Reflection 1st Sunday of Lent '08

Reflection for the Vigil of the First Sunday of Lent 2008
Laura Haug, OSB

In this evening’s Gospel, Matthew introduces us to the advent of Jesus’ public life. We heard how Jesus began His important work by spending forty days in prayer and fasting—a practice we have learned to follow.

We recently formulated our Lenten resolutions and have had three days to practice them. We know already that it may be a long forty days. To persevere in our resolutions, we do well to follow the Master’s example of prayer. How did Jesus pray? It would seem reasonable that He prayed the prayer He would later teach His disciples.

When Satan taunted Jesus to command that stones become bread, Jesus was no doubt tempted to gratify his own hunger for food, drink, and other physical comforts. However, He might have prayed to His Father, “Give us this day our daily bread”. Through this same prayer we can be spiritually fortified to be grateful for all our physical comforts, refuse to complain when things are not exactly as we wish, and gratefully share with those who have less. This monastic practice is not new.

In the fourth century St. Basil admonished his monks: “The bread that is spoiling in your house belongs to the hungry. The shoes that are mildewing under your bed belong to those who have none. The clothes stored away in your trunk belong to those who are naked. The money that depreciates in your treasury belongs to the poor!” Although this message was given in a different age and for a different community, I think we all get the message—the closet, the trunk, the boxes. When tempted to hoard possessions, we can say with Jesus, “It is not by bread alone that we live”. It is in simplicity of life.

Taking Jesus to the top of the Temple, Satan tempted Him to show his power. He encouraged Jesus to throw himself down and let the angels lift Him up. Again Jesus prayed as He would teach His disciples, “Protect us in time of temptation and deliver us from evil.” Using this same prayer, we examine the resolutions we may have made to improve our physical and mental well-being. This is our obligation and ordinarily we do not expect miraculous intervention. We eat moderately, exercise faithfully, and spend sufficient time in meaningful reflection and prayer. When temptation to waver gets great, we can say with Jesus, “Get behind me Satan”. “Lead me not into temptation”.

Finally Satan took Jesus to a mountain top, thought to be the dwelling place of the gods. Here Jesus was asked to fall down and worship Satan. Jesus proved his filial respect for the Father in prayer. “Hallowed be your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done.” If we have resolved to curb our pride and if we can forgive and seek forgiveness, we too recognize that real power comes in our service to the defenseless, the poor, and the lowly. When our resolution becomes weak, we say, “Tempt not the daughter of God”. “God’s will be done.”

Saint Benedict believed the life of a monk ought to be a continuous Lent. He made certain the community prayed the Lord’s Prayer at morning and evening prayers because “thorns of contention may spring up”. Being a student of Scriptures, Benedict knew Satan tempted Jesus throughout his life, even in Gethsemane and on the Cross. We as disciples of Jesus and St. Benedict, stand with them and our sisters when we pray the Lord’s Prayer—giving and receiving, supporting and being supported, loving and being loved, serving and being served, forgiving and being forgiven, grateful and accepting gratitude.