The word Lent, from the Middle English word Lenten, means “springtime.” It brings to mind such qualities as repentance, newness, preparation, self-examination, transformation, task fulfillment, escape from bondage or slavery (such as sin), nourishment and growth (for example, in the spiritual life), and finally, personal fulfillment, such as redemption and salvation, and ultimately, new generation and new life. In Sacred Scripture, the number “40” signifies new life, new growth, transformation, a change from one great task to another great task. This experience is depicted in our Gospel today where Jesus enters the desert to be tempted by Satan. At the heart of all the temptations, as we see here, is the act of pushing God aside because we perceive him as secondary, if not actually superfluous and annoying, in comparison with all the apparently far more urgent matters that fill our lives. It is in the desert where everything is stripped away that we truly hear the voice of the Lord away from idols and illusions. The harshness of the desert purifies, leading to repentance, growth in virtue, and a deeper, more authentic faith. Let us, then, follow Jesus always during this season of Lent.