Led by the Spirit

Today, many people live by the rule that if they can’t see something, then it doesn’t exist. And if science can’t explain something, then it’s not important. That’s why we constantly hear: “Show me the proof” or “I’ll believe it when I see it.” Anything beyond what can be observed, verified, or quantified is considered imaginary or unimportant.

But let’s look at how immense the universe is and how small we are in it. Let’s think about all that we still don’t understand, not only about the universe, but about our own planet, our own bodies, and even our own minds.

• Does it make sense to claim that only the things we can perceive with our limited senses exist?
• Or that the only realities that matter are those that our small minds can fully grasp?

Most people with a good grasp of reason would admit that the answer is no.

That doesn’t mean science is the enemy of faith. Quite the contrary. Science has contributed greatly to humanity. It has cured diseases, expanded knowledge, and improved daily life in many ways. We Christians don’t deny this for a second. But science also has limits. It can tell us how things work, but not why they exist. It can measure physical processes, but it cannot measure love, guilt, hope, or the meaning of things. And, of course, it cannot measure or calculate the spiritual forces that shape our lives.

As Christians, we believe that the world has a spiritual dimension and spiritual forces that are actively at work, even though we don’t see them. Some of these forces are for our good. Others are not.

We see this spiritual reality in the first reading from Genesis for the First Sunday of Lent. Traditionally, the serpent is understood to be Satan, the embodiment of evil. It is depicted as intelligent, deceitful, and opposed to God’s plan. It enters the garden not with force, but with a lie. It sows doubt. It suggests that God is hiding something. And in doing so, it manages to steal from humankind the paradise God had intended for them.

The consequences of that original fall surround us. We know what good is, and yet we struggle to do it. We see the harm that sin causes, and yet we repeat the same patterns.

But there is hope; we have a Savior. In the passage of Jesus’ temptations in the desert, Jesus enters the desert: a place of dryness, emptiness, and danger. The desert contrasts sharply with the Garden of Eden. The desert represents what sin has done to the world. And it is there that the Enemy confronts Jesus, offering him shortcuts, half-truths, and temptations designed to weaken his trust in God the Father.

But unlike Adam and Eve, Jesus does not fall. He does not argue. He does not negotiate. He stands firm. He responds with Scripture. He trusts fully in the Father. And the devil is defeated.

This first Sunday of Lent reminds us of two important things:

• First, God never allows us to be tempted beyond our strength. No matter how powerful a temptation may seem, we are never helpless. Grace is always available. Saying “no” is always possible.
• Second, we are never alone in the struggle. Jesus does not observe from a distance. He struggles with us. The same Lord who overcame temptation in the desert walks beside us in our own deserts.

Evil wants us to believe it is invincible. The Enemy thrives on discouragement. He wants us to think that our sins define us, that change is impossible, and that resistance is futile. But that is another lie. We do not fight alone. We do not fight in vain. We have a Savior who has already defeated evil. And in Jesus Christ, the final outcome is never in doubt.

May the Lord always give you his peace.
Fr. Lalo Jara, OFM
Pastor, Mission San Luis Rey Parish