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By Marcel Mann

In reading and reflecting on Matthew 4:1-11 from the First Sunday of Lent, what jumped out at me was vs 2.  “And he fasted 40 days & 40 nights, and afterwards he was hungry.”  In particular, the part about being hungry.  What an understatement!  More like famished!

The temptation to turn rocks into bread would have been really tempting!  And yet Jesus does a greater miracle than turning rocks into bread!  He changes stony hearts into hearts of flesh. This is the real bread he wants to bless us with, so we can share it with him and our brothers and sisters.

Because of this, I have decided to try to feed Jesus the bread of a stony heart turned into flesh for this Lent.  And not only mine, but all those I am in contact with through prayers, words and actions.  In this way, I will try to satisfy the hunger of Jesus.

This is similar to Jesus saying “I thirst” from the Cross.  His thirst was for the wine of souls and their love.  Likewise, Jesus is hungry for the heart that is mine to share with him. And not only my heart, but that of all peoples. His hunger is limitless, like his thirst, for he is God. And yet it is also human in that it happens at specific times in his life on earth.

As a baby, he would have hungered and thirsted for the milk of his mother.  During his years growing up, he would have gone through growth spurts and would have consumed more to compensate.  When Mary encouraged him to perform his first miracle at the wedding feast of Cana, I am sure he drank wine both before and after this miracle while at the wedding.

He multiplied loaves and fishes to feed the four thousand, and then later, the five thousand.  In each case, there were many baskets of pieces left over, which fed his apostles, and I would assume his own self too. At the last supper, he shared the Passover with his chosen twelve.  Throughout his life, from the wilderness to the Cross, Jesus hungered and thirsted.

During this Lent, let us ask Jesus to change our stony hearts into hearts of flesh. With our fasting, abstinence, almsgiving, prayers and good works, let us cooperate with God’s grace so as to change our hearts of flesh into fresh bread.  Then let us share this bread so as to satisfy the hunger of our neighbour, through Jesus, with Jesus and in Jesus.  Amen.

This year’s Renew Lent reflections are offered by participants in the Archdiocese of Regina’s Lay Formation Program, a journey of faith, prayer, and leadership development for parish ministry. Our next intake begins in Fall 2027. If you’d like to learn more, feel free to contact Deacon Eric Gurash at [email protected] or 306-721-6724.