INNER VOICES
We all hunger to
grow spiritually, which means coming to hear clearly and being able to tell the
difference between those two voices.
On this First
Sunday of Lent, the Catholic Church reads the story of Jesus' temptation in the
desert. His forty days of fasting, of course, mirror both the forty days of
Lent and the forty years the Israelites spent in the desert before reaching the
Promised Land. The desert is a place of both trials - in this case, temptations
- and revelations of God. The Gospel for this Sunday also fits together with
the other two readings. Jesus' obedience to His Father contrasts the
disobedience of Adam and Eve. In addition, the passage from St. Paul to the
Romans bridges Genesis and Matthew. Adam sins and Jesus saves.
The Scripture
readings begin and end with people paying attention to inner voices. Eve
listens to the serpent who exploits her human desire to rationalize a way to
get what she wants. Jesus hears that voice as well, but it is overridden by the
Voice of the Father saying, "You are My beloved Son in Whom I am well
pleased" (Mt 3:17). We all hunger to grow spiritually, which means coming
to hear clearly and being able to tell the difference between those two voices.
We need to remember
that Jesus Christ was tempted just like us and He overcame sin, not by His Own
human effort, but by the grace and strength God gave Him. He had to renounce
His own will for the Will of the Father. He succeeded because He wanted to
please His Father and He trusted Him as well. He relied on the loving Spirit of
God! His obedience to do God's Will and to embrace the Cross reversed Adam's
disobedience. Jesus didn't need to convince Himself that God was with Him; nor
did He want power. What Jesus treasured the most was His Father's faithfulness!
How can you and I
overcome sin and oppression in our lives? Who do we rely on for strength and
help?
Pay attention to
the inner voices!