Brief synopsis of the readings: Our first reading shows Moses speaking to the recently freed slaves, en route from Egypt to the promised land. Moses has given them instructions to take some of their harvest and sacrifice it to the Lord. He reminded them that God had freed them and they needed to never forget that. Luke’s Gospel describes Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit, going into the desert for 40 days. He didn’t eat anything and, hungry, was visited by the devil. Jesus is tempted to turn stone into bread and satisfy his hunger but Jesus refused. The devil then promised to give Jesus dominion over all the world’s kingdoms, and again Jesus refused. The devil then took Jesus to the top of the Temple and suggested he throw himself off, knowing the angels would save him. When this also failed, the devil left him.

Let me be the first to admit that I’m just not ready for Lent. It’s a tough time for me, and I suspect many of us, because of old messages we were given earlier in life, perhaps childhood. Lent was always seen as a type of test: find something you like, give it up, and know you’re being measured against Jesus who didn’t eat for 40 days. No pressure, right? Sometimes we can get so caught up in this that we forget that Lent is a preparation for Easter, not for Good Friday. Our observance doesn’t prove to God that we are worthy of salvation and it’s not pass/fail.

And so rather than begin with today’s Gospel, let’s look at our first reading from Deuteronomy. As I said this takes place after their escape from slavery and they are on their way to the land God promised. In a sense they are having an experience not all that different from Jesus. They are in the desert, a fairly hostile environment. They were hardly in a position to plant crops to sacrifice part of them to God, but it was Moses preparing them for a time when they could.

Maybe this was a backhanded way for Moses to remind his people that there will be a time when they will be able to plant crops and not worry about hunger. That their current hunger is temporary and the God who liberated them will not abandon them now. It sounds silly to say this, but God is stronger than the desert. Perhaps that was what Jesus was thinking of his time in the desert.

We don’t know exactly why Jesus went into the desert but he was “filled with the Holy Spirit.” That tells me that he was led because he trusted the Holy Spirit, and he must have known he was safe. As you know I live in the American Southwest where various deserts attract large swaths of the population. There is also a large “survival industry” that ensures you are prepared for that climate. Everyone knows to bring water, a flashlight, blankets, and a way for help to get to you if get in trouble. We know this because people who aren’t prepared often die when they experience unexpected thirst, or cold, or isolation.

So if Moses and Luke both look at hostile environments that will challenge but not kill us, what does that offer us for Lent? As you might imagine I’m not going to suggest that you give up something that you like just so you can prove that you’re strong enough to pull it off. If you’re battling some sort of addiction I’ll never discourage you from trying to quit, but perhaps Lent isn’t the time to do it. The added pressure of “Jesus didn’t eat for 40 days” may put actually make it harder and be a setup for failure.

As a matter of fact, perhaps Lent isn’t the time to give up something. If Lent is a preparation time for Easter, if it is an opportunity to remind ourselves that salvation waits at the end of our path, I’m not convinced we need to put additional roadblocks in our way. Simply put, we don’t need to make our path harder. Perhaps we can take this opportunity to look anew at those things that are already messing with our lives.

Nearly everyone I talk to these days feels at least a little overwhelmed by events beyond our control. If it’s not a frightening political environment it’s yet another virus that may become another COVID. Or fear about our job security, or inflation, or whatever. I’ve lost count of how many people who have told me that they believe we are in the “end times” out of a sense that things have never been this bad.

But as Catholics we don’t believe that there will be an “end times” when things get so bad God has no choice but to step in. We certainly believe in Good Friday, when things got really bad but we don’t see that as the end of the road. We are a people of hope that does not depend on what we see or what we are told. We are a people of hope based in God’s promise never to abandon us.

Maybe this Lent we can pay more attention to hope. Maybe this Lent we can see that while suffering may appear limitless it’s not. We may fear the next global virus but we beat polio when it appeared unstoppable. A century ago we witnessed a global rise in fascism, and it created great suffering, but it didn’t win.

So let’s make certain fear doesn’t win over our hearts this Lent. Let us remind ourselves that difficult times remind us of how God’s strength shows up when we least expect and that our strength comes from God and it is not to be disrespected.

In a little over six weeks we will celebrate Easter, the best part of our lives as Christian, the recognition that we will live forever. Let us live this Lent in a way that the Resurrection won’t be a surprise.