lent in the Jubilee Year

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ; People of Saint Brigid Parish,

Our Lenten journey is a pilgrimage of faith and hope. On the very first day of Lent, we accepted ashes to express our hope in God, that He alone can make us a new creation. This Sunday, we go with Jesus to the desert to learn how to overcome temptation. Our hope is to undergo a deep test. Satan tried to offer Jesus some substitutions of hope. Are we not tempted to replace our hope in God with tricky offers, false offers? Next Sunday, Jesus is taking us to the mountain to show us the coming glory, to kindle our hope, and to show us true promises; the resurrection which is on the horizon of our Lenten journey.

In the desert, Jesus gave us an example of how to overcome temptation. Can it be done without hope? We defeat temptation when we put our hope in God. The first week of this holy season calls us to strengthen hope against temptation. Let our Lenten journey renew our hope and attract many other people to the life in this hope.

During this Lenten journey we are blessed to be able to renew our relationship with God. That relationship is called a covenant with God. A covenant is some kind of agreement; God gives His promise in Jesus; and we promise to accept His commandments. In hope we accept His word.

This Jubilee Year is a good time to deepen our hope with our Lenten practices. We are not saved because we are perfect people; we are saved because of our faith and hope. As a cloud sheltered and led Israelites to the Promised Land, our hope becomes our strength and compass on our journey. Those who lost hope perished in the desert. We are hopeful when we look forward to our future; prepared by the One who truly loves us, who supplies us with the nourishment and drink. Let the Eucharistic banquet feed our hope and open our eyes for the glory that has been prepared for us.

God bless you!
Father Andrew