GO BIG HEARTED.
Everything about Lent says go big-hearted. Hear it in today’s gospel. Jesus went to great lengths to show his whole-hearted love for us. His 40-day showdown with the devil in the desert offers a glimpse into his desire to take on all that it means to be human. He went all out. For us. He surrendered to spiritual practices in the struggle against temptations that challenged every fiber of his being.
“Go big-hearted” means to give a true heart effort, out of the comfortable norm, as like Jesus in being led to the desert for an all-or-nothing start. You heard the Gospel today. Matthew’s Gospel explains how Jesus is letting the Spirit lead Him to a bold 40 day wilderness sojourn. “40” is to symbolize the years the Exodus people hesitated to go Home to Israel with Moses, Joshua, Caleb, Miriam and Aaron. Jesus won’t hesitate here. He acts boldly. How else to begin His ministry?!
He lives the idiom promoting an “all-or-nothing” mentality, urging one to commit fully to a task—whether today it is for a religious enterprise for Lent, or a project we have, or an event in sports or competition—and, all or nothing means that a halfway effort won’t cut it. Jesus is all in.
We have had opportunity to watch the 2026 Olympics with examples of the big hearted efforts. While we are not at that level –you are only asked to be at the level God has for you to be. While there are not gold, silver or bronze medals to be won in life or in Lenten exercises—we have God to serve and please. That’s it. And we have a heart within us. How much of it will God see us use?
Again—God is not looking for us to make an Olympic leap like Austrian ski team jumpers Hoerl and Embacher who hurled 456 and 451 graceful feet off the hill into the snow landing for gold medals. That was impressive, but we just have a good Lent to make—no leaping off mountains into the brisk wind. ☺ Just a good hearted offering from us in what we have before us—40 days of Lent.
Jesus did it. He went “big hearted” in the desert, but he didn’t stop there. In his preaching, forgiving, and healing, in His two and half years or so of ministry—He was fully in it. Totally inspired to serve the ministry. He asked his followers to do the same, saying: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind and all your strength.” He gave the example par excellence. All the way to his walk up to Calvary hill, to die on the wood of the Cross, and to go into the cold dark tomb, in trust of the Father. Big hearted. Now we refer to this as the example of The Sacred Heart of Jesus, and there is a special devotion of imitation and admiration of our Savior and Eternal Son of God of His deepest love.
The phrase used in one place in Isaiah’s prophecies was that this Servant of God Messiah would set his face like a flint. Isa. 50:7 says: “Therefore I have set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame.”
“Set your face like a flint” says scripturally: it is to have an unwavering determination and resilience in the face of adversity. To have a heart and soul’s inspiration to rise up to the occasion.
Speaking of rising up, the glory of this whole Jesus story is his resurrection on the Sunday morn, the Third Day. The Resurrection shows Jesus’ extreme and boundless love for us, Jesus went “BIG-HEARTED.” He arose for us to arise.
This Lent, we start with a Sunday message that Jesus gave his all for us. He has likewise entered into our own human struggle and spiritual battle. He is there with us. Now it’s our heart’s turn to say YES to God. We see those three trip up temptations out there that say: watch out. ‘Better rely on the Spirit of God ourselves. ‘Better have the Sacred Heart with us. ‘Better live for The Father.
We can turn to the three pillars of Lent—prayer, penance, and almsgiving—as our means of moving beyond minimal requirements in search of a more big-hearted, interior conversion of being. In the parish bible study, I am walking through John 11 to 19 to examine the Passion of Jesus with you on designated Fridays or Mondays. We have a parish mission on March 22-23-24 that will engage you in the living out big hearted for God without shame or fear or reluctance—or encourage more, if you are living in such inspiration now.
It’s Lent. Renew your baptismal commitment to be a child of God. Go to confession for its renewal.
In the bulletin today I give you an example of a saint that could be big hearted and yet so simple and young and innocent—St. Therese, the Little Flower.
One does not have to be a fierce warrior of a person, with grit and strength—for success in Lent or this whole heart living—it takes just reliance on the power of God and the power of Divine Love and Grace in you. We were made to live by it. Confess the sin of being independent in any areas that show up in your bearing yourself to God. Confess your independence from others in the Gospel call, for we were meant to be a body of believers, not solo religious people.
Go back to when God has got through to you before. Remember that encounter.
You have been called by God for life with Him and for Him now. In Jesus’ Name.
9 Am Mass—I think of Peter and the fisherman apostles who were just living a Sea of Galilee occupation, when Jesus stepped in to their story and called them to more. We will have a meditation song of how dynamic that calling was for them.
It’s Back to Square One in the Spirit. I am called by God. I am called by God.
Scriptures of this 1st Sunday of Lent.
Genesis 2:7 “The LORD God formed man out of the clay of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and so man became a living being.” Psalm 51 prayer: “Give me back the joy of your salvation, and a willing spirit sustain in me. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.” Matthew 4:1 “At that time Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and was tempted by Satan three times, and in the third Jesus said: Get away. It is written: The Lord, your God, shall you worship and Him alone shall you serve.”