First Sunday of Lent

02-26-2023Weekly ReflectionFr. Brent Bowen

One of the great Eastern saints of the Church, St. Gregory of Nazianzus, once famously said, “That which is not assumed is not redeemed.” He says this in reference to Jesus, who, when he chose to become incarnate, took to himself every aspect of human nature with the exception of sin. In other words, because Jesus has a human nature in addition to His divine nature, he is like us in every way; he has a human body and soul. He has a will, an intellect, and emotions. And this reality is important, St. Gregory tells us, because if Jesus had not assumed every aspect of human nature (except sin), then those aspects of human nature would not have been redeemed with his passion, death, and resurrection.

I share this, not merely because it is an interesting theological belief that Christians hold about Jesus, but also because it helps to explain our readings for this week. Every first Sunday of Lent, we read an account of Jesus’ temptation in the desert. We may ask ourselves, if Jesus is God and he is without sin, why would he experience temptation? For the same reason that Jesus assumes every aspect of human nature: that he may redeem all of humanity.

Temptation is a part of every human being’s life because, as we heard in the first reading from Genesis, we all suffer from the effects of the sin of our first parents. When we experience temptation, we can be assured that Jesus went before us and experienced the same temptations that we do, yet He was victorious. By allowing himself to experience temptation like the rest of humanity, he is able to redeem it.

That is what St. Paul is talking about in the letter to the Romans that we hear today: “For if, by the transgression of the one [Adam], death came to reign through that one, how much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of justification come to reign in life through the one Jesus Christ” (Rom 5:17).

Truly we have received this grace through faith in Jesus. Lent is a season when we are invited to put that grace into action by examining our lives, and seeing those areas where we still need Christ. Many times we go about this by choosing a Lenten penance — deliberately depriving ourselves of things in our lives that may prevent us from allowing Jesus in more fully. Yet, so often, we can focus so much on trying to live our Lenten penances perfectly that, when we fail, we can become discouraged.

Here is the good news: Jesus knows us better than we know ourselves. He is not surprised when we fail or fall short. When you inevitably find yourself struggling with your Lenten penance, the most important thing to do in that moment is to run to Jesus. Ask Him for the grace to start again. He who allowed himself even to experience human temptation will provide us with whatever aid we need.

That is one of the special parts of belonging to a Church that observes liturgical seasons. “Living liturgically” means allowing ourselves to enter into the mysteries of salvation history over the course of an entire liturgical year. Lent, in particular, gives us a chance to open ourselves more fully to Jesus so that we can celebrate the upcoming holy days of his passion, death, and resurrection.