The first Sunday of Lent, marked by Jesus’s journey into the wilderness to fast for 40 days, reminds us that there is more to life than earthly desires. Following the Baptism of our Lord in Luke’s Gospel, we see that Jesus was led by the Spirit. In the same way, we too must seek moments throughout this Lenten season where we can be empowered by the Holy Spirit. These moments invite us to undergo our own fasts and embark on spiritual journeys to our own deserts of solitude and peace, where we can commune with our Lord Jesus.
Through prayer, we are empowered on our journey to receive the Holy Spirit in our lives. As the reading from Deuteronomy reminds us, the priests offered the firstfruits of the harvest to the Lord as a holy sacrifice. Do we offer God the firstfruits of our time and our actions? Perhaps this Lent, we can make it our goal to enrich our prayer life by setting aside distractions that dim our hearts, allowing the light of the Holy Spirit to shine within us. We can also practice this through almsgiving, sharing the blessings God provides with others.
Jesus fasted during this time, and fasting calls us to empty ourselves so that we might be filled with something greater. As the responsorial verse before the Gospel reminds us, “One does not live by bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God” (Mt. 4:4). During this time, we see that Jesus was tempted by Satan. We, too, are tempted as adopted sons and daughters of God. Our only response must be one of “Be gone, Satan,” allowing the Holy Spirit to overcome the desires and temptations that separate us from drawing closer to God.
This Lenten season, we are called to enter our own spiritual desert and seek God’s grace to do His holy will. Along the way, we will feel hungry, tired, and enticed by distractions. Yet, God offers us a reward beyond comparison at the end of this pilgrimage. Have courage and trust that Jesus is guiding us on this journey.
One thing we can do is to offer a Morning Offering prayer to God each day so that we recall what our mission is:
O Jesus,
through the Immaculate Heart of Mary,
I offer You my prayers, works,
joys and sufferings
of this day for all the intentions
of Your Sacred Heart,
in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass
throughout the world,
in reparation for my sins,
for the intentions of all my relatives and friends,
and in particular
for the intentions of the Holy Father.
Amen.
StreetEvangelist 