Christ the Cornerstone

God’s word gives us meaning, calls us to action this Lent

“The Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert, and he remained in the desert for 40 days, tempted by Satan. He was among wild beasts, and the angels ministered to him” (Mk 1:12-13).

Feb. 18 is the first Sunday of Lent. This penitential season comes early this year because, of course, Easter is earlier than usual—on March 31—and we need the six weeks of Lent to prepare spiritually for the high point of our Church’s liturgical year, the Solemnity of Easter.

The Gospel reading for this Sunday is taken from St. Mark’s abbreviated account of Jesus’ temptation by Satan in the desert (Mk 1:12-15). We’re so familiar with the more detailed accounts given by St. Matthew (Mt 4:1-11) and St. Luke (Lk 4:2-14) that we can be taken off guard by the abrupt simplicity of St. Mark’s account. When you look closely at it, all St. Mark tells us is that Jesus was among wild beasts, tempted by the devil, and ministered to by angels.

This simple account of our Lord’s experience in the desert—immediately following his baptism by John in the Jordan River—tells us much more than we realize initially.

First of all, we are told that the Holy Spirit was the force that “drove Jesus out into the desert” (Mk 1:12). Immediately following, the Lord is publicly recognized as God’s beloved Son, the long-awaited Redeemer, and he is put to the test. Jesus does not shy away from this testing. Driven by the Spirit, he boldly goes where Satan is sure to find him. Confident in his identity and mission, the Lord refuses to be manipulated by Satan. He stands firm in the face of temptation.

St. Mark adds that Jesus was “among wild beasts and the angels ministered to him” (Mk 1:13). We can read this statement in various ways, but what is clear is that Jesus is at peace with all God’s creatures—material and spiritual. Wild beasts do not threaten him, and the holy angels minister to him. This is God’s Son, and he is at home in all regions of the created world and among all God’s creatures.

Following the initial statement about the Lord’s temptation by Satan in the desert, St. Mark’s Gospel continues:

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 in the Gospel” (Mk 1:14-15).

Many theologians and Scripture scholars say that this is the essential proclamation of Jesus, the heart of the kerygma or fundamental message of the good news preached by Jesus Christ.

With the coming of Jesus into the world as God’s Word incarnate, the time of waiting is past. Now is the time of fulfillment; the reign of God is in our midst here and now. What’s demanded of each of us is concrete action: Repent and believe in Jesus Christ who is himself the Good News.

In the Gospels of St. Matthew and St. Luke, we are told that Jesus rejected Satan’s offer of unimaginable wealth and power by saying, “One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God” (Mt 4:4; Lk 4:4).

God’s word is what gives us life and meaning. That’s why we are invited, and challenged, to repent, to give up our preoccupation with selfish things, and to believe in “every word that comes from the mouth of God,” the good news that is proclaimed by Jesus through his holy Church.

The six weeks of Lent that are before us now give us plenty of time as well as concrete opportunities to reflect on God’s word and to take action. The traditional Lenten practices of prayer, fasting and almsgiving (generous sharing) are intended to help us respond to Jesus’ call to repent and believe in the Gospel. By practicing self-denial, and by going out of our way to help others, we discover the joy that is at the heart of missionary discipleship.

Jesus was at peace with all of God’s creation (symbolized in St. Mark’s Gospel by the wild animals and the holy angels) because he did not live for himself (“by bread alone”). He surrendered himself to the will of his Father and ultimately gave himself up as a ransom for sinners like us who struggle to repent and believe in him fully.

Let’s use this time of Lent to discipline ourselves spiritually and physically. Let’s spend more time listening prayerfully to God’s word. Let’s take advantage of the sacraments, especially penance and the holy Eucharist, so that we can encounter the Lord and grow in our understanding of his good news.

A blessed and productive Lent to all! †