Homily For The First Sunday of Lent, Year C.

Deuteronomy 26:4-10; Psalm 91:1-2,10-15; Romans 10:8-13; Luke 4:1-13.

FROM EGYPT TO THE DESERT

By: Rev. Fr. Charles Onyeka Ezejide

* Today is Lent's first Sunday. For some, Lent is a boring liturgical time in the church. For some, it is a time when mass finishes in good time, when there is no dancing and clapping in the church, even if we must, it must be in a controlled manner, for others, it is a time when we don't say "alleluia" in the church, for some it is one of those liturgical times in the church when the church is adorned in purple. For some, it is that season in which we take a long leave of absence from sin only to return after 40 days. These are the many perceptions people have about the season of Lent, but for me, it is a special time of grace in the church, a time for prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, a time for renewal and reintegration.

* The theme for our reflection, "From Egypt to the desert," represents the whole Lenten experience, which is an invitation from the Lord to "aloneness" to pray, fast, and give alms. It is an invitation to a deeper and intimate experience of God’s freedom from the hustle and bustles of the world, despite being in the world. It is an invitation to self-awareness and consciousness.

* The Lenten season in the church is a wonderful time for sober reflection and meditative prayer. Even when most people dread it, some look forward to it as a period of grace and self-consciousness.

* The Egypt and the desert experience which lent invites us to, is preparatory and in anticipation of our entrance into the Promised Land (Easter and our eventual resurrection on the last day).

* Egypt represents for our ancestors in faith (the Jews) the bitter experience of slavery, denial, deprivation, dissatisfaction, oppression, pain, setback, retrogression, backwardness, and everything negative because of their unfaithfulness and hardness of heart.

* The desert represents a place of prayer and encounter with God, reconciliation, restitution, reconnection, cleansing, and purgation in anticipation of the triumphant entry into the promised land. This was why the Israelites wandered in the desert for 40 years.

* The desert itself was not a wonderful experience all the way. There were a lot of risings and fallings, a lot of setbacks and murmurings, a lot of difficulty and temptation (Ex 15:24; 16:2; Nm. 14:2). but what served as the motivator was the assurance of a promised land.

* The first reading gives us a clear picture of what the bitter experience of Egypt looks like. But the consolation is that we have a mighty God who is always close at hand in times of distress to deliver us (Ps. 46:1). The lesson is that sometimes our present Egypt (sin) could be enjoyable and palatable that we do not want to denounce it and begin our journey to the Promised Land through the desert. No matter how sweet Egypt is, it is not our place as Christians. Our place is that land flowing with milk and honey (Deut. 26:9).

* The Gospel reading elucidates further on the obstacles we must encounter if we must possess the Promised Land. Like Jesus, we must remain focused on the target (Promised Land or Easter), we must not be distracted or swayed by temptation or the promise of the things of this world which will only lead us back to Egypt.

* Dear friends, Lent is that wonderful time of grace which we must all embrace and brace ourselves up for action by preparing adequately. We must be determined with the help of God to make it worthwhile.

* It is not going to be easy because the benefits of the Promised Land are enormous. But like St. Paul in the second reading, we must constantly feed and insulate ourselves with the word of God "for man does not live by bread alone but by Word that comes out of the mouth of the Lord" (Matt. 4:4). We must constantly resist the ploy of the evil ones to make rubbish our efforts during this Lenten season. We must believe in ourselves and in the power of God to make us succeed because those who believe in God have no cause for shame (Rom. 10:11; 2 Tim. 1:12; Ps. 25:3). Lent is a time of grace, it is a time of prayer, fasting and, almsgiving, it is a time for sober reflection on our journey to the Promised Land, it is a time to move from Egypt to the Promised Land through the desert, it is a time of great temptation and distress. But like the Psalmist, our consolation is that the Lord will be with us in times of distress (Ps. 91:15). 

* May God give us the grace to make this period of grace and divine encounter count, that it may bring us to increase in faith and bring us closer to the promised land.

* Happy Sunday!!!