From Our Pastor: 1st Sunday of Lent
This first week of Lent we are hit with some heavy stuff to start this season of formation and conversion. If you know anything about biblical numbers, 40 is a number of formation, conversion and preparation. The Israelites wondered in the desert for 40 years because God was forming and reforming and shaping his people. We enter the desert with Jesus today in the gospel for 40 days to prepare for formation and convert our hearts in preparation for the death and resurrection.
The first reading tells us of the fall of man. This is heavy stuff to begin with. No this is not where the Church blames Eve, but instead blames Adam for not doing his job of tending and toiling in the garden, which is a priestly role of protection and obedience. There is one line in particular that really makes this stand out, “So she took some of its fruit and ate it; and she also gave some to her husband, WHO WAS WITH HER, and he ate it.” This line is often missed that Eve wasn’t alone, but Adam stood by and did nothing. We cannot do the same in our lives of faith. We cannot stand by and do nothing. We need to speak up and act up in a world that is being deceived by the serpent still today.
Romans echoes this blame of Adam, “even over those who did not sin after the pattern of the trespass of Adam.” St. Paul tells us the good news that Adam is a pre-figurement of one who is to come that is far greater than Adam. Jesus is the new Adam and where Adam was disobedient and stood by in inaction, Jesus is obedience and is in perfect action with the will of the Father in heaven. This is great news for us and salvation.
This brings us to the gospel from Matthew about Jesus being led into the desert by the Spirit. We too are brought into the desert by the Holy Spirit this Lent to be tempted by the devil to end our Lenten practices or be unfaithful to God’s commands. We must head these temptations in the scriptures and see how
Jesus responds and learn to do the same. So, during this Lenten season our prayer to end the intercessions will be the prayer of the Holy Spirit. He will be with us this Lent to help us clean the gunk out of our lives and souls.
Fr. Ryan Rojo a priest of the diocese of San Angelo, Tx, a good friend of mine from Seminary, will be here for a three day Lenten mission on Eucharistic Revival. Fr. Rojo is the vocation director (recruiter) for his diocese. He has a degree in Church Management from Villanova, a licentiate in Sacred Theology from the liturgical institute at Mundelein Seminary in Liturgy. Fr. Rojo is a dynamic speaker, in whom I know you will enjoy. Please join our mission starting tomorrow, Tuesday and Wednesday at 6:30 each evening with a reception to follow each night. Help me welcome this wonderful speaker.
-Rev. Steven Arisman