Allowing  Jesus to Lead in the Desert Deepens Our Relationship with God

Walking in the footsteps of Jesus in the desert and confronting our weaknesses during Lent can tempt us to withdraw into comfort. Thoughts such as “this is too hard” or “surely God didn’t mean for me to go through this” can discourage us from perseverance. Formation directors in the Diocese of Baton Rouge encourage Catholics to push through these moments if they desire true spiritual growth.

The first question many Catholics ask is a simple one: Why did Jesus have to be led into the desert?

Dr. Brian Pedraza, director of theology at FranU, said the Gospel writers reveal something essential about Christ’s identity and mission.

“The Gospel writers are clueing us in to something essential about Jesus and his mission. Where Israel, the people who are like a ‘firstborn son’ to God (Ex 4:22), failed, he will succeed,” Pedraza said. “Israel traveled through the wilderness, or desert, to reach the promised land, but as the Book of Numbers shows, their sinfulness led to them having to wander for 40 years.”

He noted that Israel repeatedly sinned in the desert, even rejecting the promised land God had prepared for them. “It is not a coincidence that the Gospel writers then show Jesus spending 40 days in the desert, and in his time there, he redeems the experience of his people by resisting the temptation to sin.”

Spiritual director Carmel Acosta underscored that Jesus did not stumble into the wilderness on his own. “Every word in Mt 4:1–11 shows that Jesus didn’t wander into the desert; he was led by the Holy Spirit,” she said. Acosta also serves as director of adult formation at St. Aloysius Church in Baton Rouge.

“Jesus followed his Father,” she said. “In everything he did, he could point back to, ‘This is the Father’s wish … I am my Father’s son … me and my Father are one.’”

For Catholics today, both Pedraza and Acosta emphasized the need to trust the Spirit’s movements—especially when they lead us into spiritual deserts.

“Lent is a wonderful but challenging time precisely because we are led as a Church into the desert along with the Lord,” Pedraza said. “The desert is a place where the normal trappings of life are not available to us. In a way, this is symbolized by us ‘giving up something’ for Lent. The point of the ‘giving up’ is to heal or correct the relationship we have with the goods of this world.”

He explained that voluntary sacrifices often reveal attachments we may not have recognized. “If I give up social media as my Lenten ‘desert,’ I may discover that I was addicted to it and am gaining freedom by being away from it. This time in the desert trains us to use created goods better. A good friend of mine says, ‘We have to fast in order to learn how to feast.’”

As Catholics journey through Lent, they can learn from Christ’s victory over temptation. Pedraza stressed that the heart of the story is not moral self-improvement by human effort but dependence on Jesus.

“The fact that Jesus succeeds where the people of God don’t tells us this: we will not become more moral or good apart from Christ. It is his grace that wins the victory over temptation,” he said. “If we want to be free of some repeated sin or vice, we should grow closer to the Lord. Allow him to work in us. He has won the victory, and he can manifest this in our own lives.”

Acosta agreed, noting that if the Father led Jesus into solitude and prayer, Jesus invites us to follow. “If God led Jesus into the desert to pray, to that time alone, then Jesus wants us to imitate him. He’s asking us to be led by the Spirit in Lent—to take these 40 days to get back on track. We can draw strength from that time away, that time in prayer or fasting, that time of almsgiving.”

Referencing The Lenten Companion by Ascension Press, Acosta acknowledged that the spiritual desert can feel unsettling. “Many times we are afraid to ask, ‘God, why did you leave me here?’ No one wants to be tempted – but it’s part of life. I think he’s showing us an example.”

She emphasized that Scripture continually reassures the faithful. “The Bible says so many times, ‘Be not afraid.’ And that wasn’t just to the historical people in the Bible. It’s also to us, since Scripture is a living document for us, a love letter to us.”

The story of Peter also offers hope, especially when weakness or failure arises during Lent. “We can look to our first pope, Peter. He failed, and Jesus forgave him and loved him,” Acosta said. “He ended up being the rock of our Church. Scripture points us back to the fact that we, too, have the sacrament of confession so that we can start over. Our God is a merciful God.”

The Lenten desert, Pedraza added, is not a short-term episode but a long journey. “What Jesus did in 40 days may unfold in 40 years of our lives, or more,” he said. “It’s important to know that when we want to climb the holy mountain of God, we are not alone. We are a ‘roped party,’ as Pope Benedict XVI once put it. We are roped to each other in the Church, and to the saints, and especially to our Lord.”

Struggles are expected, he said, but the Christian community and the sacraments keep believers from losing their footing. “We may fall, but it’s very hard to fall all the way down the mountain when we are connected to so many people.”

For anyone weary in their Lenten discipline, Pedraza offered a final encouragement. “Just get back up, go to confession, receive the daily bread for the next part of the journey, and keep going. Pope Francis would often say, ‘God doesn’t tire of forgiving us. It is we who tire of asking for forgiveness.’ Don’t grow weary. The Lord is sending holy angels to minister to you, just as they did to him during his time in the desert. We are not alone. We have each other, and most importantly, we have Jesus.”