Friends,
Our first Sunday on the journey of lent begins with a desert setting, a place of testing and intimacy with God. As we go through this journey, we trust in the call of the Spirit who beckons us out into the wilderness, to see more clearly, to love more dearly, and to follow more nearly, the Lord of Life.
The first reading shows that faith in the Lord leads to deliverance into life and fullness. It anticipates something of the saving power of Christ, which brings fullness of life, redeeming us from being aliens because of sin. Therefore, St Paul, in his letter to the Romans, reminds us that salvation is very near because the Word is alive and active in our hearts and lips.
The Psalm speaks of the Lord who is with us in all our distress and in whom we can trust. In the Gospel, Jesus himself is putting his trust in the Father. Overcoming his testing, he continues to walk in the way of love filled with the Spirit of the Lord.
Let’s pray, this week, that we stay close to Jesus as we journey with him through the wilderness of Lent. Lord, fill us with your Spirit to overcome every physical and spiritual temptation. Lord, lead us not into temptation but deliver us from every kind of evil.
Joy and Peace
