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In
Search of the Spirit
A
monthly letter from the Glenmary Vocation Office
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March 2004
Resisting Temptations So We Can Live--and Give Witness to--the Fullness of Life
By
Father Steve Pawelk
The first Sunday of Lent opened with Jesus being tempted in the desert. "Jesus returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert for 40 days, to be tempted by the devil" (Luke 4:1-2). Our Lenten journey focuses on our temptations as well. These temptations are no different than the ones Jesus faced.
Some scholars sum up the three temptations of Jesus with these three words : pleasure , prestige and power. These are some of the strongest temptations we all face.
Pleasure. There are appropriate types of pleasure and there are inappropriate ones. There is nothing wrong with enjoying freshly baked bread, but if you are in a solemn fast and the devil wants you to eat it, your response should be NO. Circumstances can change a good pleasure into a sinful pleasure very quickly. Sexual pleasure within marriage is good; outside of marriage, it is sinful. One glass of wine at a meal with friends can add a sense of festivity to a gathering; but a bottle of wine drunk alone would be a disaster.
Prestige. The desire to be recognized and to have influence is a temptation. Placing my gifts and talents at the service of God, and then receiving praise and honor for my service may be humbling and heart-warming. Yet, when I take these same gifts and talents and twist them to gain attention, refusing to compromise my opinion until all agree, sin has snuck in.
Power. Power can be used positively to generate new life for others, particularly when it is shared. Yet the desire to be in control and in charge can be very tempting. Power used to dominate or to manipulate others is always wrong. The desire to have my own way regardless of the desires of others remains strong in human nature. When we use our power to bully others and to show just how tough we are, sin rules.
The counter balances to these temptations are the evangelical councils of poverty, celibate chastity and obedience. These promises of religious life serve as guideposts for all baptized Christians. All baptized Christians are called to live simply, so others may simply live. We are all called, married and single, to be chaste and faithful to our promises, especially the promise to follow Jesus. Finally, to obey is to listen to God. This is the way of a disciple of Jesus: to listen and follow the will of God over our own.
Thus, those who choose to live the promises of religious life help guide all Christians in their call to discipleship. Our call to chastity, expressed in celibate living, can remind people that selfish pleasure leads only to dead ends. A happy and faith-filled life, on the other hand, requires self-discipline and the ability to discern what pleasures are good and which are not. The call to chastity invites us to control our appetites and, through our fidelity, find joy in the Spirit of God.
The religious promise of poverty protects against the trappings of prestige. How many people find themselves in debt trying to buy a bigger house, a boat, extra cars and other things in order to impress others with their success? What a sad state it is that our culture tends to give prestige to those who own the most and the biggest! The evangelical council of poverty, however, reminds us that if we have Jesus in our heart, mind and soul, we already have everything we need for the fullness of life. No more is needed.
Finally, our call to obedience as religious reminds us of the words of Jesus, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me; still, not my will but yours be done" (Luke 22:42). By submitting our wills to the legitimate authorities of our community and of the Church, we demonstrate God's goodness. It is so easy to think if I will it, God wills it. When I place my trust and my future in the hands of others, I let go of my personal power so that God's power may shine through.
Thus, as we continue this time in our Lenten desert, let us seek ways to overcome the particular forms that the temptations of pleasure, prestige, and power take in our lives. And I urge you to remember the end of Luke's story about temptation: When the devil left Jesus in the desert, "Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news of him spread throughout the whole region. He taught in their synagogues and was praised by all."
I will be praying that some of you may join us in professing a life of poverty, celibacy and obedience as Glenmarians, so that the way of salvation can be made clearer to all Christians. And I also pray that all of us may live more simply, chastely and obediently.
May Jesus' teaching and his love find their way ever deeper into our hearts this Lent. And may Easter find us praising God.
