by Sister Rose Jochmann
As we begin Lent 2026, we remember the themes set before us on Ash Wednesday: Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving. In today’s gospel, Jesus was led to the desert for forty days. This sounds like our Lenten journey of forty days. Does Lent seem like a journey into the desert?
As I read the Sunday Gospel, it seems to relate to the Lenten themes. In the first temptation, Jesus was hungry. That reminds us of the Lenten theme of Fasting. For Lent we may be considering limiting food or making more healthy food choices. The second temptation relates to worship. It reminds us of Prayer and the importance of God in our lives. Prayer helps us keep our priority on God and to reflect on the place of God in our world. The third temptation may be a “stretch” to relate to the Lenten theme of Almsgiving. Jesus did not test God to take care of him if he cast himself off the temple. We are not called to test God, but to trust God. We trust God when we decide to share our resources or time with the needy of our local area. We trust God when we step out and take a risk to take a stand for those suffering from injustice and prejudice.
So, what is Lent all about? Lent is a time for us to make choices about our lives. Which choices will we make to demonstrate to others that God is first in our lives? Which choices will we make each day to care for our neighbors or improve our world? Which choices will we make to improve our lives and the lives of those close to us? We go back to those basic themes of Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving.