First Sunday of Lent

Choices

“I had no choice.” There was a time when I used that expression to justify my absence from a commitment I had made to attend a dinner. The host firmly corrected me with “You always have a choice.” I learned that I was using “no choice” as an excuse. I was hiding from a commitment I had made.

Jesus in facing the temptations in the desert—the allurement of power, authority, and food—teaches us that we are faced with choices in our lives, choices that either bring us closer to God or move us away from God. We too can succumb to using our powers for our own needs, putting ourselves first, forgetting about our neighbors in need, even our own family members in need. Our own insecurities may cause us to abuse power and authority in our relationships with others. All of the gospels show Jesus, as Son of God, serving others rather than himself. He trusts and remains faithful to following the path that leads to the Father. Jesus does not squirm away from obedience, from the path to God no matter the cost.

We need a new and steadfast spirit. We need to be attentive and aware of that which tempts us to avoid choices, to hide in the face of truth and reality and to not be “soft” in a culture filled with self-interest.

Lent provides us time to make choices to continue our journey of changing our hearts, of loving boldly, and of experiencing conversion. We choose “new life,” filled with new possibilities. We pray to act justly or do things with a sense of right and wrong. We pray to love mercy or embrace loving kindness in our hearts. And we pray to walk humbly, recognizing that there is little we can do for God except to abide by God’s wishes including upholding justice and mercy in a humble way.