Here we are at the first Sunday of Lent. In the Gospel for today, we hear the account
of Jesus’ temptation in the desert. The words
of the Enemy are strikingly similar to those used in the Garden. “IF you are the Son of God…” “Did God REALLY tell you not to eat the fruit
of the tree?” The temptation of the New
Adam echoes the temptation of the first.
St. Paul tells us that because of the sin of that first Adam, many died
but that the grace of God “overflows for the many” because of the gift of Jesus
Christ (Romans 5:12-19). Do you believe
that? Do you trust in the grace and
mercy that is available to you, freely given by a God who is madly in love with
you and who has made you his own? Living
in our deepest identity as beloved sons and daughters is the key to resisting
the temptations, lies, questions, and doubts posed by the Enemy. Trust in the Father’s love and
be not afraid
of the things that will come as we journey in the desert of Lent.
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