The Community at Prayer
Reflection by Father Paul M. Baca
March 13, 2011, 1st Sunday in Lent
See the readings
For many reasons, Ash Wednesday and Lent have always been a very special time for me. It all started when I was a youngster and I started appreciating all the special foods that Mom would prepare for Lent and Holy Week. The very thought of it brings back great memories that I still relish. And then, perhaps it was a contrast between what Lent was for me then and how through the years I have found greater meaning in trying to live out the sacred season.
It took a few years for me to appreciate how my parents and my family perceived Lent as the time of prayer, penance and an opportunity of spiritual growth. I couldn't understand why you gave up candy during Lent even though we hardly ever had any. And then too my Dad would wake us up to go with him to the 6:00 a.m. Mass. It was always a nice change of pace, but it wasn't always very enjoyable having to get up extra early. Of course there was always the Way of the Cross on Friday afternoons with the kids. I am sure that there are quite a few of us that did not quite understand the meaning and purpose of re-living all the sufferings of Jesus.
With the passing of years and enriched by many experiences in life, all these things fall into place more readily. When I first heard the passage of scripture that relates the temptations of Jesus for 40 days and 40 nights out in the desert, I wondered: why Jesus? After all, being God he could resist any temptation without much effort but then we believe Jesus was human like you and I except without sin. The temptations of Jesus as a man were very real and certainly give us the opportunity to see the effects of different temptations in the individual and the whole of humanity. It is always heartwarming to learn of the many people who resist temptations and decide to
do 
much more than what is required by the commandments to help themselves and those around them. In contrast, it is discouraging to see the many that embrace the temptation and capitulate to the detriment of the society around them.
In today's world and in our day and age the first and third temptations of Jesus deserve a lot of reflection because of the horrible damage done in our world by all of those who overlook them in their journey of life. In the first temptation, we read that Jesus had fasted for 40 days and 40 nights and that he was hungry. In the place of Jesus, I believe that I and many others would be tempted to use the divine power to create a very special feast. So this emphasizes the importance of reflecting on the words of Jesus, "One does not live by bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God."
Above and beyond the fact that in our country we waste enough food to feed a third world country, then too excessive eating and drinking and not eating what is best for our health, we are creating many problems for our society. So the hunger of that temptation is not only for food to maintain our strength, but rather a hunger and a yearning for justice, peace, dignity of life, etc. for everyone. You and I know that there have always been great prophets in the world, and even now they live amongst us trying by word and example to lead us to an understanding of the basic teachings of Jesus.
The third temptation, "Then the devil took him up to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their magnificence and he said to him, 'All these I will give to you if you prostrate yourself and worship me. Throughout history we have seen the tendency of human beings to worship power and most of the time the result has not been helpful in bringing about a better world.
So this Lent we may decide to do a little repentance, a little penance and lots of good deeds. Our life is our opportunity.
