Sunday, February 18, 2024 – First Sunday of Lent - Cycle B Readings: Genesis 9:8-15, Psalm 25 “Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth to those who keep your covenant”, 1 Peter 3:18-22, Mike 1:12-15

                                                THE TRIAL IN THE DESERT
The Church begins today with the intense preparation for the holiest week of the liturgical year, and helps us to revive the central mysteries of our faith. For this reason, we are invited to gather in these forty days of Lent around the mystery of Jesus in the desert so we can strengthen in our hearts the desire to live these holy days of our redemption very close to Christ.
                                                     Brothers and Sisters:
1. We can only celebrate Passover with Christ if we let Him purify us and we reconcile ourselves with God. He wants to heal our illnesses, He wants to transfer to us the energy of the new life in Jesus Christ. He wants to renew the covenant with us. He gives us his hand. Again, let us be convinced and accept his friendly hand. Let´s look at the example of Christ and follow his path all the way until we reach total obedience of the Cross and then the happiness of Passover.

2. The desert, more than a geographical or temporal location, it is a theological place where one is forced to confront the bare truth. This desert can be an isolated place (a Retreat Home), a reserved time (a day of Retreat) or it can be the hectic city life where a person gets lost amongst the crowd. The theological desert can account for much evil as well as messengers of God.

3. The temptations of Christ, and ours, are not just about choosing right from wrong, but in knowing how to choose the means. How can we become true believers? Fighting, like Jesus, against idols that drive us only to death. Any thing, person, or ideology that takes God´s place... and drags man to emptiness,              breaking his communion with love, is an idol.
     The life of man on Earth will always be a fight against temptation and a continuous effort to conversion. This means to fight against pride, against the pagan preoccupations and against disorderly sexuality. St Augustine says, "If in Him we were tempted, in Him we will win over the devil. You see that Christ was tempt-ed and you don´t notice that he conquered temptation? Recognize yourself tempted in Him, and recognized yourself also, victorious in Him".
     Let´s revive Lent´s traditions such as the Meditation of the passion and death of our Lord, Praying the Stations of the Cross, or reading the Passion in the Gospel. Let´s maintain an environment of penitence and live Holy Week with trascendent depth without forgetting the small sacrifices we can do to help missionaries and the generous charity to help the neediest.
Amen.
Source: ePriest.com / Best Practices and Homily Resources for Catholic Priests