DOMINICAN VOCATIONS
PROVINCE OF THE ASSUMPTION
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DOMINICAN VOCATIONS PROVINCE OF THE ASSUMPTION |
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The
desert of our hearts: Reflection for Gospel of 1st Sunday in Lent (5
March 2006) |
Br Dominic Joseph, O.P. |
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Gospel reflection on Mark 1:12-15 for
Philippine Dominican Students' Bulletin 1st Sunday in Lent: 5 March, 2006 At once the Spirit drove him out into the desert, and he remained in the desert for forty days, tempted by Satan. He was among the wild beasts, and the angels ministered to him. After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God: “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe the good news. These words from Mark are significant for Catholics who are practicing their Lenten observance. Reminiscent of the forty days spent by the liberated Israelites wandering in the desert, the time which Jesus now spends in the desert tells of the continuing presence of temptation in the world. However, it also offers us the hope of being able to withstand that temptation, just as Jesus did when he was put to the test by Satan. Although he faced temptation, Jesus did not succumb, for the Spirit was with him and he had been already consecrated for his mission through his baptism. For us, Lent means fasting on the appointed days of the season and abstaining from something we like to eat or enjoy. This is to imitate Jesus himself, who fasted while he was in the desert. Like Jesus, we wander into a “desert” during Lent; not a desert in the sense of an arid landscape, but the desert of our own hearts, created by denying ourselves certain enjoyments and making room in our hearts for God through prayer. By emptying ourselves of sometimes unnecessary material pleasures, we sharpen our appetite for spiritual things, purify our souls and strengthen our hearts in the face of the temptations which constantly besiege us. Jesus, by denying his body food during his seclusion in the desert, was able to fortify his human weakness against the spiritual attacks he was about to receive. This is exactly what our fasting during Lent enables us to do, too. We also remember that, like Jesus, we have the Spirit with us if we are ever tempted during our fasting. Our prayer and mortification serve a further purpose of helping us to become more effective messengers of the Gospel. Jesus had to retreat from the world, pray and reflect on his relationship with the Father before he could re-enter that world and embark on his enormous mission of redemption. This is what we do, too. In Lent, we deepen our relationship with the Father and with our suffering Saviour by prayer and penance, so we may prepare ourselves to do God’s work and to ultimately stand united with Jesus in the Paschal victory over sin and death. |
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