Our Lord spent forty days and forty nights in the wilderness; in memory of that, many Christians take upon themselves some form of fasting or other penitential discipline. In a couple of hours I will be going to a special Mass where ashes will be used to mark our foreheads; for some of us that may well be our one concession to the season of Lent; it will be more than many will do.
We know from Scripture that whilst He was in the wilderness Our Lord was tempted by Satan. We know that He was like unto us in all things save sin, and theologians have long debated the question of whether Satan could possibly have succeeded. Our first parents, Adam and Eve must also have been without the stain of original sin, and yet they succumbed to temptation. I’d love some theologically more informed person to tell me whether, like them, it would have been possible for Our Lord to have succumbed to Satan’s wiles. At any rate, Satan clearly thought it was. If my house was not currently in the turmoil caused by decorators and carper-fitters, I’d take a couple of commentaries off my shelves; but that is not possible for the moment.
Our tendency to sin is all too obvious. For me. Lent is a time for taking myself into a wilderness to examine my conscience and my life before the great feast of Easter. One of the temptations which comes with regular confession is that of thinking that you have somehow dealt with that; but it is precisely for that reason that I need to go into the wilderness.
I need to spent more time in prayer and contemplation, but I also need to spend more time doing things. Contemplation can lead to self-absorption, and that, in itself, is a temptation. It is important to be up and doing, and I have some good things that can occupy what little spare time I have; indeed, it is the sacrifice of that spare time which is part of my Lenten offering to the Lord.
Engagement with this world is, itself, to enter into a wilderness. Everyday life is not a place where Christianity can be seen to bulk large. All the more reason, as a Christian, to ensure that during it I consciously take my faith on my daily journey; it will not be easily found unless I carry it with me.
What is easily found are the temptations. Mine are not the great ones: I have no desire to steal, murder or commit adultery, nor to covet my neighbour’s goods. Mine are those of everyday life – to ignore the Lord as I go through the day; to let the things of this world get in the way of loving God and of being with Him daily. I really can convince myself that I don’t have half an hour a day to spare. I don’t, unless I make the decision to devote it to God. I am perfectly capable of making a wilderness and calling it my daily life.
The one thing not to fast from is God.
Indeed so, dearest friend.
Great post! I didn’t know if you knew or not, but you forgot to add a title..it shows up as a numbered post
Love ya sister! God bless u!
Thanks Lyn, now corrected – God bless you and your work for Him
x
Yes, I was up before the lark some prayers and meditation and in the dark drove to 07:00 Mass. It was almost a full house. I then had a full breakfast, I’ll have a salad for lunch and Bruschetta tonight, put something in my alms glass. I figure that’s a good start.
Jess, meditation it great and to prevent it from becoming self-indulgence put a time limit on it. I find at my low level I can handle only 15 min.
Likewise with me David.
I miss American full breakfasts, I know you think what breakfast is best, but the best is Ole’s waffle house in Alameda on Webster. Meditation is dangerous for me, I use to put the Russian coffee maker on the gas, and pick up a paintbrush to fix that one thing. It is amazing that meditation using painting can get coffee on the ceiling. After lent, each post grammar school Czech drinks 150 liters of beer each year, so I drink 2 liter per year so David you got 148 liters on me.