Lent, A Time For Desert Prayer – By Sr. Margie

When we are physically, mentally, and emotionally worn out we are vulnerable. We lose heart and often feel like giving up. But Sr. Margie teaches us that this is a time to H.A.L.T. and take an inventory in how we are doing inside. This kind of time out helps us to remember that we have been filled up with God’s grace and love, and that giving up is no longer an option.

Sr. Margie also preaches about how lent is a time for prayer, meditation, fasting, and almsgiving. Lent is a time where we can find our desert and our sacred place to connect with God.

Homily Transcript

About a month ago Roger G’s daughter, Liz, died very suddenly.  Roger and his wife, Phyllis, are with us this morning and we want you to know our hearts go out to you.  You are in our prayers.  Liz was the mother of two very young children.  A five-year old and a ten-month old.  Roger was telling me that a couple days after Liz died, he was sitting with his grandson, Austin, who looked up at Roger and said, “Grandpa, you don’t have to worry about me.  I’m going to be ok because Mommy filled me up with love.”

I immediately thought of this little boy’s words when I read the first line of scripture today.  Luke says, “Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan River and was led by the Spirit in to the desert for 40 days to be tempted by the devil.”  Jesus was filled up with the Holy Spirit.  This event happened right after Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan River.  We remember that when he was baptized he received the Holy Spirit and then that great affirmation from God: “You are my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.” So Jesus, filled up with the Spirit, and God’s love was led in to the desert where he was tempted.  And he faced three temptations that could have easily been derailed his faith in God and his mission in life.  Notice that it was at the end of 40 days that the devil appeared. By this time Jesus hadn’t eaten anything and was very hungry.  He was exhausted, alone and vulnerable.  It was the perfect set up for temptation to get the best of him.  And we know what that’s like when we are physically, mentally and emotionally warn out.  We are vulnerable.  We lose heart and often feel like giving up.  Sometimes we relapse into negative behaviors.  Or acting out.

Now, for people in recovery, that is a dangerous place to be because when we feel like giving up the temptation to relapse is very strong.  But the program tells us that this is time to H.A.L.T.  Stop and take an inventory of how we are doing inside.  H.A.L.T. – are we “H” hungry?  “A” angry?  “L” lonely?  “T” tired?  If that’s what we are feeling, it I time to stop, to halt and to get help.  The Serenity Prayer, a call to a sponsor, a meeting, meditation or a conversation with another person who suffers from addiction are all ways to strengthen us against temptation.  This kind of time out helps us to remember that we have been filled up with God’s grace and love.  And that giving up is no longer an option.

Jesus’ time in the desert definitely left him hungry, lonely and exhausted. He was in a vulnerable place when faced with the three temptations.  Let’s take a look at them.

The first temptation was a play on Jesus’ mind to satisfy his hunger.  Scripture says that at the end of 40 days Jesus was hungry.  Now I remember one time I fasted for a week on a half a cup of rice a day and water.  It was excruciating.  I hated every minute of it.  And the people around me…they hated it too!  So I can’t even imagine what going without food for 40 days would be like.  Yet there are so many people in our world who go without food as a daily occurrence.  So the first temptation for Jesus was to turn the stones in the desert into bread. So that he could eat and satisfy his hunger.   “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become bread.”  The temptation to satisfy ourselves, or to make ourselves feel better is very familiar.  How often do we depend on temporary material fixes when we are struggling with life’s problems?  We depend on things like binging at our next meal.  Or shopping. Or going out drinking.  Or a sexual encounter.  Or a trip to the casino or something that we think will make us feel better.  And our mind tells us that these things will be good for us.  However, at times like this our mind is a bad neighborhood and we need to stay out of it.  Jesus tells us, ”One does not live on bread alone.”

The second temptation was a play on Jesus’ ego.  The devil showed him all the kingdoms of the world in an instant.  And he said, “I will give you all this power and glory.  All of this will be yours if you will worship me.“ Power is often a drug for the ego.  So much corruption that we see in politics and in the corporate world today is energized and fueled by a hunger for power.  And in our own private lives we often use power at the expense of others.  Things like putting other people down so that we can feel better about ourselves.  Or gossiping about someone.  Or flaunting our superior knowledge.  Or an extravagant vacation that we went on.  Or by bullying a person that we don’t like.  These are all power grabs.  They hurt others and they diminish us spiritually.  But Jesus was not interested in power and glory and he responds, “You shall worship the Lord your God and God alone shall you serve.”

The third temptation was a play on Jesus’ faith in God.  Jesus is led to the parapet of the temple in Jerusalem and there he is challenged to do a dangerous trick to prove his faith in God.  “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here for it is written that God will command the angles to guard you and with their hands they will support you less you dash your foot against a stone.”  Yeah!  Like – “Watch this folks!  I’m going to throw myself off of here and just before I crash God’s angles are going to come down and scoop me up unharmed.  It will be awesome!”   Well, the devil picked the wrong person to quote scripture to for Jesus, aware of the devil’s motives and drawing on the strength of the Spirit responds, “Scripture also says ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

So how did Jesus manage to survive these temptations when in such a vulnerable place?  Like Roger’s grandson, Austin, whose Mommy Liz had filled him up with love, Jesus was filled up by God with the Spirit and love.  And this was the source of Jesus’ strength.

This weekend we are celebrating the beginning of Lent.  After this long, cold winter we seem to be very ready for some warmth.  Even a desert experience sounds pretty good, right?  So here’s an idea.  One of the practices for Lent is to spend time in prayer.  Perhaps we could spend some time during these next 40 days in prayer with Jesus in the desert.

Now, everybody’s desert is different.  So find your best desert spot, your quiet place, a peaceful surrounding, your secret cove. A resting place, a space of beauty, your safe haven or your holy ground.  And invite Jesus to be with you as you face a struggle or a temptation in your life.  Maybe you are contemplating – I’m giving up on a relationship.  Or perhaps, maybe, you are planning a revenge move on a neighbor or a co-worker.  Are you mad at God and ready to give up on God or your higher power?  Are you working a lot of extra overtime to get that boat that you always wanted but your partner and your children want more time with you?   Perhaps you are struggling with an addiction that you are afraid to get help for.  Prayer and meditation are powerful.  Go to the desert with Jesus.

Along with prayer there are two other practices for Lent.  They are fasting and alms giving.  These two practices help us to do what Roger’s daughter did for her son.  They help us to fill others up with love.

So for example, fasting.  Fasting is not so much about the thing that we give up like the chocolate or drinking alcohol or the cursing or the criticizing.  It’s about us not being so full of ourselves so that we can make room for others.  We can make room for a visit to a homebound neighbor.  We can spend extra one-on-one time with each of our kids.  Or plan an awesome date night with our partner. We can do act of kindness at work.  Speak out against racial comments when we hear them.  Or seek out conversations with people that we would rather avoid.  It’s amazing how fasting gets us out of ourselves and helps to bring happiness to others.

Finally, alms giving is the third practice of Lent.  We have so many opportunities to share our money with those in need.   The United Way Campaign is about to begin.  And our brothers and sisters in Haiti are going through great unrest and chaos right now.  There are people in our own families that are struggling to make ends meet.  And children around the world are suffering from starvation, homelessness and the lack of medical needs.  Lent is a good time for us to be aware of our privilege and abundance.

So Spiritus family, let’s make this a great Lent.  Together let us spend the next 40 days with Jesus in prayer, and fasting and giving away our money so that others may be filled up with love.