“The LORD God formed man. . . and blew into his nostrils the breath of life. . . Then the LORD God planted a garden in Eden. . . and placed there the man whom he had formed.” Genesis 2: 7-8
This Sunday’s First Reading reminds us that God meant and means our lives on earth to be a Garden of Eden – a life during which we humans make choices that lead us to fall in love with God. It is not too late for us to do that and to encourage each other to do that, too.
Let us stop our thoughts from distracting us from the ever-present Father who breathed life into us.
(So it is God’s life that is breathing in us!)
So
Just Breathe.
Breathe in the presence of God.
Consider the person you love the most.
From whence came
that capability to love?
It is from God.
From God who loves you
and loves all of us
more that we love ourselves,
more than we love anyone else.
It is this Triune God
who is love itself
who gave to us
God’s capacity to love.
Do I treasure that gift
and the all powerful, ever-present Giver
enough to remember
that God, the Giver, is present?
Do I treasure the gift enough
to thank God
for giving me the capacity
to love?
+++++
“Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. The tempter said to him, ‘. . . command that these stones become loaves of bread,’ . . . ‘throw yourself down.’ For God ‘will support you,’ ‘All these I shall give to you, if you will worship me.’ At this, Jesus said to him, ‘Get away, Satan!’ It is written: The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve.” Matthew 4:3-10
As we stand together on this First Sunday of Lent, 2020, let us admit to our attractions to things that bring only fleeting satisfaction, rather than the deep joy that falling in love with God can bring. Once we fall in love with God our hearts no longer look to ourselves only. Instead they look for God and lead us to proclaim that it is “the Lord, our God, whom we worship and God alone whom we serve.”
My God, I am yours
today and for always.
Teach me
to remember this:
I am yours; we all are yours.
Take from our hearts
all painful anxiety.
Let nothing sadden us
but the times we make choices
that offend you.
Help us look to Jesus,
Your Son and our brother
for guidance.
Amen.
