The Three Great Disciplines of Lent And The Three Temptations
Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR
Homily for the First Sunday of Lent, Year C
Church of St. Bridget of Minneapolis, MN
Sunday, March 9, 2025
On February 25, 2025, I was in the Chancery for a meeting. As I was waiting at the reception, I started thinking and reflecting on the three disciplines of Lent, which are fasting, prayer and almsgiving. Apart from the classical interpretations of those disciplines, I was searching for more insights. From there, I began to think about the three temptations of Jesus. Three disciplines of Lent! Three temptations of Christ! Is there any correlation between them? Can the three disciplines of Lent be the cure and antidote to the three temptations? All of these were going on in mind when someone called my name. It was a needed interruption because I was completely lost in thought.
Sisters and brothers, Lent is here again! It comes each year. Pope Francis describes it as “a journey of return to God.” What is it that often blocks this upward movement and journey to God? Yielding to temptations! In today’s Gospel, Luke gives us the account of the temptation of Jesus in the desert. Jesus has just been baptized; he has just learned of his mission and identity. What comes next? Not a party! Not merry! Not even a private dinner to celebrate his baptism or the end of his long fasting. Rather, he confronts— as we all must— the great temptations. Jesus is truly the beloved Son of God. But what does that entail precisely? The devil, knowing full well that Jesus is hungry, urges him to break his fast: “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” Now, this is a low level basic temptation, but it is a very strong temptation. The tempter wants the Lord to use his divine power to satisfy his bodily desires. This kind of temptation can come to us in different ways like “if your name is so and so, cross my path again and see what I am going to do to you;” “use your position to solve or satisfy some sensual needs.” To some young people, it might be, “if you are grown and no longer a daddy’s boy or girl, take a puff, drink a little etc.” This is a temptation to satisfy the body with food, drink, sex, drugs, and all those things that we generally crave. How did Jesus handle this temptation? He relies on the Word of God. In fact, he quotes Deuteronomy 8:3: “It is written, One does not live on bread alone.” So, relying on the word of God, remembering the word of God and quoting the word of God in moments of temptation can help a Christian resist the devil’s suggestions and allurements. What else can help us overcome this low level temptation that is constantly knocking on the doors of our life? The Lenten discipline of fasting. How come? Fasting is more than just giving up chocolate, candy, drink or food. It is also about giving up all of those attachments, cravings and desires that hinder ongoing communion with God. Fasting can help us resist the tempter’s suggestion to use what we have to get what we need. We fast from sensual pleasures in order to allow the deepest hunger of the heart to emerge.
Having failed at his first attempt, the devil shifts to the greatest of the temptations, which is power. He takes Jesus up to a high place where he could see in one glance all the powers, all the kingdoms, all the splendor of the world and then says to him, “I shall give to you all this power and glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I may give it to whomever I wish. All this will be yours, if you worship me.” I tell you, many people would gladly shun sensual pleasures just to acquire power. Power is extremely seductive. What does Jesus say? Once again, he relies upon the Scripture and quotes the book of Deuteronomy yet again, “It is written, You shall worship the Lord, your God and him alone shall you serve” (6:13). Power can be a very dangerous thing. Lots of people have surrendered themselves to the power of darkness, to evil manipulation and domination just to acquire power. Seeking power for the sake of power is to serve Satan. What’s the cure and antidote to this obsession, this highest level temptation? Prayer! What is prayer? “It is the raising of one’s mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God” so said St. John Damascene. In prayer, we attend to God, we become more aware of God, and we seek communion with God in a conscious way. In prayer, we raise our mind, our consciousness, our perception, and our intellectual ability. We also raise our heart to God, that means our passions, feelings, emotions and the longings of our soul in a very explicit and conscious way. That’s prayer! I assure you, any Christian who prays in this manner, will not submit to the glamor of power for the sake of power. Why? Because it is almost impossible to be in true communion with God while at the same time submit to the evil manipulation of power.
In the third temptation, the devil plays a more subdued, low-key game. He takes Jesus to the parapet of the temple, and says to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written: He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you and with their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone.” In the first and second temptations, Jesus refers and quotes the Scripture. But in the third temptation, the devil imitates Jesus and quotes the Scripture. How does Jesus respond now that the devil is also making reference to the Scripture? Jesus quotes another line in Deuteronomy that nullifies the devil’s mischievous application of the Word of God: “It also says, You shall not put the Lord, your God to the test” (6:16). At the time, the temple was the focal point in the life of the Jews. It was the epicenter of social life, political life, economic life, and religious life. Everything centers around the temple. The temple was everything. So, to be on the parapet of the temple meant to be in the place of greatest glory and honor. Everybody can see you there. You are on top of the world. Even God is watching out for you to dispatch his angels to work for you. This is the temptation to glory, honor and the inflation of the ego. It is the temptation to be seen by everyone and be considered very important by everyone. What Lenten discipline can help us triumph over this more subdued yet dangerous temptation? The discipline of almsgiving. In almsgiving, you give to another something that belongs to you for the sake of another. You give up something you have like money, clothes, food, hygiene products etc. for the good of the poor. Right? What about giving up something that will ultimately be for your own good? Don’t get me wrong. During this season, give alms to the needy. But remember that in the spiritual order, you are also a needy person. Spiritually you are poor. Among the things that impoverish us are sins of pride and the inflation of ego. If God humbled himself, became a human being, we have no reason to not humble ourselves as well.
May God bless you and give you his peace!
