Feb_13_2005

Homily for February 13, 2005
Liturgical Year A-Cycle I
1st Sunday of Lent
by Fr. John Carney
Topic: Focus on Eternity
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At that time Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterward he was hungry. The tempter approached and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread." He said in reply, "It is written: One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God."

Then the devil took him to the holy city, and made him stand on the parapet of the temple, and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written: He will command his angels concerning you and with their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone." Jesus answered him, "Again it is written, You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test." Then the devil took him up to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their magnificence, and he said to him, "All these I shall give to you, if you will prostrate yourself and worship me." At this, Jesus said to him, "Get away, Satan! It is written: The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve."

Then the devil left him and, behold, angels came and ministered to him.

We have just heard the Gospel account of the devil tempting Christ. Did you notice that the devil was quoting Scripture? That always fascinates me. Actually Christ Jesus and the devil were having an argument about Scripture, quoting back and forth to one another. So not everyone who quotes scripture…

The devil knows the Bible. He hates it but he knows it. I want to talk to you about a two-letter word today, the word “IF”. The devil uses it three times tempting Jesus. Jesus had gone to the desert to fast and to pray for forty days to prepare for his public ministry. The devil tempts him and says, “If, if, if”. “If you follow me, I’ll turn these stones to bread”, tempting Jesus to enjoy bread. He was tempting Jesus to take some pleasure in simple bread. The devil said, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down and the angels will catch you.” And Jesus says, “Don’t put the Lord thy God to the test.” Then the devil says, “If you worship me, all these kingdoms of the world will be yours.” And Jesus tells him, “No.” Jesus knew why he came.

Interestingly, that word “if” doesn’t mean a whole lot. It’s conditional. It has meaning really only in reference to whatever is around it. It’s not a good word in some ways especially when it comes to commitment in love. Don’t ever say, “I will love you if…” If doesn’t belong. Sometimes in preparing couples for marriage, we give them a questionnaire that asks, “What would he have to do where you would no longer love him.” We don’t want any answer at all to that question. No ifs, ands, or buts about it, you love each other. And no ifs, ands, or buts about it, Jesus Christ loves us. He did not give in to these temptations because he would not be deterred from his mission and his mission was not to seek pleasure or power. His mission was to suffer and to die to atone for our sins so that we might have eternal life. There was one more “if” he heard. “If you are the Son of God, come down from that cross.” He could have but if he had you and I could not have been saved. So he stayed on that cross and died and rose again and us with him through baptism. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.

“If”. We use that word sometimes in our relationship with God. We negotiate occasionally with God in prayer. "If you really love me Lord, you will heal me." "If you really love me, you will find me the perfect mate." "If you really love me, you’ll make my children obey me." "If you really love me, you’ll save my job or I’ll get a raise." "If you really love me, I’ll win the Power ball." Jesus has only one answer to our prayers that have “ifs” in them. He says, “You will not put the Lord your God to the test.” I know we do this in praying. There’s nothing wrong with praying for help or prosperity for our children--nothing wrong at all. Those are excellent things but don’t put an “if” with them. I think we do because I hear something not infrequently. I hear, “Father, God has abandoned me. What did I do? My son died.” Of course, I say nothing at those tragic moments. But other times I hear things like, “I lost my job.” “I have cancer.” “I got a divorce.” “What did I do to deserve this?” It’s the question of “Why do bad things happen to good people?” And I guess the answer is, “Should bad things only happen to bad people?”

God’s view is always directed towards eternity. Usually our view is directed towards the temporary, the here and now, the immediate, isn’t it? I don’t know about you but I spend a lot more time thinking about today and tomorrow and the next day than I do eternal life. Yet, Lent reminds us that everything we worry about and are concerned about in the temporal are really, ultimately perishable. Bread is perishable. The kingdoms of the world that Christ was promised by the devil are no longer there. They have been conquered a million times over. Power is perishable. Prestige is perishable. It’s all perishable. Often I say,

“All that gives us pleasure is passing.
All that causes pain is passing.
That which is truly important is that which is eternal”.

That’s why we need Lent. We need it so that we focus on eternity, eternal life with Christ Jesus and those we love forever. It’s like the old Baltimore catechism. I know a lot of you remember it. "Why did God make you?" "God made me to know, love, and serve Him in this life and be happy with Him in the next." I got a star in my catechism book on that one. How many of you remember that? For some reason that catechism is no good anymore. I liked that catechism. I could understand it, couldn't you? He did not make us to be happy in this life although He wants us to be, of course. He made us to be happy with Him in the next. The greatest value is that which is eternal.

We need Lent to build up our strength and to withstand the temptations of the devil. The next time that you’re tempted, say, “Get behind me Satan.” And the angels of the Lord will come and wait upon you. We spend a lot of time worrying about things that aren’t important. Really, if you ask us, “What do you really need?” It’s not a whole lot. It’s just God’s grace, ultimately.

I’d ask if you would pray this. I’ll lead this prayer. This is a prayer of St. Ignatius that many of you know.

Take Lord and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my entire will, all that I have and call my own. You have given it all to me. To you Lord I return it. Everything is yours. Do with it what you will. Give me only your grace and your love. That is enough for me .Your grace and your love is enough for me.
Amen.