Dear Folks,
Today Jesus hits us with the beatitudes in the Gospel of Luke.
The Bible portrays God’s people being tested in the garden of Eden, and then in the desert after escaping slavery in Egypt (of course, we failed both times). Jesus was tested in the desert for forty days, then again in the garden of Gethsemane (and, of course, He succeeded). The temptation of the garden and the temptation of the desert each have their dangers.
When we are deprived, hungry, exhausted, and worn down, it is hard to resist temptation, thinking giving in will bring us the relief we desperately crave. In the garden, when we have eaten well and have so many comforts, it is easy to love the pleasures of the earth too much and think too highly of the importance of our desires. There are several stories of people who have won millions in the lottery, and in a few years they’re broke and they say it ruined their lives. The thrill of spending money is addictive, and we can easily lose track of what we are doing. Loving any of the goods of the earth too much We read in Proverbs 30:7-9 “Two things I ask of you, do not deny them to me before I die: Put falsehood and lying far from me, give me neither poverty nor riches; provide me only
with the food I need; Lest, being full, I deny you, saying, “Who is the Lord?” Or, being I want, I steal, and profane the name of my God.” Both abundance and depravation bring challenges.
When Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor,” I suggest He is pointing to those who know that what the earth provides is not enough to make them happy. We are made for more, for eternal values, eternal treasures.
I have listened to the first episode of the podcast “He Leadeth Me” by Walter J. Ciszek S.J. It describes how the Soviets destroyed all they had built and took the prisoner to horrific work camps in Siberia. He later said that God allows such things to happen, and this teaches us that all we need is Him. Given his experience, he spoke with authority. I speak as one very accustomed to (and very fond of) indoor plumbing, central heating, and meals on a regular basis. I would have a very hard time losing those things, and I can’t guarantee you how I would react. I do know, however, that none of the goods of the earth are guaranteed for tomorrow, but the love of God is. If we attend to our relationship with God in good times and bad times (and medium times), if we make prayer and service to God a consistent priority, I think we would be more likely to react to hardship by clinging more tightly to God rather than giving up in despair. Things like fasting and doing penance can help us build our Say-no-to-ourselves muscles so we are better prepared to face hardship.
Both Psalm 1 and Jeremiah 17 talk about people who put their trust in God and love His ways are like trees planted beside flowing waters, whose sustenance was consistent and sure. Let us seek to be rooted ever more deeply in God.
Blessings,
Fr. Jim