On the First Sunday of Lent the Gospel passage from Luke 4: 1-13 is the Temptation of Christ in the Desert. After Jesus’ baptism, the spirit leads Jesus into the desert before His public ministry begins. Jesus is tempted, as he would be throughout His earthly life, but overcomes this temptation through prayer, fasting, self-realization and support from His Father on High - a reminder to us that we can do the same.
The lithograph from Sr. Mary of the Compassion that we are featuring this week depicts the Agony in the Garden. An episode like His Temptation in the desert, where Christ knows of his impeding death and asks His Father to allow this Cup of suffering to Pass, only if God will it. Jesus again over comes His temptation and accepts the Cup of Suffering that He will endure.
In the life of Sr. Mary of the Compassion, she left her native England at a young age never to return to see her parents as she would become a cloistered religious sister, not able to travel. Two World Wars kept her from venturing back to her homeland. This was very painful for her. It led to her own temptation of desiring at times to abandon her vocation and return to her previous life. The fame she experienced from her artwork and recognition tempted her to think maybe she should give up this life of the cloister and seek fame and fortune. She would overcome her temptation and endure for the sake of the Kingdom.
Lent is the season for conversion of mind and heart. If we want to grow spiritually, to go through ongoing conversion, we need to know ourselves as we really are. An examen of first, our current priorities, and second, our impulsive thoughts make for a productive start. Some thoughts for us to ponder this week.
