Friars Corner: How can I get closer to Jesus?

Fr. Bob Hilz, TOR

Genesis 9:8-15; Ps 25:4-9; 1 Peter 3:18-22; Mt 4:4b; Mark 1:12-15

These forty days of penance, fasting, prayer and almsgiving go back to the forty days Jesus spent in the desert tempted by the devil.

This was after St. John the Baptist baptized him in the River Jordan, as Mark gives us the shortest account in today’s Gospel. Matthew has a fuller account.

There are a few themes that we could follow today. My directive is “How can I get closer to Jesus and what he wants me to do?”

The devil’s distractions

Several years ago C. S. Lewis wrote a funny little book, “Screwtape Letters.” It is about a convention satan had to train lesser demons. The gist of it was to train lesser demons how to trick humans to turn to their side. I call this the dark side. They were to keep humans so busy and distracted with non-religious things in the world that humans would have no or very little time for God and following his plans.

In your world and in our culture, what do you sense is happening? Has satan and his cronies succeeded? What distractions in our life can we identify? Which one or ones can we get rid of to be better followers of Jesus? Don’t make your list too long or like New Years resolutions; they will just drift away in a few weeks. For Lent what distractions can we identify in our life that we can let go of?

Focus on the Good News

We can use many things in our culture to bring the Good News of Jesus to others. Some are good and others not. What are the values advocated by many of the TV programs coming out of Hollywood? Many are “dark side” values. Sometimes we can “unwind” from a busy and hectic day. Other times we are programmed to negative values according to our faith in Jesus. TV can bring the devil’s programs. 

Although using some electronic devices can help our “instant communication,” I sense many problems in the Middle East. War is done through cell phone talk among the young. There are many other diversions we can identify.

Ask the Holy Spirit what distractions we can remove to get closer to Jesus and God’s plan for a successful, fruitful life. It is amazing what he will quietly reveal in our minds. “Let us begin, for perhaps until now we have done little,” as St. Francis of Assisi used to tell his brothers to help rebuild the Church and Christian culture.

Have a blessed week,

+ Fr. Bob Hilz
(© 2018 Fr. Bob Hilz, TOR)