IF YOU WANT TO TEST YOURSELF PROFOUNDLY THEN THEN ENTER INTO DESERT

40 Days in the Desert as the Self-Wonder

Gn 9:8-15; I Pt 3:18-22; Mk 1:12-15 ) L-24

“The Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert, and he remained in the desert for forty days, tempted by Satan. He was among wild beasts, and the angels ministered to him.”

Lent serves as a spiritual preparation for the significant events of the Paschal Mystery, emphasizing the importance of repentance and conversion through fasting, prayer, and penitential mortification. It is a time for self-examination, urging individuals to turn away from sin and towards God and others with renewed faith and fervor. The spirit within us should lead us to embrace the Lenten season, enabling us to bear fruit beyond this period of reflection and transformation.

The desert, symbolically significant in biblical narratives, represents a place of testing, revelation, and transformation. It is not merely a physical location but an internal state of being that demands a response and inner revolution. Just as Jesus faced challenges in the desert, believers are also called to confront their own battles and undergo personal growth and renewal. The desert serves as a space for revelation and revolution, pushing individuals to confront their beliefs and emerge transformed.

The concept of temptation, testing, and new creation is not explicitly detailed by Mark as it is in Matthew and Luke. However, it is believed that the temptations mentioned by Matthew and Luke, and alluded to by Mark, encompass the main temptations that Jesus encountered during his public life. These temptations include the temptation to use his Divine power for personal comfort, the temptation to become a political messiah of power and fame in accordance with Jewish expectations, and the temptation to rule the entire world without experiencing death, by accepting it from Satan in exchange for worship. By overcoming these temptations, Jesus provides insight into the conflicts that existed within his own life and within our own lives as well. Rather than succumbing to temptation, Jesus unwaveringly embraced his Father's plan, even to the point of sacrificing his own life.

The significance of Jesus' baptism is further emphasized by the subsequent description of his temptations. The early Church Fathers explain that these temptations are presented after Jesus' baptism to teach us about the nature of temptation and to demonstrate how we can overcome it. Through the sacraments of baptism and confirmation, we are equipped with the necessary tools to combat Satan. It is important to note that God does not tempt individuals beyond their capabilities, but He does allow them to be tempted. The Fathers provide five reasons for this allowance: firstly, to allow us to experience firsthand that we are indeed stronger than the tempter when we rely on God; secondly, to prevent us from becoming arrogant due to the gifts bestowed upon us by God; thirdly, to provide evidence to the devil that we have completely renounced him; fourthly, to strengthen us further through the struggle against temptation; and finally, to help us recognize the preciousness of the grace we have received.

Angels played a significant role in ministering to Jesus. According to Saint Thomas Aquinas, angels were created for three main purposes. Firstly, they were created to worship God, allowing for a deep connection and love to flow between God and each angelic being. Secondly, angels carry out the will of God in all aspects, including the implementation of natural laws and the bestowal of grace won by Christ on the Cross. Lastly, God uses angels as messengers, as seen in various instances in scripture where angels spoke to prophets, the Blessed Mother, Saint Joseph, and others. Saint Thomas Aquinas also believed that each individual is assigned a guardian angel whose role is not only to protect them but also to communicate God's will. Jesus, being both God and man, experienced the ministry of good angels as well as the attacks of fallen angels. By subjecting Himself to the powers of these angelic creatures, Jesus taught us the importance of doing the same.

In Mark's Gospel, Jesus's first public words emphasize the need for repentance and belief in the Good News of God's Kingdom. This message encompasses the fulfillment of time, the nearness of the Kingdom of God, the call to repent, and the invitation to believe in the Gospel. Jesus' message in this passage is not about shaping one's future in Heaven through specific actions or abstentions. Instead, he focuses on the present moment. Repentance, which involves a change of heart and mind, is a continuous process of transformation. The Good News that Jesus proclaims is that God is already working among us, so close that we can encounter Him through Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of Man. However, to truly experience Jesus as the Son of God, we must undergo a complete shift in our values and priorities through genuine repentance. Jesus declares that the time has come, indicating that the long-awaited Kingdom of God is now present in the person of Jesus, the Messiah. This Kingdom is not a physical place or Heaven, but rather the loving power and personal rule of God, to which we are all invited to submit ourselves. Jesus, our King and Lord, brings this Kingdom to earth. The presence of God's Kingdom in Jesus is evident through the liberation of individuals from destructive forces, the acceptance and restoration of the rejected and outcast, the forgiveness and reconciliation offered to repentant sinners, and ultimately, through Jesus' selfless act of love in his passion, death, and resurrection. "Believing in the Gospel" entails a complete commitment to the way of life presented in the Gospel and actively living out its vision.