1 Lent 2024
Channel: St. Bartholomew's, Livermore
Date: 2024-02-18

Collect:  Almighty God, whose blessed Son was led by the Spirit to be tempted by Satan: Come quickly to help us who are assaulted by many temptations; and, as you know the weaknesses of each of us, let each one find you mighty to save; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Scripture: Jesus was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.

Reflection: Jesus' predicament during his forty-day fast in the wild is the one in which we so often find ourselves.  Satan is at our ear, constantly seeking to turn us off course with tempting but empty promises.  But God's holy angels are also with us, waiting on us, protecting us, and encouraging us.  And what brought Jesus ultimate victory is the same thing that can do so for us.  He didn't give up, plain and simple.  He saw his forty-day journey of fasting and prayer through to the end, and in doing so found himself able to resist the words of the devil and follow the path that leads to everlasting life and glory.  If we are able to have the patience and courage to see whatever commitments we make to fasting and prayer through to the end, we too can discover that while Satan may badger us constantly, his wiles will ultimately fail.  God's holy angels are close at hand, waiting upon us and helping us find and stay on the path that leads to the place our hearts desire most.