Ever stop and wonder who was around to write down the conversation between Jesus and the devil in the desert?
“If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” And Jesus answers: “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” (Matt 4:3)
Most scholars indicate Matthew was (re)framing the Israelite failure to overcome their temptations during their Exodus in the desert. In Matthew, Jesus does not fail. He knows who he is and trust in the Father’s will for his life.
We too are tempted on our desert journey. In this life we face constant temptation to grab for the lessor things which can never fill us: sensual pleasures, power, and honor.
The good news is that we come by this biblical truth without ever reading scripture. We have received our “first translation” of God’s Word simply by listening to God’s Spirit throughout our own lived experiences.
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Lent is a time to wake up – again. Yet, Lent (for me) is also a time of contradiction. Perhaps it is a byproduct of the Mardi Gras culture in which I grew up.
I remember as a young child my mother taking us kids – to a local Mardi Gras parade. I would see people on the float throwing trinkets and desperately wanting some for myself, but was too introverted to even raise my hand and frantically yell “throw me something.” It took me many years to realize that was the necessary behavior for people on the floats to throw something my way.
When I was 17, I tagged along with my uncle to Mardi Gras in New Orleans. We had to scheme a lie to my parents for their approval to let me go. Some of the things I saw are still seared in memory. I do not regret going but once was enough. It was my first glimpse of this world’s level of craziness.
Nowadays, Mardi Gras is even bigger. Local newspapers and TV begin their promotion weeks in advance, showing pictures of all the Carnival Royalty and their Courts. The white folk get their promotions and the blacks get theirs. Civic leaders do their similar promotions since the more people who participate over the weeks that come to the various parades and parties spend money in town. The Mardi Gras flag flies at City Hall. Hotels and restaurants are making money and sending their tax receipts to government. Bakeries and donut shops are selling thousands of king cakes, with or without the baby. Even Fedex and UPS get to play.
Come Ash Wednesday, the promoted debauchery is over. Media now promotes where you can donate all the beads that you clamored for but never really wanted. There is even a front page article to show where you can go get your holy ashes in a drive thru. Before the week is over the local media now shifts to promoting the message that during lent “Seafood is King.” Restaurants advertise their Friday Lenten menu of meat abstinence: Fried and etoufee Shrimp, Crawfish, and Catfish: po-boys and plate lunches. It’s our opportunity to fast on Friday. Even the Knights of Columbus selling fried catfish dinners over eating meat on Friday.
Its all about worshiping our great idols.
A week into Lent, and our local newspaper runs a front page article of our Lt. Governor pardoning a crawfish for its sins. How cute is that?
Mardi Gras is history and soon Lent will be over. Next up: Easter season. We can go to Walmart or Hobby Lobby and purview all the pastel Easter decorations that are available to spice up our homes. Something to put us in “the spirit.” And tons of chocolate rabbits and baskets of candy for our children.
Today is the business of corporate executives in our consumer society to assure advertising and merchandise for the next (commercial) holiday is on its way for our consumption. Or, as we find ourselves in the old traditional “Courir de Mardi Gras,” …we hide our faces and keep chasing the rooster.
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“Our noise, our business, our purposes, and all our fatuous statements about our purposes, our business, and our noise, … these are the illusion.”.
Thomas Merton
I do not automatically abstain for Lent but this year I need less consumption of this world’s noise which only distracts me from God’s Word for my life. I also need to be “less noise” for others. The latter is most difficult
ps. The title of this reflection “Tabgha” which is the name of an area situated on the north-western shore of the Sea of Galilee in Israel. It is traditionally accepted as the place of the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes (Mark 6:30-46) and the fourth resurrection appearance of Jesus (John 21:1-24) after his Crucifixion.
The site’s name (Tabgha) is derived from the Greek name Heptapegon (“seven springs”). Its was eventually changed to “Tabgha” by Arabic speakers. St. Jerome referred to Heptapegon as “the solitude.”
The featured art is a representation of the mosaics in front of the altar at the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes, at Tabgha Israel. The charred rock is where tradition says Jesus ate fish with his disciples after the resurrection (see below).
pss. feel free to comment on your Lenten journey.
