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The Gospel of the First Sunday of Lent reminds us of a great truth (perhaps a little uncomfortable for us): that life is a struggle, a struggle to overcome the evil that exists—first and foremost—within us, in our hearts. Jesus, in fact, said: “Every evil thing comes from the heart!” At the beginning of Holy Lent, let us ask ourselves: what is our heart like? What are the deep inclinations of our heart? Temptations (i.e., trials!) are occasions that reveal our inner self, that is, our heart. In fact, our deep and authentic identity emerges in trials: in trials we understand who we are. When there is a storm, we understand what we are clinging to. And what are the main temptations? What are Satan's preferred paths? And what are the responses that God expects from us and waits for our own good? The Gospel answers us.
FIRST TEMPTATION
Let us observe Jesus: he prayed for 40 days, he experienced the desert, he left everything to focus on the essential. Now he allows Satan to approach him and tempt him in order to teach us how we should behave in the face of the devil's deceit. And Satan says to him: "Yes, God is important! But man's real problem is his stomach, that is, material well-being. Fill your stomach, turn stones into bread, because when well-being is assured... man is happy.“ Unfortunately, many people think this way and are spectacularly wrong. Jesus, in fact, replies: ”That's not true! It is not true that happiness depends on well-being, it is not true that it depends on how much one possesses." Jesus decisively rejects materialism as the key to understanding man and as the answer to the need for happiness that is present in the human heart. Jesus says: “Man does not live by bread alone! That is: not by well-being alone, not by entertainment alone, not by bank accounts alone, not by football matches alone, not by Oscars for lifetime achievement.” The famous Paul Getty, a very wealthy man, declared: “I am unhappy!” . If only you knew how true that is! Years ago, the writer Mario Soldati left for Sweden with the intention of writing a book extolling the “Swedish miracle.” The book that came out had this title: “The Desperate of Well-being”! And this was his conclusion: “The Swedish social system is perfect, yet there is a lack of joy in life. And, in fact, Sweden has a very high suicide rate.” How true it is: “Man does not live by bread alone!” And Paul Ricoeur rightly observed: “The unease of so many people stems from the fact that many go to bed at night without knowing why they got up, and the next day they get up without knowing why.” And the writer Pietro Citati added: “Existential unease [= unhappiness, discontent] is characteristic of all countries that have achieved a high level of well-being.” Jesus told us: “Man does not live by bread alone!”
SECOND TEMPTATION
Satan takes Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple and proposes: “Throw yourself down with the power you have! Put on a show, get lots of fans, and thus quickly fulfill your mission and win over the people without much effort.” But God does not want fans, he wants believers! God does not act with the superficiality of haste, but with the depth of patience: with the martyrdom of patience! "The kingdom of God is not like the crowd at the Sanremo Festival who applaud for three or four nights and then disappear. The kingdom of God resembles a small seed thrown into the field: the seed works in silence and patience and bears fruit at the right time. The kingdom of God resembles a handful of yeast placed inside a mass of flour: it takes time, but then slowly it manages to ferment the whole dough." God, that is, does not force people; God does not impose goodness, but proposes it; God does not break down the doors of conscience, but knocks and waits for free and convinced responses because only these have value. Even at this moment! Even during this Lent!
THIRD TEMPTATION
It is the most subtle, the most terrible, and also the most repugnant. Satan says to Jesus: "Take note that in the world of men, only power counts, and only those who have power win. And power is obtained under the impulse of pride; it is obtained with the fuel of arrogance. In this world, there is no other way to win.“ And coming out into the open with repulsive confidence, the devil says to Jesus: ”I am pride personified, I am arrogance personified! Kneel before me, kneel before pride, and you will have free rein to conquer the world." Jesus responds with equal clarity and firmness: “Begone, Satan! You are defeated because the victory of pride lasts as long as a flash in the pan! You will worship the Lord your God, because God alone wins, and he wins with humility, he wins with goodness! He wins! And anyone who sides with God also wins by following the same path!” How important and relevant this response of Jesus is!
Let us welcome this teaching of Jesus into our hearts: during this season of Lent, let us remove from our hearts the weeds of the pursuit of ever greater well-being, the weeds of the pursuit of fleeting success like a flash in the pan, and above all, the weeds of pride that easily creep into our hearts. In this way, we will become children of true Beatitude! Right here on earth! We will enter, that is, into the people of the victors who trusted in Christ Crucified and Risen! Lent is the propitious time to make these choices.
Praised be Jesus Christ.
— Cardinal Angelo Comastri
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