At the beginning of Lent, we see Jesus being led into the desert to be tempted by the devil. Many of us see Lent as a time for us to enter our own desert. We go into the desert to reflect on our relationship with God, our response to God's presence and action in our lives, and our relationship with others. We do this because we want to deepen our faith in and relationship with God.
Like Jesus, we are also tempted by the devil, temptations that lead to us doubting our faith, what we believe, and whether our experiences of God are real. I believe in Lent, we are tempted more than ordinarily, and this is because we have made an intentional decision to deepen our faith. The coming of Jesus into the world invites us into a relationship that should encourage our faith in God.
Jesus reminds us that faith is necessary for salvation. When we believe in him, who has come to save the world, we will not be condemned. The darkness in each of us sometimes disturbs our faith; it leads us to believe and rely on our limited resources for our salvation. We are condemned without Jesus and risk being separated from God, but the coming of Jesus into the world invites us to eternal life and opens us to the possibility of making a response of faith.
Spend a few moments in conversation with the Lord about your faith, asking him to increase your faith so that you may deepen your trust in him.
Reflections by
Morongoa Selepe
