2022 First Sunday of Lent

If we ignore that we are in a spiritual battle, we will become a pawn in Satan’s hand.

In this compelling homily for the first Sunday of Lent, Father Jegar Fickel emphasizes the perennial challenge of spiritual warfare that faces every Christian. He explains that each Lent, we revisit Jesus’ temptation in the desert as a reminder of our own ongoing struggles against spiritual evils.

Father Jegar outlines the Church's teaching on the reality of angels and demons, affirming that our daily experiences are influenced by these unseen forces. He draws on Saint Ignatius of Loyola’s discernment of spirits to explain how demons can disrupt or pacify us, depending on our spiritual state, to steer us away from God's will.

Highlighting the importance of self-awareness in spiritual life, Father Jegar urges us to acknowledge and confront the ways in which evil spirits attempt to destabilize or numb us to God's presence. He points out that our responses to these temptations shape our spiritual journey and can either lead us toward or away from our divine calling.

This homily invites us to use Lent as a time to fortify ourselves against spiritual attacks through prayer, fasting, and the sacraments, especially the Eucharist. Father Jegar calls on the congregation to engage more deeply with our faith to effectively combat the spiritual desolation that can so easily entrap us in the secular world.