First Sunday of Lent
Resist Temptation! Repent And Believe!
The Desert — a stark, foreboding place, dangerous and life-threatening. Hot in the day, cold at night, the desert is a seemingly “lifeless” place.
Yet there is life in the desert. There is life to be discovered in the desert! And that is why Jesus, before beginning his ministry, first goes into the desert for forty days and nights.Mark tells us in the Gospel reading that Jesus is driven into the desert to pray, to fast, and yes, to be tempted. He will emerge from the desert strong, determined and fortified. He will proclaim his message: “This is the time of fulfilment, The Kingdom of God is at hand. Re-pent, and believe in the gospel!”
We have begun our Lenten journey. We are challenged to make a “desert place” in our lives, a time, a place, an attitude where we can return to a spirit of prayer, where we can fast from those things that keep us from God and one another. Yes, this can be a time of fulfillment! Repent and believe in the gospel!