St John the Evangelist Parish

March 9, 2025

First Sunday of Lent

One of the most fascinating moments in American history is when George Washington could have become the king of the newly liberated United States and didn’t. At the height of his power and fame, on Dec. 23, 1783, he resigned from his commission as Commander-in-Chief and went home. The astonished King of England remarked that in doing so, Washington was “the greatest man in the world.” Greatness is often defined by what we could do but don’t. Greatness is measured by the temptations we overcome.

Jesus’ greatness is revealed in his victory over temptations, too. The three offered him by the devil contain, we might say, all potential possible temptations: food, power and fame. They correspond to the triple human body, soul, and spirit needs. In overcoming these three, he says “no” in essence to every and even the greatest temptation. We see that every desire of his humanity — body, soul, and spirit — is perfectly united with God, which is to love. This is a power available to each member of his body. It is the path to true greatness. How can we, who easily fall into even small temptations, find the power to overcome large ones? By entering into the great dynamics of Jesus’ temptations.

Lenten Challenge: This first week of Lent, list some concrete ways you can overcome temptations that correspond with your desires. For example, you may give up snacks between meals, choose not to participate in an activity in which you are an expert, and decide to reduce social media posting by 50%. It may not seem like much, but by saying “no” to the tyranny of food, power, and fame (in this example), you’ll discover true greatness.