I Double Dog Dare you!!!

Hi Folks!

The interaction between Jesus and the Devil in the Temptation story from St. Matthew's 6th chapter remind me of the dare games we used to play in grade school. The grade school version of this game has become icon-ized in the movie A Christmas Story. It's the scene where all of the kids are out on the playground during a recess. One boy "double dog dares" another to stick his tongue to the icy flag pole with predictable but very funny results. Eventually the fire department has to be called in to "un-stick" the screaming young man's tongue from the icy pole. The final scene is of the young man back in the classroom with a bandage tied around his tongue (all because of a dare).

Our temptations are like dares! They sound good and exciting at that moment, but the repercussions can be awfully painful or hell to live with if we succumb to temptation. Temptations are also usually pretty attractive to us. Otherwise they would have no power to persuade to try them. The Devil knows how to hit us where we are most vulnerable.

In the temptation story from the Gospels, Jesus responds to Satan's attractive temptations with Truth and directness. He can do this because of His very firm and sure relationship with His own Father. All of Jesus' answers reflect a trust that only a Son can have in a rock steady and reliable Father. In many ways Jesus' three responses to Satan can be summed up in one statement; "My Father is bigger than your temptations!"

The Good News for you and me is that we have the same Father that Jesus has. Therefore we have the same possible response to temptations as Jesus had. As attractive and even lucrative that every temptation that tries to seduce us into its web; God has a bigger, better, and more eternal possibility for us. It may be a harder choice to live with, but it is the only choice that can give us real peace and real joy. We all have had experiences of wanting some material or carnal thing so badly that we've lost ourselves to it. Then when we've gotten the thing that we've so desired we've found out that it did not bring us all of the happiness and satisfaction that we thought it had promised us. Only God can do that. But it takes a lot of falling for temptations to figure that out.

It is Lent, and time to renew our efforts at trying to counter our temptations with God's ways. It begins the same way as it did with Jesus Himself. It all starts with a trusting and intimate relationship with His Father and our Father. That's what Lent is about. Yes we do sacrifices. Yes we try to do some extra "holy" and charitable stuff. But ultimately Lent is preparing us for a deeper love and understanding of what God does to show His love for us; Nourishment Forever: Forgiveness; Sacrifice; Eternal Life.

Take some time to develop that relationship this Lent!

paz,
ME