Gospel of Matthew, chapter 4:1

Lent, whose original meaning is springtime, is a season of renewal for Christians throughout the world. It is a time for soul-searching and repentance; a time for reflection and taking stock. During the forty days of Lent, Christians imitate Jesus’ withdrawal into the desert for forty days to confront the temptation of the devil.

The Old Testament bible traces the origin of human evil to the fall of our first parents-Adam and Eve. God created our first parents in His image. In Eden’s garden, estrangement made its dark debut and with it followed the long and hard-fought struggle for unity, harmony and reconciliation with God.

By contrast, the gospel of Matthew, 4:1-11 set us, not in the garden of paradise, but in a dry and barren desert where Christ took on the forces of evil. This was the setting for a new beginning. This is the story of the temptation of Jesus over the evil that first entered our world with the fall of Adam and Eve from grace. In a grueling struggle, Jesus takes on the full force of evil. He rejects the temptation of materialism (“not on bread alone is man to live”), fame (“you shall not put the Lord your God to the test”), and power (“you shall do homage to the Lord your God; Him alone shall you adore”). By standing up to evil and the power of the devil, Jesus tips the course of human behavior God-ward.

This is our time to enter into the renewal that Lent urges. We need to know where our darkness is, and how to enter into the kingdom of light. There are two things we should remember during the next forty days, and take steps to deal with them.

1. Avoid self-righteousness in all its forms. No matter how faithful you may be in observing the Lenten practices, know that these “works of the law” do not guarantee salvation.

2. Focus on overcoming the “works of the flesh;” those dark tendencies within which defile a person; tendencies such as anger, pride, jealousy, lust, and mean-spiritedness. These are the things that make us unclean and prevent us from following Christ.

May God bless you with a fruitful renewal during this Lent.

Fr. Hugh Duffy