The Mount of Temptation

During my Holy Land pilgrimage in November, I had the privilege of going to the Mount of Temptation. In this sun-baked barren place in Jericho Jesus lived for 40 days and 40 nights, fasting and praying. Here in the desert he withstood the wiles of Satan.

                                                                The Mount of Temptation



The whole scene came back vividly to me as I listened to the Gospel of the First Sunday of Lent. Against this backdrop, the reflection on Scripture of Fr. Carroll Stuhlmueller, C.P. in his Biblical Meditations for Lent opened new vistas:

We are not usually tempted by what is obviously bad. Rather, temptations emerge out of goodness which we desire selfishly for ourselves alone. Temptations change at once to invitations to greater goodness, once we recognize the possibility to share properly and happily with others….

Strange as it sounds, goodness provides the occasion for temptation, goodness around us in other people, places and events, goodness within us in our talents and values….Jesus was tempted while fasting and praying in the desert. Here he was led by the Spirit; here he realized the incomparable gifts which he, a human being, possessed because of being Son of God with a messianic mission. In the desert the devil suggested:”Because you are so saintly and so powerful, work those extravagant miracles quickly, at once, and the messianic triumph all over the world will be accomplished! Why wait?”

Jesus, however, waited and concentrated upon his public ministry. This way of God was long, at times tedious and in the end seemingly a failure. The work had to be handed over to apostles and disciples, and as it continues into our own day, it is still unfinished. Maybe we are tempted to think that Jesus should have followed the devil’s advice and carried out the world’s salvation as quickly as turning stones into bread. Then all the kingdoms of the world would be his, enthusiastically acclaiming this wonder-worker who can even throw himself from the highest and most conspicuous spot of the temple and remain unharmed. Jesus waited; for only by a slow process of thought, prayer and dedication can salvation be achieved according to God’s holy will. This salvation must be shared with everyone before individual persons can consider themselves fully saved.

Fr. Stuhlmueller ends his reflections by contrasting the responses of Adam in the garden and Jesus in the desert. In Adam we are selfish and apt to misuse goodness; in Jesus we are strong enough to share without losing. It is an interesting insight that not evil but goodness provides the opportunity for temptation.

Lord Jesus, help me to fast from selfishness this Lent and unselfishly share goodness.

Lent is the Time for Loving

Again we are entering the joyous season of Lent. Does that adjective surprise you? We have long associated Lent with penance and sharing in the sufferings and death of Jesus by fasting, almsgiving, and prayer. Of course that is correct, but it is only half the truth. It is incomplete because we know the end of the passion story which is not death but resurrection: Christ has died; Christ is risen. So why do Catholic Christians journey through the 40 days of Lent?

I’d like to suggest that Lent is the time for loving—not the hearts and flowers infatuation that is a prelude to real love but the unheroic, unsung, “ordinary” ways that are easily within our reach. In his Treatise on the Love of God St. Francis de Sales, Doctor of Divine Love, teaches:

There are people who imagine doing great things for God, things that would involve great suffering and heroic actions. Yet there is no opportunity to perform such deeds—and perhaps there never will be. They believe that just by imagining these deeds, they have shown great love, but they are often deceived. For while they desire to embrace great future crosses, they anxiously avoid the much lighter burdens that are presented to them now. Isn’t it a big temptation to be heroic in imagination but cowardly in carrying it out?...Great deeds do not always come our way, but in every moment, we may do little ones with a great love.

Francis’ insight that by doing little acts, we practice loving more often, more humbly, and more usefully can give us a clue to making our Lent a time for love. He continues with an ordinary -extraordinary agenda of “Little Virtues” we can practice in union with the suffering love of Jesus:

1. Putting up with other people’s moods and troublesome behavior,

2. Gaining victory over our own moods and passions,

3. Renouncing our petty preferences, coming against our own revulsions,

4. Honestly acknowledging our faults,

5. Keeping our souls in peace,

6. Gently and graciously welcoming scorn or criticism.



Perhaps you would like to join me in choosing one of these practices for each of the six weeks of Lent? Like St. Francis de Sales and St. Therese of Lisieux we will experience in little ways that "Lent is a time for loving."

Sr. Marie Therese's Journey to the Holy Land: The Real Story of Where Jesus Was Born

As the time after Christmas disappears, so do the many nativity scenes that have decorated every corner of our monastery.   No matter what country each represented—and there were many--- after I came home from the Holy Land I had a whole new perspective on our visualizations of the scene on Christmas night in Bethlehem.

From our large nativity scene in the Chapel

To a smaller one outside the Sacristy

Traditionally, we have been told that St. Joseph could not find a place for his young wife, soon to be in labor, to give birth to her baby son. As the story goes, the inns were too full and only at the last minute were they offered a manger in a stable.  I have spent many Advents lamenting the lack of hospitality of the inhabitants of Bethlehem.  Our manger scenes depict all kinds of structures out in the back of an inn that I imagined similar to the innyards of Shakespeare’s time or as the first century equivalent of a Motel 6.

The explanation of Husan, our Arab-Christian guide, offered a whole new light on the situation. In those days in Nazareth and Bethlehem, any kind of place offering shelter would have been a cave. I was privileged to see restorations of what these cave homes looked like. There was an entry into a space roughly equivalent to a modern family room. The difference was that that area was where the family lived during the day and also where they slept at night. On one side in the wall was an oven for baking and cooking.  This room opened immediately on a second space where the animals were kept. They were a necessity because they kept the house warm, especially at night.

Now think back on the parable Jesus told about the head of a household who had an unexpected guest come during the night. Because he had no bread, he went to a neighbor’s cave, knocked on the door and asked that family to lend him some food. The father replies that he cannot do that because “the door has already been locked and my children and I are already in bed. I cannot get up to give you anything.” ( Lk 11:7)                         

The explanation Husan gave was that in all probability when Mary and Joseph sought lodging, the places were already full of family and traveling friends.  The only space would have been in the adjoining room of the cave where the cattle and the manger were.  This description takes the people of Bethlehem off the hook, so to speak. They were not inhospitable. They gave the Holy Family the room and warmth for Mary to deliver the Christ Child with some privacy.

O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie.

Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by.

            Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light.

The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.

December 23rd - O Emmanuel

Today's O Antiphon reminds us that God is with us always. The name Emmanuel means God-with-us. As we draw ever closer to the celebration of Jesus' birth, we are assured of God's presence in our lives and our world. Read the words of the prophet Isaiah (7:13-14):

                   Then Isaiah said:
                   "Listen, every one of you in the royal family of David.
                   The Lord will give you proof. A virgin is pregnant;
                   she will have a son and will name him Emmanuel."

O come, O Come, Emmanuel

And ransom captive Israel,

That mourns in lonely exile here

Until the Son of God appear.

Rejoice! Rejoice!

Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel.

December 22nd - O King of Nations

Today's O Antiphon gives two titles for Jesus. First he is called the "king of all the nations," then he is called Jesus our "keystone." The keystone is the stone in the middle of an arch. It supports the other stones so that the arch does not fall down. In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus is also called a cornerstone. The cornerstone of a building is perfectly straight so that the walls built on it can be strong and true. Listen to the words of the prophet Isaiah (28:16-17):


                 The Lord says this:
                 "I'm laying a firm foundation 
                 for the city of Zion.
                 It's a valuable cornerstone 
                 proven to be trustworthy;
                 no one who trusts it will ever be disappointed.
                 Justice and fairness will be the measuring lines
                 that help me build."

O come, Desire of nations, bind

In one the hearts of humankind;

Come bid our sad divisions cease,

And be for us the King of Peace.

Rejoice! Rejoice!

Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel.

December 21st - O Dayspring

In today's O Antiphon, we call Jesus the "dawn" or "dayspring." In wintertime nights are long and days are short. So we call on God to be light to us at this time of the winter solstice, the shortest days of the year. Just as the dawning sun soon rises high in the sky and shines brightly, we think again of the coming of Jesus who is our "sun of justice" and "light of the world." Listen to the words of the prophet Isaiah (60:19-21,22).
        
              The Lord says this:
              "You won't need the light of the sun or the moon.
              I, the Lord your God, will be your eternal light
              and bring you honor.
              Your sun will never set or your moon go down.
              I, the Lord, will be your everlasting light,
              and your days of sorrow will come to an end.
              I am the Lord, and when the time comes,
              I will quickly do all this."

O come, O Dayspring, from on high

And cheer us by your drawing nigh;

Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,

And death's dark shadow put to flight.

Rejoice! Rejoice!

Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel.

December 20th - O Key of David

In today's O Antiphon, Jesus is called the Key of David. People with keys are often recognized as people with authority and/or special permissions. Jesus is the key that opens the gate of heaven for us. In the book of Revelation (3:7-8,11) the Lord says this:

                            "I am the one who is holy and true, and I have the keys that
                         belonged to David. When I open a door, no one can close it.
                         And when I close a door, no one can open it. Listen to what I
                         say.
                            "I know everything you have done. And I have placed before
                         you an open door that no one can close. You were not very
                         strong, but you obeyed my message and did not deny that you
                         are my followers.
                            "I am coming soon. So hold firmly to what you have, and no
                         one will take away the crown that you will be given as your
                         reward."

O come, O Key of David, come,

And open wide our heav'nly home,

Make safe the way that leads on high,

And close the path to misery.

Rejoice! Rejoice!

Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel.