When we look at Matthew 4:1-11, we aren’t just reading a historical account of Jesus in the wilderness; we are looking at a roadmap for our own survival. As your Priest, I don’t talk about the “desert” or the discipline of Lent because I want to fill your calendar with more “church work.” I talk about it because I have stood at enough bedsides and seen enough of life’s fragility to know one absolute truth: Life is short, and eternity is forever. My deepest desire—the very reason I wear this collar—is to ensure that when your earthly pilgrimage ends, you are counted among the saints, reunited with your loved ones in the presence of God.

The devil didn’t tempt Jesus with obvious “evil”; he tempted him with shortcuts. He offered bread to the hungry, protection from pain, and power without sacrifice. Today, he does the same to us. He tells us we have “plenty of time” to get right with God, or that the Sacraments aren’t necessary if we are “good people.” But as a Dominican, I am bound to the Truth (Veritas), and the truth is that we are in a spiritual battle for our very souls. If Jesus—the Sinless One—was targeted by the tempter, what makes us think we can navigate this life safely without the armor of the Church?

We have the Sacraments and prayer not as “tasks,” but as medicine for a terminal condition. Confession isn’t about shame; it’s about clearing the wreckage so you can walk through the gates of Heaven. The Eucharist isn’t just a ritual; it is the “food for the journey” that sustains your soul when the world tries to starve it. We use these tools now because we do not know if we have tomorrow.

Our call to action this Lent is to live with a “Holy Urgency.” I challenge you to look at your life through the lens of eternity. Stop delaying the reconciliation you know you need—whether it is with God in the Confessional or with a family member you haven’t spoken to in years. Make the Sacraments the non-negotiable anchor of your week, recognizing that every time you receive the Eucharist, you are practicing for the Heavenly Banquet. Let us use these forty days to strip away the distractions that convince us we are immortal, and instead, cling to the Cross. Our goal is simple but infinite: to finish this race well so that we may see each other again in the Kingdom where there are no more departures, only the joy of being home with Jesus. Amen