While I was on retreat two weeks ago, I meditated on Jesus’ temptations in the desert. All three synoptic gospels tell the story. For this meditation, I used a marvelous book a good friend recommended to me: Into the Mess & Other Jesus Stories by Debie Thomas, a columnist for The Christian Century.
Thomas begins with Mark’s brief description of this important event in Jesus’ life: And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness for forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and angels waited on him. (Mk. 1:12-13) To put this incident in persective, we must remember what happened immediately before Jesus’ wilderness experience. He was baptized by John in the Jordan. And as he comes up out of the water, the heavens open up, a gentle dove descends upon him, and he hears God saying to him, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
Wow! What an affirmation! Jesus knows he is God’s cherished child, because God himself tells him! What can be better than that? But immediatly afterwards, this same gentle affirming God drives him into the wilderness–a place of barrenness, emptiness, isolation, fear, and despair. What was Jesus’ greatest temptation in the desert? Writes Thomas, the wilderness was the place where Jesus had “to face down every vicious assault on his identity as God’s treasured child.” He had to stand firm in his conviction that God, indeed, still loves him–despite some of the terrible things he is experiencing. When we are having a “wilderness experience,” we too can be tempted to believe that God has forsaken us. We might even rage against God (as St. Teresa of Avila did), and cry out, “If this is the way you treat your friends, no wonder you have so few of them!”
Thomas describes a time she was in the wilderness. Her daughter, who was in middle school, developed anorexia. Thomas was filled with bewilderment, terror, anger, and a sense of complete failure as a mother. She and her husband, fearing for their daughter’s life, “hospitalized her for her own safety.” The day after her admission, the doctors told them they would not be able to see their daughter for several days as part of the treatment. Thomas fell into a “deep abyss.” She found herself driving her car aimlessly into a part of town she was unfamiliar with. In a daze, she pulled into the parking lot of a Catholic book store, a store she didn’t even know existed. As she wandered up and down the aisles, a Sister came up to her and asked, “Can I help you find anything?” Thomas burst into tears.
She writes, “For three or four minutes I cried so hard, I couldn’t speak.” The Sister took Thomas’ hands and let her cry. When she could breathe again, the nun said, “Wait here.” She disappeared for a few moments and then returned with a silver crucifix on a chain. Jesus’ broken body was clearly outlined on the cross. This surprised Thomas for her church had crosses, but without the body of Jesus on the cross. The Sister pressed the crucifix into Thomas’ hand, looked into her eyes, and said, “Keep this. Hang onto it. Only a suffering God can help.”
The temptation story reminds us that Jesus was not alone in the wilderness. Mark tells us that Satan and wild beasts were there. But also God the Spirit was present there as well as angels. God was present in the wilderness not as a wizard who would magically remove Thomas’ anguish, but as a God “who accompanies.” A God who “dwells in mystery, but never abandons us to face the mystery alone.” This same God sends us angels who don’t “fix” us or our circumstances. But rather they simply tend to us in our pain–as that Sister in the bookstore tended to the sobbing Thomas. These angels can take many forms: a good friend, a total stranger, a single paragraph from a spiritual book, a wide-eyed grandchild, a thoughtful neighbor, a kind receptionist in a doctor’s offce, a purring cat on our lap, or a field of sunflowers we just happen to pass along the way.
My prayer for all of us is this:
When we encounter the wilderness in our own lives, may we experience the companionship of Jesus “who knows the barren places better than we do.” When we are spending time with wild beasts–those circumstances beyond our control that terrorize us–may we recognize the angels God sends to minister to us in our pain and bewilderment. And may we always embrace the truth of who we really are: a “precious, beautiful, and wholly liberated” child of God.
For reflection:
Did any words in this reflection stand out for you today?
Who or what have been some of the “tending angels” for you when you were experiencing the wilderness?
Have you ever been a “tending angel” for someone else experiencing the wilderness in their lives?
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PS #1: This week I am directing a retreat for some Sisters of Notre Dame in Toledo, OH. I ask for the support of your prayers. Thank you very much!
PS# 2: Here’s the first ripe tomato from my porch garden. I know, I know, it’s not very big, but I’m sure it will be delicious! The plant has one more green tomato on it. So my total crop this year will be TWO tomatoes–if I’m lucky!
Our video today is “Gracious God” by Jesse Manibusan. Although it is a Lenten song, it is an appropriate song for those times we may feel we have been led into the desert, into the wilderness, by God. May we see such a time as a “sacred struggle” where God is with us, helping us to take one step at a time. May we be strengthened by our “suffering God” and “our longing to see God’s face.”
I welcome you to write a comment to this reflection below.
Dear Readers: I made a mistake this week and accidentally posted TWO reflections for today: this one and another on what writers say about writing. I realized my mistake at 5:00 AM and removed the post on writing–but the alert had already gone out to all of you. If you clicked it on, it said “page cannot be found.” But this is today’s reflection and next week you’ll get the one on writing. Sorry for the confusion! Melannie
27 Responses
Thank you, as always, for you beautiful and inspiring reflection as I begin another week. And your tomato is perfect, and I am sure it was delicious! Congrats on a successful harvest! 🍅
What wisdom you have, Sr. Melanie! One of my “tending angels” is my dear friend Dora. When I was a busy single parent of three, I contracted viral meningitis. She and I taught school together. After I came home from a very long hospital stay, She came over every day after school and swept my floors and brought me mashed potatoes and did so many things that I was not able to do. Every day. She was my “tending angel!’ And still is.
Thank you for this! 💕
Sr. Melanie, you are my tending Angel. Thank you God!
Sr. Melanie, just as Patricia Neel says, “you are my tending angel”. I found your name in one of the periodicals I read and looked up your blog a few years ago. Often, before I look to see who has written something that speaks to my soul, I often know it’s you before I look. Thank you for using your God given talent to help us.
I always find comfort in your words. I am in a wilderness time right now and today’s words were ones I needed to hear. I also just purchased your book Hanging on to Hope. I know that God will see me through this trial and I thank you for your help.
Good afternoon, Sr. Melannie…
Good afternoon, all…
I can only echo all the words that have come before me, especially these: “You are my tending angel.” You are. Thank you!
Dear Sister Melanie,
Last night, I received an email that looked like a Sunflower Seeds blog in every way. It was entitled What Writers Think. When I clicked on the link, it took me to File 404…fyi.
Tomato looks tasty.
Thank you for Sunflower Seeds
.
Hi Sr. Melannie! I too echo other readers’ comments that you are one of my attending angels. I am experiencing a bit of a desert storm right now with my sister’s death, my own recent health issues and another significant loss in my life. I know that I have been led here by God but at times it feels like I’m alone in the desert. You pointed out that the Spirt was with Jesus so I know that I can rely on that too.
As I reflect on this past month I have had several attending angels. On the day my sister passed, one of my former colleagues called because as she said God prompted her to call me. She was left with my sobbing and no words for what seemed like an eternity to both of us. I knew God’s love and hers as well. I was attended to by another angel after mass yesterday. A parent of one of my former students not knowing of my other loss said she needed to tell me that the situation I am experiencing now would turn out well in time. Tears again. I need to trust in our good God’s love for me.
Know of my prayers for you and the sisters that you are ministering to this week! God bless!
Sister Melanie, I was looking for last weeks post on What Writers Say about Writing, and wasn’t able to find it. Thanks for letting us know about the mistake and I will look for it next week. I enjoyed some of the quotes that you had selected from other writers and look forward to reading it again.
Dear Sister Melannie,
Your reflections are a ray of sunshine always pointing us to our Heavenly Father and His constant, never ending love for us.
Thank you and God bless you. You are a gift to each of us.
With love and gratitude,
Priscilla Gray Plott
Just what I needed to hear about tending angels. Thanks Sister Melannie! My Mom has been in Hospice since January and her body is slowly fading away as she loses weight and her memory. It feels like we have been walking in the wilderness with her.
God bless.
Several years ago, Sr. Melannie wrote a blog “I Am Being Erased …”. Look it up for some helpful reflection as you journey with your dear mother.
Thank You, Lord.
I LOVE WHAT THE NUN TOLD HER. THE SUFFERING GOD IS WITH US and understands! Thanks Sister!
Terry Comella
What a beautiful reflection Melannie, thank you. It gave me an entirely new perspective on Jesus’s time of wilderness in the desert. Never thought before that he was suffering that way. It always grabs me in the gut whenever I’ve experienced a quiet or profound blessing and renewal of faith, how quickly the evil one tries to penetrate and destroy the joy. Thank God for his faithfulness when He answers with “I am here, what can I do for you?”
You’re in my prayers for a good retreat.
Beautiful. I will hold this in my heart. Thank for being Angie to all of ys
Revised comment. Thank you for being our caring angel.
Going back through the years, recalling angels in my life, I particularly love when I was a young single mom, recently divorced with two small children. I was moving into a new apartment…the move had taken place on a Saturday, by family, while I was working. The next day I was faced with piles of boxes that needed to be unpacked and put away, but I was overwhelmed by all that was being asked of me. As I sat on the floor in a corner crying my eyes out, a knock came on the door and it was an Aunt and Uncle who had come to help me get organized and get things taken care of…..what a blessing they both were to me, letting me know that I was not alone in that desert that was my life at that time.
Thank you S. Melannie for reminding me of a time I felt special,
Mary N.
Thank you Sr. Melannie for you wonderfully inspiring blog!!! I’ve had many a guiding angel in my life & hopefully I’ve been one to others. We have a Gracious & Glorious God who sees us safely through out wilderness journeys, even when we might not feel His presence.
Congratulations on your tomato!!!! It’s more than I can grow.
Thank you. I treasure your writing, your presence in my life and the visits we are blessed to have when I come to town. Thank you.
Thank you, Sr. Melannie! Once again you are my tending angel.
Hi Sister Melannie, This reflexion was just what I needed in my wilderness. God did send me an angel, Ann, whom I will have to send back to Chardon next week. She is truly a gift. My prayers are with you for your retreat.
How timely for me. I am still facing wilderness. I’ve been working very hard to put this in God’s hands. I put appropriate quotes from Scripture onto the notes on my phone, so I can get to them quickly. Your words about being a loved child of God and having faith that someone is there with us – to guide us through – reinforce what I’ve been struggling with to find the right ideas and words to be faithful and strong through my wilderness. Thank you for your inspiration once again.
Sister Melanie,
Thank you so much for this beautiful reflection. It was just what I needed at the time I needed it most. Lucky folks who get to experience your retreat this week.
🙏
Thank you Sister Melanie, I know God works in mysterious ways and for me it was the timing of this week’s blog, which I really needed. My husband and I were thrown into a dessert season with his recent dementia diagnosis. The way you explained the temptation story, that God the Spirit and the angels were with Jesus as well as Satan and the wild beasts mirrors our life right now. This was very comforting to me this week. Congratulations on your tomato (and hopefully two!). You garden like me!
Dear Sister,
I was lucky enough to have guiding angels in the Sisters I worked for .any years ago. They showed me such love and acceptance that I began to learn how to love. The song you posted is spot. Thank you Sisters of St Joseph!!!
Terry C