First Sunday of Lent
Brothers & sisters!
Happy Lent to you all! The Church begins our Lenten journey each year by reflection on the passage of Jesus going into the desert to be tempted by Satan. It always strikes me that the Gospel says, “The Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert.” (Mk 1:12). It’s not that Jesus goes out casually to the desert, or that he isn’t aware of what awaits him there. Rather, the Holy Spirit compels him to go out! As we begin this Lent, let us make be attentive to how the Spirit is moving within us. How is he compelling you, and driving you out into the desert?
The desert is the place of silence and solitude. While it is a place of temptation, it is also a place of encounter with the Lord. Perhaps this Lent the Lord is calling
you, even compelling you to go out from your places of comfort and distraction and find him in the “desert of solitude” that is prayer. More than doing more or giving up things during Lent, the Lord truly desires to encounter us in prayer. I encourage you to include some form of silent prayer among your Lenten commitments.
This going out into the desert goes well with our Lenten theme, “Let go & Let God.” It is in the desert where we can let God be the protagonist in our lives. We let go of our desire to feel better about ourselves by doing more or giving things up. And we let God speak his words of eternal life: “The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the Gospel.”
What is the Gospel, the Good News that God has come to bring us? He has come to do that which we ourselves cannot do. He truly brings us healing and salvation. All he asks of us is to let him. This passive action is often more difficult for us than our own sacrifices. When we mess up, do we not instinctively feel that we must do something to make up for our offense? And yet, God does not ask us this. He does not desire sacrifices and offerings, but rather a contrite heart (Ps51). He desires us to turn back to him and in this way, let Him be our savior.
This Lent, let us hear the movement of the Spirit in our heart that calls us to go out into the desert and encounter the Lord. He is calling us to let go of our desire to save ourselves, to let him be our savior.
God bless you,
Patrick Travers | Newman Director Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time