Luke 4:1-13 Jesus went to the desert for forty days after being baptized. He was full of the spirit. During that time alone, Satan tempted him, at least three times, but the Gospel reading alludes to more. At each temptation, Jesus rebukes Satan and quotes the scriptures to him. At the end of forty days, Jesus leaves the desert and begins his ministry. Between one and three years later (depending on which Gospel you are reading), he’ll enter Jerusalem to shouts and accolades, be betrayed by a friend, handed over to the authorities, condemned to death on the cross, and crucified. For at least 1700 years, the church has engaged with some practice of Lent- a period originally to prepare new converts for baptism on Easter Sunday. But few writings appear before the Council of Nicaea. In this ancient Catholic tradition, the observance of the forty-days makes sense. It is a period of preparation, to go over the last details of what conversion means for the new believers. I’ve been ...