The Lenten desert leads us to God

Intermountain Catholic

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IC photo/Marie Mischel

The desert is where we go to meet God. Perhaps this is why Jesus went into the desert to begin his public ministry. He knew that there he would not be distracted by the tugs and pulls of daily life. In the desert, Jesus would be alone, truly alone, and he could hear more clearly the voice of his father calling him to do his will.

The desert provided Jesus with the venue he needed to make sure he was on the right path, even if it was a path fraught with peril and suffering. Of course, this path did not end with the cross but with the resurrection: no cross, no resurrection.

No wonder, then, that the Church calls you and me to enter into the desert of Lent, that we also might confirm our desire to do the will of God in our lives. It is in the Lenten desert that we can strip away the superfluous, the unnecessary, and do battle with our temptation to make ourselves the center of the universe instead of God, and thus reestablish our commitment to follow Christ, no matter the cost. It is in the desert that we will follow the path that leads to the Easter mysteries in which we will celebrate Christ’s resurrection and his triumph over sin and death.

What does the desert of Lent look like?

Our Lenten desert is comprised of the three elements I mentioned last week: fasting, almsgiving and prayer. By fasting, we are reminded that we are hungry for God. By almsgiving, we are reminded that Christ’s body, the Church, is hungry for God. By praying, we are reminded that we are hungry for eternal life with God.

These Lenten practices put me in touch with my existential poverty and my journey in the desert reminds me to turn to God, not the world, if I wish to experience the fullness of life.