Forty days in the desert. Forty days of fasting, solitude, and baking in the hot sun. Following in the footsteps of Elijah and Moses – who embarked on such a fast in their time – the Spirit guided Jesus into the sands of the West Bank to confront Him with temptation and the gravity of His sacrifice. What can we make of His journey into the desert? How does our participation in prayer, fasting, and giving during Lent crystallize the mission of Christ in our hearts? 

Prayer helps deliver us from our worldly concerns. A journey into the barren wilderness takes us outside of our individual lives and places us into the world that God has made for us. We see ourselves in a different way; we see the harshness and splendor of creation. We see the impact of our good deeds, and feel the pain of our misdeeds.

Fasting brings us face-to-face with temptation, and in doing so makes us thankful for what we have and what has been given to us. It inspires us to know that we can do more with less. It also offers us an opportunity for atonement and invites us to give up what makes us comfortable to show that we are devoted to change and open to mercy. 

Giving our time, energy, attention, or resources to others helps us take the final step outside of ourselves to turn the message of the season into action. Just as Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice for humanity, giving ourselves to others centers the Christian faith in humility and service. 

We hope this calendar – which includes daily excerpts taken from the liturgy of the word – helps you better engage with prayer, fasting, and giving to appreciate the gift of life and to live in a way that embodies service and sacrifice.