Part of our Lenten journey is deepening of our awareness that we are people who have a Covenant with the Living God.  We are not just people who believe in God.  We are people sought out by God, people formed by God and people with a special love relationship with God.  Only when we are deeply aware of His love for us we can truly begin to do penance in a Christian way.

That’s what the readings entail to us now, “ito and simula”, this is the beginning of going back and strengthening our relationship with our God, the Living God. Jesus was in the dessert to recharge, to take a pause for days and months of working. He was in the dessert for 40 days, but in the moments of solitude and contemplation, Satan came to temp him through a flowered word. And how many of us have been tempted in our silence? How many of us have been tempted by alluring invitation of the world? All of us are weak, yet we are able to conquer those temptations because God is in our midst.  And Jesus too, because of his great connectivity with the Father and His firmness in the love of God. He was able to conquer and win in the battle of temptation, because of string and strong covenant. He knows who He is and who is important in his life. And no doubt after His days in the desert, He continued His mission to serve the people that the Father entrusted to him.

This gospel is the beginning, “ito ang simula” of our journey toward a deeper relationship with our God. Time to recharge from many occupation and with many things happening in our life. Sometimes we are tempted not to share our energy to others, times where we are tempted to stay in our comfort zone, times when we are tempted to be too much concern of our own preoccupation, times when we are tempted to stop and be eaten by our fear. Ito ang simula (This is the beginning) of going back again to our 40 days, recharging our energy, to believe deeper in our God who loves us much and  comes to save us in moments we are tempted. This is the moment to listen to Him attentively and to meditate and turn away from anything that misleads us and walk always with God. And when we are totally recharged with God, nothing can stop us to say Yes at all times. After the 40 days in the dessert, Jesus continued His mission by attending the needs of the people. And we too, after recovering, let us begin our ministry in proclaiming the Good News of God.

 

Sister Vhie, CMT

Our Lady of Virtues Community

Pangantucan, Bukidnon