1st Sunday of Lent: What is the direction of our lives?

In our modern age we have these wonderful GPS gadgets that can tell how to get to where we are going.  We get off route, and that wonderful voice reminds us, and then tells us how to get back on track.
Mine is set up with a British voice, so it sounds oh so polite.
If only it was as easy in the spiritual life? Or Maybe even life in general?
Mark’s gospel sums up Jesus’ mission in a few words:  “Repent and believe in the Gospel, the good news.”
In other words, change the direction of our lives so as to fully experience the Love of God.
Because the Good News is that God loves us no matter what.
The experience of this is what life is about, and is the direction of our lives.
God’s love is what leads us to having fulfilling lives.
Jesus’ mission was to open us to God’s love, God’s grace.  He did this through his preaching, healing, welcoming, et al.
And of course, the highest moment, THE moment of knowing God’s love, is the Paschal Mystery, his death and resurrection.
If God did not punish us for that great crime, that great sin, then God truly must love us.
This love means that we have every reason to grow, to move forward.
This love means that we too can take the risk and show mercy, compassion, forgiveness.  
This grace empowers us to make the necessary sacrifices of self, of ego, so that others may thrive and live.
This grace empowers us to forgive those too, who have hurt us.
To seek forgiveness from others whom we have hurt.
Imagine how much suffering in our lives, and in this world, we could eliminate if we moved in that direction?
Yet, we get distracted, we take the wrong path, we get lost; and yes sometimes we deliberately refuse to go where we are called to go.
And unlike a GPS unit that will tell us “Re-directing” or that tells us we are making the wrong turn…
Life isn’t always obvious.
We too can become tempted by different paths that seem shortcuts.
We get lured into thinking that I need to get back at those people who hurt me!   Or that lying will actually help the situation.
We are tempted to think that God is out to get me...so it really doesn’t matter.
Tempted to think that as long as I feel good, it must be right!
Jesus makes it clear…
If it does not involve self-sacrifice, it is does not involve compassion, mercy, honesty, humility, if it truly does not help another person, Jesus makes it clear if we do not follow these virtues...then it will be the wrong direction.
Actually we do have a “GPS” unit of sorts, that is telling us if we are on heading in the right direction.  It is the Eucharist, this mass.
Through the Eucharist, we listen to God’s words in Scripture that give us direction
In Communion, we are given the body and blood of Christ, with all those virtues of him, to help us make better and good decisions
The community gathered supports us, we support each other, so that we can all walk the right path.
When we are on the right path, we are more joy filled.
Less complaining, less whining,
More fulfilled, more at peace.
Lent then becomes a time to pull over, and assess where are we going.
It is a time to review the map of our lives, the choices we are making, the consequence of those choices...and more than likely, get ourselves back on track.

What is our direction?

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