In every liturgical year the Church brings us in the first Sunday of Lent to reflect on the Lord’s being led into the desert to struggle and be tempted.
The first Sunday of Lent reminds us of the very real humanity of Christ. It also reminds us that we, like Jesus, need to struggle in the process of knowing who we are in relation to God and one another.
In order for us to make real progress in this inward journey of self realization, we need to take the spiritual desert seriously.
- many people are afraid of the desert.
- Afraid to face the interior noise and pain.
- Lent and our mission calls us to face this spiritual “noise” that keeps us from being more fully human and alive.
Jesus calls us individually and corporately to go into the desert with Him.
- to learn to trust Him
- to learn to be present to Him in the power of the Holy Spirit.
- To battle the enemy and the noise and the distraction within us.
The spiritual desert is a tough place where we learn to recognize and do battle against the temptations that separate us from the Lord of Life.
St.Augustine of Hippo says …
“we progress by means of trial. No one knows himself except through trial…we can only grow when struggling against temptation and challenge.”
The interior life of struggling from self and more habitually centering on Christ is something we must simply practice and do.
- The spiritual practices of meditating on the Word of God, and of learning how to be more open in our daily living to the Love of God, are foundational practices in Christian living.
- Such spiritual practices can only be learned by practicing them, and over time, the spiritual fruit will be realized.
Lent is an invitation to enter into the inner desert…
With the Holy Spirit…
To say no to the enemy within us…
As we grow stronger in this inner spiritual journey with Christ, we will be more effective in drawing others into the holy dance of Eternal life and Love.
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