Lent’s Spiritual Desert
“Lent is a new beginning, a path leading to the certain goal of Easter, Christ’s victory over death. This season urgently calls us to conversion. Christians are asked to return to God ‘with all their hearts’ (Joel 2:12), to refuse to settle for mediocrity and grow in friendship with the Lord.”
~Pope Francis
This Sunday’s Gospel tells us that the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the desert to be tempted. The desert is not only a physical place, but also a psychological state of loneliness, trials, and temptations. It is the place where man finds out the truth about himself and encounters God. It is also the place where Jesus was victorious over the Devil and shows us who He is: our Lord and our God.
Every year the Church enters into the season of Lent to remind us that every day we are presented with the choice to either avoid or choose sin, which ultimately lead to eternal life or death. We are constantly tempted by power, glory, and pleasure. We are tempted to eat that extra piece of cake, to watch the next episode (when we could pray instead), to be afraid in the face of crises and natural disasters, and to yell when we could practice patience. We are tempted to choose death. For this reason, we need God and His grace.
What is most important during this Lenten Season is to remember that Jesus is Our Lord Who knows exactly what we experience. If we really desire to be faithful to God and ask Him for His help, then He will give us the strength to confront and overcome daily trials and temptations. He will give us the grace we need to be like Him: holy. He will assist us in choosing life.
As we enter into the spiritual desert of Lent, let us spend time in silence in order to listen to God’s voice, reflect on our lives. Let us also take this opportunity to ask ourselves: For whom do I live? For what do I long? Hopefully the answers to those questions are: Jesus Christ and eternal life. If they are not, let us ask the Lord for His grace so that we can turn our spiritual situation around.
Yours in Christ,
Father Arthur
Readings for the 1st Sunday of Lent: Lectionary 22
Tags: #arthurmarat, #fatherarthur, #fatherarthurmarat, #lent, #olw, #olwparish, #reflection
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