PRIEST: We have begun our journey of these 40 days of Lent – like Jesus we enter into the desert to face the demons of our own hearts – demons of selfishness and of comfort, demons of greed and exploitation, demons of ambition and power. Whatever our demons are, Lent is the appointed time, the season of grace, to confront and defeat them in the power of Jesus’ love. Let us enter upon the sacred and life-giving task…
READER: Stones to Bread! The temptation to be popular with the crowd rather faithful to His Father:
when we conform to others’ wisdom and prejudices
rather than live by the challenging values of the Gospel
LORD HAVE MERCY
The spectacular leap from the Temple –
the Temptation to take the quick and easy road to success,
rather than the hard road to Calvary:
when we opt for our own comfort,
when we do not want to be disturbed or to disturb
CHRIST HAVE MERCY
Gain all the world and its power and riches!
The Temptation to use His power for his own gain,
rather than to enrich others with life:
when we use our power to diminish others, to feed our greed,
to exploit and abuse our Earth and its poor,
or to satisfy our own desires, rather than to serve others
LORD HAVE MERCY
PRIEST: May the God who calls us to the desert of his love – embrace us with mercy;
may the Redeemer who walks our path of temptation forgive us
and heal our sin;
may the Spirit change our hearts and give us the joy of repentance;
and bring us and the world to everlasting life
AMEN!