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    40 Days in the Desert: A Lenten Journey with Our Lord
    40 Days in the Desert: A Lenten Journey with Our Lord
    40 Days in the Desert: A Lenten Journey with Our Lord
    Ebook166 pages3 hours

    40 Days in the Desert: A Lenten Journey with Our Lord

    By John Paul Thomas

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    About this ebook

    Lent is a sacred time of the year. On the surface, many cringe at the thought of Lent approaching, but deep down, faithful Christians anticipate this holy time with hopefulness that it will produce good fruit in their lives.
    Recall Jesus saying, “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few” (Matthew 7:13–14). Entering through that “narrow gate” is a path that requires resolve and sacrificial love. In order to take that constricted and challenging road, we must face difficult aspects of our lives, including our sins.
    The purpose of this book is to offer meditations for the Lenten season that are based on Jesus’ forty days in the desert. The reflections for the traditional forty days of Lent begin with Jesus' forty days in the desert and include the seven capital sins and events of Holy Week. In addition, separate reflections for every Sunday of Lent are included.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMy Catholic Life Inc.
    Release dateJan 8, 2024
    ISBN9798215931561
    40 Days in the Desert: A Lenten Journey with Our Lord
    Author

    John Paul Thomas

    "John Paul Thomas" is the pen name this Catholic priest chose in honor of the Apostles Saints John and Thomas and the great evangelist Saint Paul. This name also evokes the memory of the great Pope Saint John Paul II. John is the beloved apostle who sought out a deeply personal and intimate relationship with his Savior. Hopefully the writings in this book point us all to a deeply personal and intimate relationship with our God. May John be a model of this intimacy and love. Thomas is also a beloved apostle and close friend of Jesus but is well known for his lack of faith in Jesus' resurrection. Though he ultimately entered into a profound faith crying out, "my Lord and my God," he is given to us as a model of our own weakness of faith. Thomas should inspire us to always return to faith when we realize we have doubted. As a Pharisee, Paul severely persecuted the early Christian Church. However, after going through a powerful conversion, he went on to become the great evangelist to the gentiles, founding many new communities of believers and writing many letters contained in Sacred Scripture. His letters are deeply personal and reveal a shepherd's heart. He is a model for all as we seek to embrace our calling to spread the Gospel.

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      Book preview

      40 Days in the Desert - John Paul Thomas

      Table of Contents

      Table of Contents

      Introduction

      Gospel for the Initial Reflections

      Day One: Journeying With Our Lord

      Ash Wednesday

      Day Two: The Desert

      Thursday after Ash Wednesday

      Day Three: Sacrifice

      Friday after Ash Wednesday

      Day Four: Dryness

      Saturday after Ash Wednesday

      First Sunday in Lent: Hunger

      Day Five: Barrenness

      Monday of the First Week of Lent

      Day Six: Solitude

      Tuesday of the First Week of Lent

      Day Seven: Heat

      Wednesday of the First Week of Lent

      Day Eight: Thirst

      Thursday of the First Week of Lent

      Day Nine: Penance

      Friday of the First Week of Lent

      Day Ten: Tempter

      Saturday of the First Week of Lent

      Second Sunday of Lent: Contrast

      Day Eleven: Creation

      Monday of the Second Week of Lent

      Day Twelve: Perseverance

      Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent

      Day Thirteen: Identity

      Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent

      Day Fourteen: Presumption

      Thursday of the Second Week of Lent

      Day Fifteen: Power

      Friday of the Second Week of Lent

      Day Sixteen: The Word of God

      Saturday of the Second Week of Lent

      Third Sunday of Lent: Living Water

      Day Seventeen: Sacred Places

      Monday of the Third Week of Lent

      Day Eighteen: Empty Glory

      Tuesday of the Third Week of Lent

      Day Nineteen: False Presumptions

      Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent

      Day Twenty: Distortions

      Thursday of the Third Week of Lent

      Day Twenty-One: Tempting God

      Friday of the Third Week of Lent

      Day Twenty-Two: Joy

      Saturday of the Third Week of Lent

      Fourth Sunday of Lent: Sight

      Day Twenty-Three: True Heights

      Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent

      Day Twenty-Four: Idols

      Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent

      Day Twenty-Five: Worship

      Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent

      Day Twenty-Six: Angels

      Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent

      Day Twenty-Seven: Sloth or Diligence?

      Friday of the Fourth Week of Lent

      Day Twenty-Eight: Envy or Joy?

      Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent

      Fifth Sunday of Lent: Weeping

      Day Twenty-Nine: Gluttony or Self-Control?

      Monday of the Fifth Week of Lent

      Day Thirty: Anger or Patience?

      Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Lent

      Day Thirty-One: Greed or Generosity?

      Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Lent

      Day Thirty-Two: Lust or Purity?

      Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent

      Day Thirty-Three: Pride

      Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent

      Day Thirty-Four: Reconciliation

      Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent

      Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion: Holy Week

      Day Thirty-Five: Devotion

      Monday of Holy Week

      Day Thirty-Six: Betrayal

      Tuesday of Holy Week

      Day Thirty-Seven: Denial

      Wednesday of Holy Week

      Day Thirty-Eight: The Eucharist

      Holy Thursday

      Day Thirty-Nine: Death

      Good Friday

      Day Forty: Hopeful Anticipation

      Holy Saturday

      Introduction

      Lent is a sacred time of the year. On the surface, many cringe at the thought of Lent approaching, but deep down, faithful Christians anticipate this holy time with hopefulness that it will produce good fruit in their lives.

      Jesus’ life was marked by sacrifice and suffering through which He bestowed His perfect love. We will never fully comprehend His divine soul, even in Heaven. The Blessed Trinity alone sees the fullness of each divine Person. Despite that, we must strive to comprehend our Lord’s human life so that we can share in His life, imitate Him, and receive the eternal rewards He desires to bestow upon those who love Him.

      Recall Jesus saying, Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few (Matthew 7:13–14). Entering through that narrow gate is a path that requires resolve and sacrificial love. In order to take that constricted and challenging road, we must face difficult aspects of our lives, including our sins.

      Facing our sins requires a depth of honesty and humility. It is easy to rationalize sin away and presume that God, in His mercy, will always forgive. God grants us forgiveness—but under the condition that we face our sins, repent of them, and work to amend our lives. This is no small task.

      Furthermore, the closer we come to God, the more clearly we will see all that we did not see before. Sin becomes more evident as even the smallest imperfections come into the light. Achieving this level of attentiveness requires much diligence, prayer, and openness.

      Since Lent is the most important time of year to consider our sins, spend time looking at your own failings from various perspectives. Do not get discouraged in the process. Ponder sin with hopeful anticipation of freedom from those sins. But that freedom will never be found unless you honestly, thoroughly, and continuously examine your soul from God’s perspective. If you desire a life of true sanctity, the process can seem tedious. Tedious, however, is not the same as scrupulous. Scrupulosity is an obsessive examination of sin without faith or trust in God’s endless mercy. When His mercy is incorporated, prayerfully purging even the tiniest sin from your life becomes a great joy and a path toward incredible freedom.

      Lent concludes with the beginning of the Easter season. Keeping Easter in mind is essential as you walk through Lent, make sacrifices, examine your conscience, and confess your sins. Sacrifice, suffering, and death are disheartening if they are not a means to a greater end, and that end is the Resurrection of Christ and your sharing in His new life.

      This book offers reflections for the Lenten season that are based on Jesus’ forty days in the desert.  Beginning with Jesus’ time preparing for His ministry, meditations on the seven capital sins and Holy Week complete the forty days. In addition, since Lent lasts more than forty days when Sundays are counted, separate reflections for every Sunday of Lent are included.

      May the Lord grant you a fruitful and transformative Lent as you journey with Him through His forty days in the desert, His preaching and miracles, and His holy Passion.

      Lord of all hope, as I begin this holy season of Lent, I pray that You will change me, transform me, and reveal to me all that You wish to convey. I open myself to Your holy will as completely as I am able and rely upon Your grace to do the rest. Help me to humbly and honestly examine my life so that I can be purged of my sins and more fully imitate Your sacrificial love. Draw me into Your Passion and death, dear Lord, so that I can share in the glory of Your Resurrection. Jesus, Messiah and King, I trust in You!

      Gospel for the Initial Reflections

      The following Gospel, taken from the First Sunday of Lent (Year A), will be the basis for Reflections 1–27.

      Matthew 4:1–1

      At that time Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert

      to be tempted by the devil.

      He fasted for forty days and forty nights,

      and afterwards he was hungry.

      The tempter approached and said to him,

      "If you are the Son of God,

      command that these stones become loaves of bread."

      He said in reply,

      "It is written:

      One does not live on bread alone,

      but on every word that comes forth

      from the mouth of God."

      Then the devil took him to the holy city,

      and made him stand on the parapet of the temple,

      and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down.

      For it is written:

      He will command his angels concerning you

      and with their hands they will support you,

      lest you dash your foot against a stone."

      Jesus answered him,

      "Again it is written,

      You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test."

      Then the devil took him up to a very high mountain,

      and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their magnificence,

      and he said to him, "All these I shall give to you,

      if you will prostrate yourself and worship me."

      At this, Jesus said to him,

      "Get away, Satan!

      It is written:

      The Lord, your God, shall you worship

      and him alone shall you serve."

      Then the devil left him and, behold,

      angels came and ministered to him.

      Day One: Journeying With Our Lord

      Ash Wednesday

      Though Ash Wednesday is not a holy day of obligation, it is one of the most attended liturgical celebrations on our Church calendar. Perhaps this speaks to the desire in our hearts to have a fruitful and transformative Lent each year. These forty days honor and imitate Jesus’ forty days in the desert that immediately followed His baptism and just prior to the beginning of His public ministry. Jesus’ forty days were a time of fasting and prayer, followed by His subjecting Himself

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