During this First Sunday of Lent, we learned that Jesus was led into the desert to be tempted by the devil for 40 days. What a terrible predicament for our Lord! And it says he ate nothing! While our Lenten pilgrimage is marked by fasting, prayer, and almsgiving, can you even imagine what our Savior must have gone through? God Almighty provides protection, though. We can take comfort in these words from the responsorial psalm, “For to his angels he has given command about you, that they guard you in all your ways.”
What’s more, Christ’s example gives us knowledge concerning an important weapon in fighting Satan and temptation – the Holy Bible. Multiple times in our Gospel passage, we see Jesus responding to temptation with scripture references. These are enough to make the devil flee. We are blessed this Lent if we are able to spend some extra time in God’s word each day. It is an important way God helps us guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Speaking of guardianship, God entrusted the care of his infant son to St. Joseph along with the Blessed Mother. At the Shrine of St. Joseph, in Stirling, NJ, a new “Pilgrim Chapel '' is under construction that will honor the life of Jesus’ guardian, St. Joseph, and will be a peaceful, beautiful place to pray for the safety and spiritual well-being of all families as well as God’s family, the church. This Lent and always, your friends at NASPA wish to encourage you to find rest in God’s Holy Word and in His providence, as well as in our nation’s holy shrines – may they strengthen you against temptation..
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