In our recent spring newsletter, the Prior Provincial, Fr Kevin Alban suggested how we might understand the gospel for each of the five Sundays of Lent, and how we might pray them. Each Friday, we'll add these reflections to our blog so you can read them and prepare for the Gospel before Sunday:
First Sunday of Lent: 18 February – Jesus is tempted (Mark 1: 12-15)
Mark reminds us immediately of Jesus’ true and complete humanity. He is tempted in the desert, but God’s messengers, the angels, are always with him to emphasise that the Father always looks after the Son and protects him. The desert or wild places is a key concept in Mark’s gospel. The desert is a place of solitude where the presence of God may be more apparent. It is a place where the Spirit can act on us without distractions. But the desert is also a place of danger, of extremes of hot and cold. It is a threatening place where we are faced with our mortality. Are we ready to face up to the risk of belief?
I hope that Lent proves to be a fruitful time for you. One way of deepening our appreciation of this season might be to read the Sunday gospel during the preceding week so that when we hear it again at Mass we are really familiar with it.
Fr Kevin Alban, O.Carm
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