I've received a LOT of positive feedback on this one. (Last night a parishioner said, "That was one of your top three, Father!") I pray it's helpful to you, too. A blessed Lent...
First Sunday of Lent B
Four
priests were on vacation together,
and
the conversation turned to their worst temptations.
“It’s
embarrassing,” said the first priest,
“but
my biggest temptation is looking at pretty women.
I
once bought a copy of the Sports
Illustrated Swimsuit Edition.
“My
temptation’s worse,” replied the second priest.
“It’s
gambling.
One Saturday, instead of working on my sermon,
I
went down to the track and bet on the ponies.”
“Mine’s
worse yet,” added the third.
“I
sometimes can’t control the urge to drink.
I’ve
even broken into the altar wine.”
The
fourth priest sat rather quietly before speaking:
“My
brothers, I hate to tell you this,
but
my temptation is the worst of them all.
I love
to gossip—and, if you’d excuse me for a few minutes,
I’d
now like to make a few phone calls!”
What
would you say
is
the devils’ most dangerous temptation?
Is
it lust?
In
this age that prefers sex with no strings attached,
lust
is indeed a strong contender.
But
what about murder?
Willfully
taking another’s life
is
certainly a pretty serious crime.
Murder
must be at least close to the top of the list.
And
how about greed?
After
all, it’s greed that so often prompts murder
in
it’s unrelenting pursuit of power
or
money and all it can buy.
What
is the devil’s most dangerous
temptation?
I’d
say that it’s actually none of the above.
I’d
say it’s mediocrity.
I’d
say it’s the temptation to be…nothing special—
to
believe that you’re second rate,
or
run-of-the-mill, at best.
You
see, it’s not so much that the devil
is
keen to exploit your weakness—as we so often assume;
it’s
that he fears your glory.
And
so he tempts you to be…eh?…mediocre.
That’s
the best way I can describe
how
Jesus was tempted by Satan in the desert.
Still wet from his Baptism,
Jesus
heads out into the wilderness.
Remember
what happened
when
he emerged from the Jordan River?
The
heavens were torn open,
the
Spirit descended like a dove,
and
the Father’s voice was heard:
“You
are my beloved! You are my
Son!
With
you, I am well pleased!”
The
glory of God is seen shining on the face of Christ. (cf. 2 Cor 4:6)
And
that makes him particularly dangerous—
at
least, as far as hell is concerned.
There
had been other faith healers and wonder workers.
And preachers? Why, they’re a dime a dozen!
The
devil’s never had much problem
eliminating
such troublemakers…
…usually
by winning them over to his team.
What’s
so dangerous about this Jesus
is
that other people might get the idea
that
they’re made for greatness, too—
that
they are God’s sons and daughters;
that
they are beloved;
that
they have an irreplaceable role in God’s plan.
The
all-righteous One would soon enough suffer
for
the sake of the unrighteous.
God
became man so that man might become God. (cf. St. Athanansius)
If mere
mortals are allowed to recognize their true potential—
that
they’re not...well...mere mortals;
that
God’s glory is meant to shine on their faces, too—
then, for Satan, it’s game over.
So the devil does his darndest
to
get Jesus to doubt his true identity:
You’re nothing special.
You’re just another slacker,
like all the rest
So settle down. Settle for less.
Satan
didn’t get anywhere with Jesus,
but
often has much better luck with you and me.
Lust,
murder, greed: they’re simply flashy distractions—
an
elaborate and vicious smokescreen
disguising
his real agenda.
It’s
when we don’t fall for these
big-ticket sins
that
he moves in to perform far more covert operations:
Thank God you’re not like
those wicked wretches!
So relax. Make yourself comfortable.
Drift along with the
current. Go with the flow.
There’s no need to rock the
boat. Live and let live!
Just be…normal. You’re just like everybody else.
You’re nothing very special.
Don’t
ever—ever—believe those lies!
My
friends, you’re as precious to God
as
those eight souls he salvaged in Noah’s ark.
That’s
why he saved you through water—
not
the waters of a great flood,
but
the waters of Baptism,
both
of which are meant for the downfall of sin.
That’s
why he’s given you these 40 days of Lent:
This is the time of
fulfillment!
The kingdom of God is at
hand!
You are
God’s hope for a fresh start for the world!
So
be the man, be the woman, God made you to be.
Believe
in yourself—in your goodness, in your glory,
that
you’re beloved and pleasing to God.
Believe
that God believes in you.
The
devil fears nothing more than this!
Of
course, during Lent we must repent
of
our lust, violence, and greed—
of
any and all our deadly sins.
But
we must also repent of our indifference,
of
our conformity to the world and its ways,
of
our hesitance and our mediocrity.
Lent
is here that you might rediscover—
or
maybe discover for the very first time—
just
who it is that God made you to be.
The
truth is: God made you to be someone special.
God’s
given you a role he’s not given to any other.
Dare
to be that person!
Do
not fear failure;
this
is God’s project, after all, and
not your own.
Believe
in the gospel—in
the good news—
and that this god news is meant for you.
and that this god news is meant for you.
The
faithful and feisty St. Catherine of Siena
lived
almost seven hundred years ago
in
turbulent, trying times.
In
a letter, she once wrote:
“Be
who you were created to be,
and
you will set the world on fire.”
Resist
every temptation to be mediocre.
God
made you for so much more.
Phenomenal. Great words, Father Joe!
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