Longing in the Wilderness.

By Marian McKone, guest author

photo by Giorgio Parravicini / provided by Unsplash

“You are my Beloved, my Own.
On you my favor rests.”

— Mark 1:11

Jesus heard these words before he was sent into the wilderness, wildness, desert.  This affirmation was repeating in his mind as he spent forty days in this time apart, alone. I want us to hear these same words as we consider our Lenten journey.  You are the beloved of God. I am the beloved of God. We are the beloved of God. We belong – to God, to each other.  This is a different foundation than some understandings of the placement of ashes on our foreheads on Ash Wednesday.

“Remember Man, that thou art dust and to dust you shall return.”

This is the traditional phrase my husband remembers from his Catholic childhood. We are dust.  We are claydust and stardust, originally blessed and expressing the very image of God.  I am suggesting we begin this exploration of Lent with this affirming understanding of who we are.

From this foundation let us beg…