Create a Desert

Written by Brendan Dailey on the First Sunday of Lent

What is Lent all about? Frankly, I kind of struggle with this question. Growing up, it was that slightly inconvenient period where I gave up pop and chocolate so that 6 or so weeks later, I could get rewarded with a whole bunch of chocolate that some gigantic (yet impossibly discreet) bunny had cleverly hidden around my house. Clearly I wasn’t quite getting the point then, but even in more recent years, I’ve still spent my Lents ‘sacrificing’ different things, or trying to ‘fix’ some of the things I do that I shouldn’t. And that’s fine, but that’s not exactly the model that Jesus gives us in his own Lenten journey.

Today at Mass we hear that “the Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert” for forty days. Deserts are empty, just barren wastelands. Jesus didn’t go out there to heal anybody or perform any great miracles. Rather, he went there to be alone, with God. Chronologically, Jesus had just been baptized, his public ministry only just beginning. He is retreating to the desert, presumably to discover what God wants for him.

I think this is a part of our Lenten call too. Find a way to create a modern day barren wasteland. Take some time away from the TV, from the computer, from whatever it is that consumes our time, and retreat to that space where God waits for us, in the silence. Once we’ve peeled away all of the distractions, the superficial desires, the things our culture might tell us we want and need, only then can we really discover what our true desires are. Then can we know what God wants for us, and to where God is calling us. God speaks in a whisper. It is up to us to turn down the volume of all the white noise, so that we might be able to listen.

Questions for Reflection:
How can I create a ‘desert’ in my every day life?
What do I truly desire out of life?

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Brendan Dailey
Brendan is an alumnus of the University of Michigan, where he works as an IT professional. He is a member of the Graduate/Young Professional group lead team at St. Mary Student Parish.
Email: [email protected]