Enduring Joy: What Serving Refugees Taught Me
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It’s Lent again and we find ourselves confronted with the Gospel in which Jesus was tempted by the devil in the desert. He was hungry. He ate nothing for 40 days. He was tempted by the devil to make food for himself – to ‘be God” and fix his problem.
Why suffer? Why be tempted? Why deny self? The devil says these things in one way or another to Jesus by how he tempts him. Jesus resists him and wins the battle with temptation. He knows He’s supposed to stay in that desert, deny himself, fast, pray, and wait.
Right now there may be temptations to “be God” and solve your own problem(s) too, or you may be thinking: What’s the use in fasting, in denying myself something that’s good, or suffering delayed gratification this Lent?
Sometimes those thoughts come to my own mind, but I know that Jesus gives us the example of fasting for a reason. It’s meant to be part of our Lenten journey, and like the Gospel shows through a story later in Scripture, some demons and problems can only be fixed through fasting and prayer.
There’s no way around it. It’s something we must do and it’s beneficial to our spiritual life. Especially if we find ourselves facing a problem or demon that we can’t get rid of in any other way.
So whether it’s giving up food, drink, distractions, or something that gives us pleasure, we are entering into what Jesus did. The desert experience. The experience of emptiness and hunger for that which we want. The experience of letting God be God.
Today Jesus shows us the way: Stay in that desert. Resist the temptation to be God. Fast and pray. Let God have His way with you this Lenten season.
Katie Zalany lives in Cleveland Ohio. She is a Third Order Secular Franciscan (OFS), spiritual director, benefits/wellness leader, certified health and life coach, and volunteer. She is the creator of the ministry Women in Waiting | Made for Fruitfulness and is a published author. Her writing interests and focus areas include Gospel reflections, Franciscan spirituality, women's spirituality, prayer, and integration of faith and daily living.
