We’re not ourselves when we’re hungry

Homily for February 14, 2016 (First Sunday of Lent)
Deuteronomy 26:4-10; Psalm 91; Romans 10:8-13; Luke 4:1-13

For those who were looking for a high-scoring game, last Sunday’s Super Bowl must have been a disappointment.  In a game marked by strong defense and numerous turnovers the Denver Broncos, led by game MVP Vonn Miller, beat the Carolina Panthers 24-10.  Those looking for more action may have been inspired by Lady Gaga’s rendition of our National Anthem or the halftime show featuring Cold Play, Bruno Mars and Beyoncé.  

For other people the game was beside the point.  What they really wanted to see were the commercials, which this year included singing sheep, some rhythm-impaired ad executives, and wiener dogs dressed as, well, wieners.  In one memorable ad, a very awkward and angry Willem Dafoe, wearing a dress and standing over a subway grate, is transformed into Marilyn Monroe after eating a Snickers® bar.  The tag line:  “You’re not you when you’re hungry.”

It’s true.  We don’t always make the best decisions when we’re hungry.  If we’re at the grocery store, we may buy things that we don’t need or that aren’t good for us.  If we’re with others we might be cranky and say things we wish we could take back.  If we’re sitting in Mass or prayer and our stomachs are growling, it’s hard to focus. We’re not ourselves when we’re hungry.  But sometimes fasting and hunger can focus us.  The emptiness we feel can draw us to reflect on what’s really important. Jesus found himself in such a position in today’s gospel reading.  

After being baptized by John in the Jordan River and revealed as God’s Son, he was “led by the Spirit into the desert…to be tempted by the devil.”  The temptations that Jesus faced after 40 days of fasting are very fundamental human struggles.  We all face them in one form or another.

We face the temptations of seeking material comforts and having absolute control over our lives.  That’s what Jesus faced when the devil challenged him to turn a stone into bread.  But Jesus recalled that we don’t live on bread alone.  There are other things just as or more important.  Do we trust God to make sure that we have all that we need, as long as we cooperate with God’s grace?

We face the temptations of worldly power and glory.  The devil offered these to Jesus; but the price would be steep:  his soul.  Unfortunately there are many people, then and now, who have been willing to sell their souls in the pursuit of wealth, power and popularity, stepping on and exploiting their brothers and sisters along the way. But Jesus refused.  Our worship is due to God alone.  What are the idols in our lives?  Do we give as much effort trying to become better persons as we do to become richer, more powerful or popular?

We face the temptations of carelessness and wasting the gifts and graces that God has given us. The devil challenged Jesus to risk his life to prove his Father’s love and care for him—as if it were all just a game.  Eventually Jesus would risk and even give his life; but it wouldn’t be to win a bet.  He would give himself and his life for love of us and in faithfulness to the mission his Father had given him.  How well do we use the blessings and talents that God has given us?

We’re not ourselves when we’re hungry.  But becoming more than ourselves—through fasting, prayer, and works of mercy—is what Lent is all about.  We shouldn’t fear hunger, then.   What we should fear, rather, is being too full—of ourselves, our wills, our comforts, and our desires. +