The 40 days and nights of LENT recall the 40 days and night Jesus spent in the desert (Matthew 4:1-11).
After having been baptized by John the Baptist, the Holy Spirit leads Jesus into the desert where He prepares for the fulfillment of His mission through prayer and penance. The devil pounces upon an exhausted and fatigued Jesus, tempting our blessed Lord in ways that would upend His rescue mission expressly designed for us and for our salvation.
We really don’t know what heights we are capable of scaling until we are stretched and tested. Jesus teaches us that we must overcome trials and temptations no matter how beleaguered we may be from life’s difficulties. Challenges present opportunities for the strengthening of our Christian character and our own advancing of God’s Kingdom
