Homily
Temptation Clouds what Should Be Clear
Sunday, February 10, 2008, First Sunday of Lent, Year A
Assumption Grotto Parish, Detroit
Many souls ask me, “Father, how can I keep from repeatedly falling into the same sin?” And they don’t know, because they’re confused. Many ask me, “What’s wrong with rejecting the Pope, or this Council or that, or some given teaching of the Church?” And they don’t know, because they are confused. Some even ask, “How can I ever get to heaven?” And since they are so confused, they don’t know. In the face of all this confusion, today’s scripture readings offer us all we need to set things clear once and for all, clear for the poor, confused sinner.
Today’s scripture readings (1) manifest to us the mystery of evil, with which we are called to grapple and do battle in our spiritual lives, and therefore they are most appropriate for the start of Lent: the sin of Adam, the “new Adam” of which St. Paul speaks, the Psalm begging for Mercy, and the Redeemer’s victory over temptation. A reflection on the mystery of temptation, as we just read in Genesis and Matthew, will help dispel much confusion, and give strength to the humble soul who wants to truly be holy.
In both of these books, Satan appears; he is the serpent in Genesis, and he is the tempter in Matthew. He always starts by confusing what was perfectly clear. Eve was forbidden to eat from the tree; yet Satan said, “Did God really tell you…?” And since she listened to Satan, what was clear became very confused. Yet when the Demon dared to speak to the Lord, the Lord corrected him and rebuked him, and kept his mind perfectly clear. So there’s a first lesson: Don’t negotiate with sin; cast it out immediately, period.
It is curious to see that in both Genesis and in Matthew, Satan quotes God. “Did God really tell you not to eat?” And “It says in Scripture…” Yet each time, he presents God’s words in such a way that the meaning of the words differ from God’s original meaning. Another curious commonality between Eve’s and Christ’s temptation, is that Satan is always trying to propose utter rejection of faith in favor of a sort of paradise on earth. Yes, Satan the scripture scholar, and Satan the social worker; more like Satan the fool.
Eve allowed herself to become confused. She negotiated with the Demon, and in the pride of her intellect, began to judge for herself those things which God had told her were true. And she took what was perfectly clear, and, through her pride, made it extremely unclear to herself. On the contrary, the Lord did not negotiate with the Demon. Satan wanted to come off as the realist: Come now, Jesus of Nazareth, the things that really matter are these: food, expediency, efficiency and power. But the Lord did not let himself become confused: what mattered really was faith in God’s Word, obedience to His Holy Will, and the true worship which the Son offers to the Father both in heaven and on earth in the Catholic Church. He kept his head clear, teaching us all to keep our heads in temptation, and to return to the truth, for “the truth will set you free.”
Therefore, when you are tempted, you will notice always that you are faced with a lie: Satan will say, “This evil thing is really a good thing… especially good for the here and now.” He will turn your eyes away from heaven, and towards earth. He will encourage you to pursue your happiness not in divine things, but in earthly and worldly ones. The solution: Ignore him.
You now what you need to do. Go to Mass. Pray. Do penance especially in Lent (but no fasting on Sunday now, as every Sunday is in fact Easter). Be chaste. Husbands, love your wives, and wives, obey your husbands. Have children, and love them, and discipline them. Be honest in your work. Love your neighbor, and forgive your enemy. Practice all the virtues. It’s all very clear, very simple.
You know what not to do. Don’t join false Churches and religions. Put an end to abortion and contraception. Do not steal, do not lie, obey and honor your parents. It’s all very clear, very simple.
Anything else except this type of clarity can only be moral posturing, where we rationalize our conduct to the point of calling evil good; and therefore, a lie is at the heart of every sin, and Satan is the father of sin and of lies.
In this season of Lent, then, let your penances bring you back to the things that really matter, especially the questions of heaven, hell, sin, judgment, time and eternity, and the person of our Lord Jesus Christ. May Mary bless you with clarity of mind in confronting your temptations, and help you, so that the truth may set you free. Amen.