THE TEMPTATIONS




















A while ago, a young girl – a non-Christian student of mine - came to me excitedly and stretched her hand to say, “Sir, a very happy Ash-Wednesday!”

“Wish you the same, dear,” I said stretching my hand, too.

“Sir, but…” another non-Christian young-girl wanted to remind us that such ‘happy’ greetings are not supposed to be exchanged on a solemn day like an Ash Wednesday. “Wish you a Holy Ash-Wednesday would have been appropriate,” perhaps, she wanted to remind us this.


Why can’t a ‘Holy day’ be a ‘Happy day’?

It is tough to resist the temptations of the world we live in…!

Yes, it is a solemn day for us, the Christians… Lent – the forty-day period of prayer, penance and fasting - starts today… We are supposed to look within us - contemplate, repent… and strive to be worthy of the sacrifice made by Jesus Christ ‘for us’. So, on this day – ‘Ash Wednesday’ –  as the priest places a sigh of cross on our foreheads with holy ashes, he reminds us of our mortal and sinful reality: “Remember man that you art dust, and to dust thou shalt return!”

Jesus Christ lived in this world only for thirty-three years. Of these, thirty years he spent like you and me… The Holy Book says that he helped his father, Joseph, in his carpentry work… and, till His time came, He lived with all his mortality – like you and me. Then, when His time came, he went into the wilderness ‘to prepare Himself for the work He had come to accomplish in this world’… There, for forty-long days and nights, he fasted, prayed and repented… It was so hard for even the ‘Son of God’ to resist the temptations of this mortal world. The Satan came before Him and showed the glittering riches and dizzying powers of this world. “I will give you all these, if you fall on my feet!” he tempted Jesus. But, by now, Jesus was ready for His mission!

Yesterday was a ‘Hug Day’… “A biggg, biggg Hug!!!!”

Today is a ‘Kiss Day’… “Muaaaaaaahhh!!!”

And, tomorrow is the most awaited one: the ‘Valentine Day!!!”… The Climax!!!

So, what am I supposed to do? Whose greetings shall I accept? Whose hug? Whose kiss?

How shall I respond to my young-student, who, with all her innocence, wants to wish me ‘a very happy Ash-Wednesday’?




Can’t a Holy day be a Happy day?
 

Am I not supposed to be happy, today?



And, yes, can’t a Hug, a Kiss and a Valentine day be a ‘Holy’ one?

There is Love in the air…

The air is very, very holy…

I am living in a world of temptations… where, I need to be reminded, again and again:

“Remember man that you art dust, and to dust thou shalt return!”



“A Holy Ash-Wednesday to all of you… And, yes, a very happy one, too!”

“Man does not live by Bread alone,” my Master had challenged the Tempter, “but, by every Word of God!”



GERALD D’CUNHA

Pic.: Yojana Singh








Comments

M.N. Singh said…
Beautifully crafted! M.N. Singh
February 13, 2013 at 6:38 PM
Reena Kishore said…
A good reminder, in deed! Reena
February 13, 2013 at 6:54 PM
Nirmal R. said…
A Holy day to you, sir. Nirmal
February 13, 2013 at 7:01 PM
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