A Meditation for the Second Sunday in Lent: Entering into the Desert


During this second week in Lent, Our Lord beckons us, by his example, to follow after him, as he retreats to the desert for forty days. He desires to draw us closer to Him by alluring us into the inner recesses of His heart. He wants to renew us in his love and to refine us with the fire of his love. It is in solitude and silence, particularly before the Blessed Sacrament, that we learn who He is and who we are. In solitude and in the silence of our hearts, He reveals to us his deepest desires.

"So I will allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak to her heart. There she will respond to me as she did when she was young, I will espouse you to me forever, betroth you with integrity and justice, with tenderness and love. I will betroth you to myself with faithfulness, and you will come to know the Lord."

~Hosea 2:16-17, 21-22

By spending quiet time with Him we can learn what His will is for us. We can learn how He desires for us to become holier this Lent. Let us depart from the noisiness and chaos of our busy lives this week and join Him in the desert.

Despite the peace and the solitude of the desert, there will be inner distractions and temptations. These temptations, however, can be silenced and will flee when we focus on Christ's passion and death.

Questions For Reflection:

What do I need to do to strip away distractions from my life in order to be alone with the Lord? What evils confront me there? How can I deal effectively with these temptations and focus on God? How can I rectify this evil and turn it into something beautiful for the Lord?

Suggested activities:

Turn off your car radio and/or tape/CD player as you travel to and from work or when you run errands. Use this time for quiet reflection.

Spend time before the Blessed Sacrament or in your prayer closet at home meditating on the Passion and death of Christ before a crucifix.

Attend the Stations of the Cross this week.

Prayer

Dear Mother Mary, you suffered so much during the brutal crucifixion of your Son, Jesus. Take us by the hand, and lead us up Calvary this Lent so we can be with Jesus. We ask for the supernatural strength to avoid temptations and internal distractions that attempt to prevent us from focusing fully on the Cross this Lent. We trust in you, dear Mother, to provide all the help we need to keep our hearts focused on your Son, Jesus and to unite our hearts with His. Help us to spend time with Jesus in front of His Blessed Eucharistic Sacrament this Lent and to enter into the desert so that we can grow in holiness. We ask this in the Holy name of Jesus Christ Our Lord and Savior. Amen.
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Comments

  1. Anonymous3/5/06, 3:16 PM

    This makes me reflect on what I am doing the Lord this Lent and how I need to spend more time in the desert.

    Thanks for the beautiful meditation.

    ReplyDelete

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