A gift of thought. A friend of mine, but not only mine, Ron Keel, a priest and skilled writer of the diocese, has written five short meditations corresponding to each Sunday of Lent. With gratitude we will use the meditations in place of the clergy article for each week. A gift from Ron to provoke your thought. ~Father Bill Myrick
2026 Lenten Meditations and Prayers ✦ Lenten Meditation & Prayer – Week 1 ✦
Turning • Truth • Trust • Renewal • Hope
Reading Reference: Matthew 4:1–11
Meditation
Jesus begins his public ministry not with applause but with hunger. Led into the wilderness, he faces temptation in its many familiar forms: the urge to secure comfort, to seize control, to prove himself. In other words, Jesus meets the same voices many of us hear when life feels uncertain.
Lent begins here—not because struggle is the goal, but because honesty is. We are invited to notice what we reach for when we feel empty, afraid, or worn thin. The wilderness reveals what truly feeds us.
Jesus responds to every temptation not with force, but with trust. He leans into God’ word, God’ s s presence, God’ s promise. And in doing so, he shows us a way through our own tangled desires and anxious questions.
In a world that urges us to hurry, consume, and prove ourselves, Lent offers a quieter path: to listen, to let go, to trust that we are already held by God.
Questions for Reflection
What “ wilderness” are you walking through right now?
What tempts you to seek quick comfort instead of deep trust?
What might it look like to rely more fully on God this Lent?
Prayer
Faithful God,
Meet us in our wilderness places.
When we are tempted to settle for less than life, turn our hearts toward what truly nourishes.
Give us courage to trust you, and grace to walk this Lenten road with honesty and hope. Amen.
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