As I was reflecting on today’s readings time and time again, I was drawn back to the first reading from James. Blessed is he who perseveres in temptation for when he has been proven he will receive the crown of life that he promised to those who love him. It was really the first few words blessed is he who perseveres in temptation that kept drawing me back to this reading. We all face temptation, and we are reminded of this as we enter the Lenten Season. This upcoming Sunday’s gospel will be about Jesus going into the desert to be tempted by Satan. The evil one will always be there to tempt us, and it most likely will not be riches beyond our wildest imagination it will be the little things, the little desires of our heart is what is always used to tempt us to draw us away from God and into uncertainty. Most of the time when we are faced with these temptations, we are quick to say why is God tempting me but in today's first reading we are reminded that it is not God that is tempting us. James reminds us that only all good giving and every perfect gift is from above.
When I would teach religious education, I would speak to the children about what they wanted to do for lent. They always went straight to what they would give up and that would inevitably be where they would fail and then feel bad. They were going to give up candy and then someone in school had the best candy ever (the temptation) and they had to have a piece. They were going to give up playing video games and then at a friend's house they would grab the remote (the temptation) and play. They were going to give up their cell phones and then there was a big event (the temptation) going on and they had to have their phone to know what was happening the temptation, the failure, the feeling of guilt. For the children, the temptations were always small things but those were the things that were the desires of their heart and that's right where the temptation would be placed. The same goes for us adults we can set out with the greatest of intentions, and it is those intentions that become the target of the temptation.
After watching the children’s never-ending cycle, I decided to challenge the children to a different Lenten sacrifice. I would say to the children instead of setting yourself up to fail why not do something that would help someone and that would be your Lenten sacrifice. I challenged them to walk in Jesus’ footsteps for lent. I got cutouts of little footprints in all assorted colors and gave each child footprints to take home. Every time they sacrificed their time to do a good deed, they would write it on the footprint and bring it back to class. I would then hang them up and explain how they were doing exactly what Jesus did and still sacrificing of themselves. The footprints idea caught on quickly and we eventually walked out of our class down the halls and up into the main entrance of the church. The children started doing homework without fighting with their parents, they put down the video games to play with or read to a younger sibling. They gave of themselves to make someone else’s life better. Their good giving became that perfect gift from above, love!
This is the kind of Lenten journey we too can take part in. A loving lent where we can sacrifice ourselves for others. Sacrificing your favorite tv show, cell phone or social media for 40 days does nothing to make this world a better place. Giving up the time that went into watching your favorite shows, cell phone use or social media to go to daily Mass, help at your local food pantry or visit the sick is walking in Jesus’ footsteps this lent. To paraphrase James, you will be doing all good giving, sharing your perfect gifts of love, and receiving the crown of life. Then you can say God is leading you not tempting you.