In this "Know Before You Go" reflection for the First Sunday of Lent, Father Brendan Curran (Dominican Promoter for Justice and Peace) invites us to dare to journey with Christ through the deserts of our lives.
The Lenten season begins where Jesus’ public ministry began: in the wilderness. Father Brendan connects the readings of Genesis, Romans, and Matthew to show how God breathes life into the dust of our existence. He challenges us not to see the desert only as a biblical story, but as a present reality—in the faces of day laborers waiting in parking lots, ride-share drivers starting new lives, and restaurant workers facing the heat of the ovens.
Are you willing to walk through these real-world deserts and see the eyes of Christ in one another? Join us as we explore how to move beyond temptation and build a holy community.
**Timeline:**
0:00 Welcome: The First Sunday of Lent
0:24 Jesus’ 40 Days in the Desert
1:19 The Meaning of Ashes: Life from Dust
2:06 First Reading (Genesis): Creation & Holy Community
3:54 Second Reading (Romans): Losing and Finding Our Way
4:38 The Gospel: Three Temptations of Christ
5:10 Temptation 1: Turning Stones to Bread
5:22 Temptation 2: Easy Victories & Dangerous Risks
5:58 Temptation 3: Using Others as Pawns for Power
7:19 Applying the Desert to Real Life
7:43 The Desert of the Day Laborer
8:02 The Desert of the Immigrant & Service Worker
8:59 Call to Action: Be the Light of Christ
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