First Sunday of Lent
In every area of our lives there is an ongoing need for renewing and refocusing. Lent is our annual spring clean of our spiritual lives renewing our faith as a preparation for celebrating the events of Holy Week in which there are so many messages for us. In our Gospel story for this Sunday we hear about Jesus being tempted in the wilderness before Jesus set out to do his Fathers work he went out into the dessert for forty days of fasting and prayer and during this time he was tempted by the devil. The devil tempted him to use his power to take care of himself, prove his identity by performing astounding signs and make alliances with political and military powers to get himself and his message across and his response to the temptations of the devil was that you shall not put the lord your God to the test. Many of us put God to the test with the things that we do and say to one another and so many have completely left their faith behind them. As we begin Lent for this year we ask ourselves how do we face the temptations of life? When times get rough and we feel alone, do we still trust in God? When our life just seems empty, do we still believe in the Father who loves us?
Are we willing to risk everything for the sake of the Gospel, or do we settle for guarding our own security? Do we make our authority felt so that people are degraded, or is it a real service to others at times these are questions that all of us need to ask ourselves and Lent gives us the opportunity to do this.
Over the next 6 weeks we live our lives of faith to the full taking the opportunities to grow in the faith. During the time of Lent We are invited to recommit ourselves fully to God and his ways remembering that Jesus preaches “Metanoia” that is Repentance or Coming back. Coming back to God and returning requires change of heart, mind and Spirit. There are many temptations in the life of the follower of Christ but our Father in heaven always welcomes back the repentant sinner the one who says Lord have mercy on me for I am a sinner. So on this first Sunday of Lent as we think about the temptation of Jesus in the dessert we think about how we may increase our Faith in preparation for Holy Week and the great feast of Easter. There will be many opportunities for renewing our spiritual selves through times of Prayer and courses of instruction and most importantly the chance to get daily Mass. As well as that there will be many chances to celebrate the sacrament of confession in which we celebrate metanoia or conversion of heart. Over the next few weeks may we make good use of our Lenten journey as the journey of faith continues so at the end of Lent we will be able to hear and understand the messages that Holy Week and Easter have for us renewed in heart mind and spirit and then put them into action in our own lives in the times ahead.
Fullerton T 