I can´t get this past Sunday´s Gospel out of my head. Do you remember what it was? =) After going to Mass on Ash Wednesday, complete with getting ashes on my forehead and making my plans as to what I was going to give up during Lent, this past Sunday when I was in mass the Gospel hit me over the head like a sledge hammer because it really helped me see Lent through different lenses. Hearing the story about Jesus being led by the Holy Spirit into the desert for forty days to be tempted by the devil, without food, should really put our Lenten journey into perspective.
First of all, we have the example of Jesus who follows the Holy Spirit into the barren desert to fast and pray for forty days. Now that I live in Mexico for the school semester I understand what the desert is like physically. It is very cold through the night and through the morning, and of course, very hot during the day. Also, the barren desert is nothing but dirt, dust, and cacti. But why does Jesus go into the desert without food to be tempted by the devil?
1. Jesus goes to PRAY, which strengthens his relationship with the Father, and Jesus denies the devil in the process saying, “It is written: You shall worship the Lord, your God, and him alone shall you serve.”
2. Jesus goes to fast in the desert in order to accomplish the same goal, which is to strengthen his relationship with the Father by showing him that the following statement is true: “It is written, Man does not live on bread alone but by every Word that comes from the mouth of God.”
This Lent we have the opportunity to follow the example of Jesus with our OWN Lenten observance, following Jesus who goes to spend time in the barren desert to 1. To pray 2. To fast 3. Be tempted by the devil himself, all in order to become closer to God and experience his saving graces. We should do this not because the Pope and the Catholic Church as an Institution tells us to do it, but because we want to follow the our role model, friend, and our brother, Jesus.
Ciro ‘14
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