First Sunday of Lent

 Genesis 9:8-15     1 Peter 3:18-22     Mark 1:12-15

In Mark’s gospel, he talks about how Jesus was cast into “the desert for 40 days and tempted by Satan. He was “among wild beasts, and the angels ministered to him.” The readings speaking of Jesus in the desert are always impressive to me. In the desert for 40 days without food and water?! While I hope I don’t have to live in the desert for 40 days to find my closeness with God, I do often feel like we are all living in our own desert at times. My desert comes after working long days as a pediatrician where I am trying to give my all to my patients. I come home after a 10 hour day, exhausted, trying to make dinner, and my three kids are running around the house taunting each other. I think of myself being in the desert, tempted by Satan, and how I should act towards these three beautiful children. Should I yell at them? Chase them around the house screaming? Or do I take a deep breath and calmly ask the kids to stop or come and help me with dinner. Do I always succeed? Definitely not. But I try.

In the second reading, it talked about how Jesus suffered for our sins, “the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous, that he might lead you to God.” He knows that I am not going to get it right every time. He knows I am going to fail, going to fall short. But I keep getting up and trying, keep going to church, keep trying to be a good example for my kids, and a good steward for Christ. It gives me peace to know that God is not present for those who are perfect, but for the sinners and the flawed. So next time when you are “in the desert,” take a minute to pause, listen to the Holy Spirit, and try each time to do better than the time before. And know that no matter what, Jesus will love and forgive you.

Q:  When do I feel like I’m in the desert? How do I act during this time?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Thursday after Ash Wednesday

  Deuteronomy 30:15-20     Luke 9:22-25 Every Christmas Day – after the presents are open, breakfast is served, the boys are busy with their gifts– we settle in and watch It’s a Wonderful Life . It’s a tradition I cherish, while readying myself for a cathartic cry and all the feel-good Christmas sentiments this movie lends. I’ve watched this movie several times over the years, and every single time I do, I catch something new, something I’ve never seen before and the great significance it adds. This year was no different, when I noticed a framed quote that was hung underneath the portrait of Pa Bailey, prominently displayed on the office wall of the Building and Loan. In this scene, Geroge Bailey decides to stay at the “old building and loan” at the board’s request after his father passes. For a few seconds this portrait, and more pointedly the framed quote underneath, was zoomed in on, and stated “All you can take with you is that which you’ve given away.” ...
Read more

Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent - March 23

  Ezekiel 37:21-28         John 11:45-56 Today’s passages spoke to me in many ways. The main way the first reading spoke to me was the sense of unity. Unity has always been a big part of the Old Testament. For instance, the Israelites‘ exodus, Adam and Eve’s bond, and God’s presence with his people are all instances of unity greatly benefiting everyone involved. There are also plenty of instances where a lack of unity is the source of bad things to come. Some of these include Saul and the burnt offering, the Israelites during the Judges period, or even our world right now. One of my favorite sayings is “There is no such thing as evil, only the lack of good.” In my heart I absolutely believe that to be true, and I feel the same is true for today’s reading. God makes everything good, and God is Goodness itself. We all do, or should, desire to have a personal and intimate relationship with God. Evil is the deprivation of good, and since Go...
Read more

Friday of the Third Week of Lent

  Hosea 14:2-10     Mark 12:28-34 In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us the greatest commandment, which is to love God above all things, to love him with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. It may be hard to love someone you don’t know or don’t spend time with. But through the ways we love God, we can love others too. We can love using our strength by maybe doing physical works of service, and on the other hand, loving with your soul could mean taking time out of your day to relax or donate. I feel like the easiest method of loving God is through your heart. If you ask anyone, your heart symbolizes love, and you can do many different types of things to love God with your heart. Going to Church and praying every day are very good ways to love God with all your heart.   It also states in the Gospel that “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” You may think that you are far because of things that distract you in life. For ...
Read more