We see the tragedy of mindlessness when our beloved ones develop Alzheimer's disease. We understand what it is to have a spirit, that part of us which can be beaten down by sarcasm or cowed by a bully, that part of us which can be enriched with music, art, the life of prayer or by the laughter of a child. Perhaps we only think about our souls when we encounter someone who is soulless, or someone who has sold his soul to the corporation. The readings present us with the options which will define our struggle for the wholeness and integrity of our souls. The Genesis parable with its charming tale of the man and the woman must be approached with caution since it has been wilfully misused to blame the woman for the ills of the world.
Faith has no place for scape-goating.
But the story does present the option of autonomy. And the wilderness story gives us the option of co-operation. This man Jesus, fresh from the waters of Baptism must now wrestle with a vocation which to be true to his call, must be a vocation of co-operation with the Holy One. And struggle he must, thank God, for his struggle enlightens ours. And he leaves the desert convinced that his soul, having been tested, will now live in communion with God.