after their
conversion or baptism than before – even if persecution should be their lot.
The second lesson Christ desires to impress upon us by his own example
is that we should not lightly expose ourselves to temptation, for we read that it
was the Holy Spirit who led Jesus into the wilderness. Mindful of our frailty
rather, we must be on the watch, praying not to be put to the test, and keeping
ourselves clear of every occasion of temptation.
1
Journey with the Fathers – Year B – New City Press – 1999 – pg 82-83.