The Grace to Trust in God

Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert. The Spirit invites us into the desert which is Lent. This is the journey we take in preparation for Easter. The invitation is to enter into the desert of our heart and be with Jesus there.

“The ideal of the desert represents a time of total dependence on God and is a source of deep wisdom.” ~ James McCaffrey

This is a time when we face within us all that disfigures our true humanity. It could be our anger, our greed, our lustful desires, our arrogance, our desire to be always right or always in control.

Jesus is one who shows us what it means to be fully human and fully alive. The temptations that he experienced were the desire for :

• Food – “If you are the Son of God turn these stones into bread.” Our real food is the Word of God. Am I being nourished by the living word?
• Power – “I will give this power and the glory of these kingdoms. Worship me and it shall all be yours.” Many of us want to be in control and it is difficult to submit to the Father.
• Recognition – “If you are the Son of man throw yourself down from the parapet of the temple.” We need to reaffirm our true identity as a Child of God.

We need the grace to trust in God. His Father had called him to do his work of bringing about the kingdom. The devil’s temptation was  – ‘Here is a better and easier way to bring about the kingdom.’

Let us pray for each other as we make this Lenten journey.

Please pray especially for those are being baptised and those being received into full communion with the Catholic Church. Some went to our Cathedral on Saturday to be called by the Archbishop to the Sacraments of Initiation at Easter and there will be several called to the Sacraments of Initiation at 6pm Mass on Sunday evening.

At this time, we prayer especially for the people of Ukraine. Some have asked how they can help. Our sustained prayer is important and vital.

In your prayers, please remember the three St. Vincent de Paul conferences in the Ukraine :

• St. John Mary Vianney for adults in Kharkiv
• St. Christopher for youth in Kharkiv
• St. Martha Vetskaya Youth conference in Kyiv

The Saint Vincent de Paul sister charity, Depaul International, continues to support people made homeless in Odessa, Kharkiv and Ivano -Frankivsk territories. They are offering emergency shelter, advice and food to people from across Ukraine, who are terrified as Russia launches its full-scale invasion. The charity is urgently appealing for funds as the situation escalates. SVP conferences in Romania are assisting refugees crossing their border. 

Also, could I suggest that if you want to give money, please support Aid to the Church in Need, as it is committing 1 million euros towards emergency aid to support the work of the Church in Ukraine. This funding will help the 4,879 priests and religious brothers and 1,350 religious sisters there to continue their pastoral and outreach programs and further emergency aid to four Greek-Catholic exarchates and the two Latin dioceses in Eastern Ukraine, covering Kharkiv, Zaporizhya, Donetsk, Odesa and Krym.

Can you please help them ensure the presence of priests, religious sisters and brothers in providing aid and comfort to their fearful people, to refugees displaced by violence, to vulnerable children in orphanages and single mothers, and the elderly? All will face the challenge of surviving as costs spiral as a result of the war? Your kind donation, of whatever you can afford will help get aid to where it is need most at this distressing time.