Feb. 26, 2023 Reflection- Valley Cursillo           Gospel: Mt 4:1-11

True Confession 101 - Seriously stalled in the desert: I did not complete this task on time. It was supposed to be turned in yesterday at noon - Ash Wednesday. And I had totally failed at that. Through my fault, through my fault, through my most peevish fault! I tried. I had tried. I had tried several weeks prior. And I continued to try yesterday after the noon mass, but the words just wouldn’t come. I stopped trying at 3:15am, angry at myself for waiting too long to really get started, and went to bed, defeated, and praying, a whining prayer, asking God why on earth aren’t the words coming? I love Lent.  Ash Wednesday Noon Mass was wonderful. Music was soul filling. Conversations with friends after mass was wonderful. Lent was off to a good start. Why was I stalling? Still. NOTE: My whining prayer was answered. (I’ll tell you at the end)

 In today’s Gospel, Jesus is being tempted! Big time - and - by the devil!  “Power, Pleasure, and Possessions” Father Michael named them.  Pausing over the words, I find it a curious thing is that it’s the Spirit that led JESUS to that quiet place and accompanied him there…and with that thought in mind, I prepared to write. 

But first I checked my email, called to check on my daughter, paid two bills due, answered the door of the solar panel gentleman and found my paid light bill in the stack of papers on the kitchen table so he could prepare a feasibility study for me, and found the 3 photos on my phone to prepare a post on my FB page to thank the three Firemen who had come to my house Tuesday evening to figure out why the fire alarm was still beeping (NO way could a person sleep that night - My awesome neighbor Gil had put a new battery in for me and it still beeped).The blessing of Gil backing into his driveway just as I was getting back home after a quick Walmart run ,to fetch the correct battery, was a God send). I love my neighbors and Gil knows everything: He advised calling the fire dept to come check out the beeping gadget, and offered to come and be at my house when they arrived because I had an important Parish core team meeting starting in twenty minutes. The firemen arrived before my ride and so I was able to get their names and ask their permission to take photo and post it on FB. They agreed, climbed the ladder, and were in process of helping me stay safe as Bob arrived to take me to our meeting, leaving my awesome neighbor Gil in charge. It was almost 11pm when I got back home --- and I still haven’t taken time to post that FB Thank You –but I will. Those three public servants are a beautiful example of caring for our neighbor that Jesus teaches all of us to do, always, in all ways, all the time. Amen.

As mentioned, I had started on this reflection earlier. Several weeks ago in fact, and doorbell rang, or phone buzzed, or grandchild stopped by….you know, all those beautiful God Given Distractions that deter us from the appointed round.  Getting ready for anything more than what was happening in the next half hour was simply not an option. As noted, my failure to write yesterday was real. I couldn’t even make an opening sentence. I did type three or four, and they were all crap. Not sure, but perhaps I was experiencing, “writers Block”. Not that I’m a writer even.  But when I went to bed last early morning, (after 315 am) in my whining prayer, I asked God for help to keep this promise, write this reflection, about this holy season of Lent - 6 whole weeks worth - this beautiful TIME to PAUSE, REFLECT, PRAY…TIME to PRACTICE, aka actively engage, in the work of building the kingdom, feeding the hungry, defending the downtrodden, sheltering the homeless, and always, all ways, giving thanks to God for sending US Jesus, his First begotten Son, who shows us the WAY, whenever we give Him the Time of Day.  This Gospel shows us when we, like Jesus, allow the Holy Spirit to lead us into the quiet this Holy space of time offers, our Loving God shows US the way, too, helps us to see what is true, and needed, or ugly and needing change, or beautiful and kind, and sets before each one of us the next thing we need to do, or the last thing we need to take on, or the most important thing to revise on our “to do” list.  Jesus’ journey into the desert helped him to see more clearly, love more dearly, and be about the “to do” list he was given more clearly, and with him always was the guidance of those heavenly messengers we call angels giving the care he needed all 40 days filled with the real temptation to take another way. Twenty Centuries later, the church offers each of us the same holy spirit to lead each of us into the quiet of this holy season, of PRAYER that grows our faith, and FASTING from things that really matter, and ABSTINENCE on behalf of others who need what we are able to share.  And so as Lent begins, we pray, Loving God, send your angels when we get distracted, from Your way. 

Deo Gratias, Patty Huffman, 2:26PM/2-23-23

PS: God answered my pity prayer of last night with this one sentence as I awoke – “I don’t like to go first” (seriously, that was my first waking thought today, and it hit the mark!) I AM so very thankful for some desert time these next 6 weeks!

De Colores