February Fortitude

The forty days of Lent begin on Ash Wednesday, which is on 17th February this year. During these days the Church thinks about the time Jesus spent in the wilderness, being hungry and thirsty, facing difficult temptations and considering how he should carry out God’s work.

Jesus was strong enough to find the right answers and to reject the wrong ideas of the temptations. That was not just because he was God’s Son, but also because he worked hard to do God’s will, gladly giving up his own comfort.

The season of Lent leads up to the festival of Easter, rather like the season of Advent leads up to Christmas-time. These are solemn seasons of preparation, when faithful Christians are asked to think seriously about their lives. Christmas shows us Jesus giving up the safety and comfort of heaven to come to earth to rescue human beings from their easy-going sinfulness. Easter shows us Jesus giving up the possible safety of hiding away or the false victory of seizing earthly power, choosing instead to complete his real victory over sin by innocently suffering a cruel death in our place.

What will you be doing this Lent to build up your strength in the Christian life ? Jesus had his own spiritual training programme - if he needed that, then you do, too.

With every blessing,

Ann