If there’s one passage from the Bible that feels like the classic reading for Lent, it’s the story of Jesus being tempted in the desert. Each temptation that came to Jesus, just like the ones we face, was a temptation to be unfaithful, to lose trust, to give in to slavery. Satan tempted Jesus with ways of living that must have seemed pretty tempting to Him, just like they do to us nowadays. All those things that looked so good weren’t actually good at all, if choosing them meant turning away from God’s plan for us – the “abundant life” He promise not only for Jesus, but for all of us.

The word "project" is simple but ambitious. We use it in our everyday life to talk about big choices like school, work, or what kind of life we want to live. A project is valuable when it’s both beautiful and achievable. But when a project falls apart, it’s not just disappointing – it’s sad.

Every year, on the first Sunday of Lent, we’re shown “Jesus’ project.” God made it clear who Jesus was when He told Him at His baptism, “You are my Son, the beloved. In you, I am well pleased.” Then, the Spirit led Jesus into the desert. The desert is a place of silence, solitude, and simplicity, where we face our own thoughts, and in a way, our own plans. This is why the devil, who likes to mess up people’s plans, finds this place so fitting – he tries to mess with the project. For example, a simple need like food can turn into an obsession, authority can become a thirst for power, and talking to God can turn into a selfish, calculating thing.

Today, "Jesus’ project" shows us a freedom where we choose to "be" over "have." It’s about wanting to help others grow instead of dominating or destroying them. It’s about having a loving relationship with God the Father, where Jesus invites us to be His children.

We too are tempted, whether as a Church, families, religious people, married couples, parents, or children. We face temptations all the time that seem so good, so appealing, but that are so far from what God calls us to be as His children.

Now, the "Jesus project" is given to us as an invitation to choose freedom. We shouldn’t let ourselves be tricked by the one who messes up plans. We should carry out our projects humbly, day by day, by listening to and sharing God’s Word.

Lent is here again, and the call to change is heard in every Mass. The journey of change doesn’t happen in a day: “when the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time”. It’s a lifelong commitment, a constant shift in direction, through struggles and confusion, conflicting desires, failures and hopes – but also real joy and happiness when we realize we’re walking with Jesus in God’s plan, so that all may know and love our Lord Jesus Christ.

Let us pray –

Renewed with heavenly Word, by which faith is nourished, hope increased,
and charity strengthened, we pray, O Lord,
that we may learn to hunger for Christ, the true and living Bread,
and strive to live by every word which proceeds from your mouth.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.