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“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights and afterwards he was hungry. (Mt 4:1-2)
The passage above speaks of the desert, fasting, forty days and nights and temptation in several forms. If these words and concepts stay stored in the attic along with other seasonal articles for most of the year, they are brought out and dusted off for the special preparation for Easter that is the season of Lent. The forty days that Jesus endured provide a template for fasting and prayer for all believers to follow during this sacred time of year.
The desert that has become a figurative place for the modern Christian was a very real place for Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus was alone in one sense but was “led by the spirit” and ministered to by angels. We, too, have the Holy Spirit, our guardian angels as well as the whole court of Heaven on our side during Lent and beyond.
The quiet of the desert can foster the ability to listen to what proceeds from the inner chamber of the heart. Without the myriads of distractions competing for time and attention, we can “clear our calendars” to make room for God’s word. In the “old days” of the VCR, if you wanted to record a show, you would have to make sure that you had enough room on the tape. Oftentimes, that meant erasing some existing content to accommodate the new material
As we give up what normally fills the needs of body, mind and spirit, we can make ourselves a capacity for God’s grace and create room in our lives for the fresh movement of the Holy Spirit.
Lord, we thank you for the gift of Lent, and the quiet of the desert to better hear you as we journey toward Heaven.
Deacon Greg Lambert was ordained in 1997, in the Diocese of St. Petersburg, and currently serves at St. Lawrence Catholic Church in Tampa, Florida.. Deacon Greg assists in the areas of RCIA, Adult Faith Formation, and Sacramental Preparation. In addition to his service at the parish level, Deacon Greg is a staff member of Diakonia newsletter for the diaconal community of the diocese. He is also part of the teaching faculty for the Lay Pastoral Ministry Institute which has accredidation from the USCCB. His articles have been published in Deacon Digest Magazine, Catholic Stand, Diakonia and Catholic365. He has a BA in Religious Studies and an MA in Theology from St. Leo University.
