The associated reading for this reflection can be found in your Every Sacred Sunday Mass journal or online here.
I heard a priest once say “In the desert, there’s no hiding.” I thought it meant I couldn’t hide from my struggles and I would have to make my own path. At the time, I was discerning whether or not to leave a job, navigating what to do next, and struggling to hear the Father’s voice. I felt as if I was aimlessly wandering through the desert, grasping at the next step in my career and in my life. I thought I was alone, relying on myself in the emptiness of the desert.
Still the Father said “In the desert I make a way”.
I realized that in the desert, there is no hiding from struggles or obstacles. There’s no hiding from the heavenly Father.
And in the seemingly empty desert of my heart, He made a way for comfort and joy.
Today we’re reminded of the Father’s presence, His providence, and His goodness at all times. In the desert, in the depths of sorrow, in the lack of hope, He persists. He persists in making a way for us, His children, as we seek Him. Though it is easy to be caught up in the discomfort of fasting and penance, the Father constantly reminds us that He is ever closer and ever near.
“I put water in the desert and rivers in the wasteland for my chosen people to drink, the people whom I formed for myself, that they might announce my praise.”
As we walk through the desert, let us continue our pursuit of our Lord, our hope and our way. May we persevere, knowing that He has done something new in our hearts and continues to renew our lives. Let us set our eyes on our Lord, knowing He has made a way in the desert and provides nourishment for His chosen ones, His children.
Chrysta Joy Jaucian is a student physical therapist, singer, and missionary from Houston, Texas. She serves with Adore Ministries, a ministry seeking to know, love, and serve God by serving teens and families along the local margins. Chrysta loves drinking coffee, sharing laughter, and finding Jesus in the ordinary.