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Luke 4 1-13 “Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days to be tempted by the devil.”
In our society, we can feel ashamed to find ourselves in a desert of poverty, grief, illness, or marginalization - as if we are to blame for our own suffering.
In this Sunday’s gospel, we are challenged to contemplate the reality that Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit when he was led into the desert - a place of great trials and temptation. He was not led into a time of suffering by his own wrongdoing but by the Spirit of God as part of his path of salvation for all mankind.
Even though we don’t perfectly resist temptation like Jesus did - sometimes we too find ourselves in a desert time through no fault of our own. We can be traumatized by circumstances beyond our control and left to grapple with the impact of unjust systems in our lives, tempted to give up hope.
This Lenten season, I encourage you to contemplate the reality that Jesus is our hope, and he is present with you in the desert. Whether you are going through a personal hardship or struggling to pray, fast and give alms for others - he sees you clearly, loves you unconditionally and is with you every step of the way.
Heb 4:15 "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin."
