1st March 2009 :: 1st Sunday in Lent
Throughout the gospels we hear again and again that Jesus after performing miracles and meeting people often went to a lonely place where he could pray, a recharging of the batteries so to speak. In St Mark's Gospel today we hear that the preaching and healing has not started yet, but still Jesus withdraws into the wilderness too prepare for the last three years of his life. We are told that he was tempted by the devil and lived among the wild animals, but the angels looked after him. St Mark tells us nothing of the temptations he suffered, save that he was victorious.
Last Wednesday we also in a certain sense went into the desert for a period of time. On that day we made certain promises to God, we became aware of the need in all our lives of conversion. The Church building here is even devoid of flowers and is a bit starker than last week. However the real desert we all need to go to is the desert of our deeper feelings and emotions; because it is there that the real battle of Lent will be fought. Each of us is a mystery, so much so that no one really knows us; in fact we may not even know ourselves. In our inner selves a battle is being fought each day between the forces of light and the forces of darkness, maybe not as dramatic as the one Christ fought, but nonetheless a real battle. We need help to be victorious in that battle and we are given aids to help us, prayer, fasting, and works of mercy. These traditional Lenten observances help us to move away from sin and towards the life of grace. Even if we fall away we can get up again and continue.
The goal of this journey is the celebration of Easter, when we recall the decisive victory of Christ over Satan and the powers of darkness. At Mass today we will receive further help for our Christian warfare, the reception of Holy Communion, we will carry within us the body of the Lord who will inspire us to live the way he lived, obedient to the Father, no matter what. Amen.
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Homilies Archive
17nd May 2009
26th April 2009
3rd Sunday of Easter
12th April 2009
Easter Sunday
9th April 2009
Holy Thursday
29th March 2009
5th Sunday in Lent
22nd March 2009
4th Sunday in Lent
17th March 2009
St. Patrick's Day
15th March 2009
3rd Sunday in Lent
8th March 2009
2nd Sunday in Lent
1st March 2009
1st Sunday in Lent
25th February 2009
Ash Wednesday
22nd February 2009
8th February 2009
1st February 2009
25th January 2009
18th January 2009
11th January 2009
Feast of the Baptism of the Lord
6th January 2009
Feast of the Epiphany
4th January 2009
2008 HOMILIES ARCHIVE
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